How the Mailbox is Evolving into the Lockable Package Box
Tags: Mail Delivery, Package Theft, Package Delivery, Online Shopping

Mailbox design and placement have changed over the years to meet the needs of the times. With the recent surge in e-commerce, the mailbox of the past is outdated for a lot of people who are unable to conveniently store and secure many of their delivered packages.

Hence, the rise in demand for the lockable package box, which can be placed at the front door or somewhere convenient for delivery drivers. It can be securely opened and closed to store packages to protect them from theft or weather until the recipients arrive home.

But this isn’t the first time the mailbox and parcel delivery have evolved in the US. Looking back at history, it’s interesting to see how we have innovated to meet the needs of the changing times.

Early Days: The Central Post Office

After the Pony Express was established in the US in 1860, most folks picked up their letters and packages at the same place they mailed them — the post office. That was a pretty safe, but inconvenient, way of doing things. For many, it was more like monthly rather than daily mail!

Next Up: The Personal Mailbox

To help alleviate the need to trek to the post office, home mail delivery began through the creation of Free City Delivery in 1863. Mailboxes began to spring up soon after that. These versions were anything from a mail slot to an actual box often mounted on the outside of the house. But as less mail was delivered on foot, mailboxes moved from the house to the street to make it easier for postal workers to deposit mail directly from a wagon or, later, a vehicle.

Mailboxes Made Mandatory

By 1923, according to nationalmailboxes.com, the US postal service made mailboxes mandatory for any household. They also required that mailboxes have a couple of features at the time:

Big enough to handle letter-sized envelopes and magazines

Strong enough to handle inclement weather

Modern Times: E-commerce and the Need to Evolve

Until now, it’s been the status quo for about the last 100 years. But these days we live in a world where we can get anything delivered at any time. In fact, with online shopping in some instances surpassing in-store purchases and the growth of subscription services that have repetitive, scheduled deliveries, receiving packages is a daily occurrence for most of us.

Problem is, most packages don’t fit in the traditional mailbox, so they are typically left strewn on the front porch unprotected from potential thieves and weather. As most of these packages are delivered by non-Postal Service providers, there are no standardizations in place to protect them.

Enter the Lockable Package Box

It was only a matter of time that innovation would catch up to the huge issues faced by unprotected package deliveries. The secure package box appears to be the most obvious way to solve modern-day package delivery problems. In fact, looking at other security options, we see there are several compelling reasons why people are choosing this solution over others.

Full Disclosure: We at DeliverySafe think we Have the Best Solution

DeliverySafe is the way forward as the modern mailbox that addresses the problem most of us face. Although many will still have the traditional mailbox for their letter, they will increasingly accompany it with a lockable package box.

The first difference you’ll notice between old mailboxes and the DeliverySafe, is the size. It measures at 34 inches long, 19 inches deep and 22 ½ inches high. That much space means it can handle more than a few regular-sized boxes and should be able to tackle larger deliveries, as well.

What really puts the “modern” in the modern mailbox by DeliverySafe is the built-in digital keypad to open and close the box. It’s reprogrammable so you can give the passcode to people you want to have access, but also change the passcode as you see fit. And, yes, delivery providers all support, even welcome, entering a key code to securely deliver packages.

Beyond Just Parcels

Of course, the new age of delivery also means that we are getting more than just clothing and books in the mail. In fact, perishable items like meal kits and groceries are some of the fastest-growing items getting delivered to homes, a trend that’s been further heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

So how do you make sure these items stay fresh while they are sitting on your front porch? Well, the DeliverySafe is insulated to keep perishables fresh and has optional ice packs to ensure that they stay fresh for up to 24 hours in most climates.

The Latest Mailbox Evolution is Now

As adoption of the lockable package box grows, no doubt we’ll see them as a mainstay in most American homes in the near future. Online shopping along with meal-kit and grocery delivery don’t appear to be slowing down any time soon, so the shift to the next evolution in the mailbox is taking place right now.