[sb1]

I have also used the USPS near exclusively for over 20 years and have only had one go missing(Postal employee theft), which was eventually recovered. I will say that parcels with tracking and/or signature required rarely go undelivered(delayed no doubt), first class stamped mail is more haphazard.

Also I will say that a PO Box(at a real post office) is a huge benefit, as most packages that are "lost" are usually either misdelivered on a mail route or taken by a opportunist passing by. My incoming packages are signed for and stored for my pickup, no worries of another person handling it or a nefarious party heisting the package.

Lastly as someone who regularly visits the PO I know the clerks and postmasters and when something get bogged down, they can provide a much more detailed tracking history down to the bin that the package is in at a sorting facility and when it was last scanned. Which is valuable information if you have to track down a stuck package. If you are nice to them they will be quite helpful.

And, worst case, the one or two times way back in the 1980's and 1990's before tracking and private insurance, the two times I had packages not get delivered I was promptly paid each time right after the 60 or 90 day waiting period.