A small group of protesters stood outside the U.S. Post Office hub at 715 NW Hoyt Street Saturday afternoon, waving signs that read “save postal trucking” and “stop privatization.”

“Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Privatization’s got to go,” they shouted.

The protesters were voicing their opposition to an alleged extension of a contract with private trucking company Dill’s Star Route Inc. Though the U.S. Postal Service has long used private trucking companies to transport mail between cities, the use of companies like Dill’s within cities is relatively new, said protest organizer and former letter carrier Jamie Partridge. Now, the protesters said, that new contract is being extended.

Using private contracts is more expensive than employing postal truckers, Partridge said. Plus, he said, the private trucking companies are less efficient: They make more runs with less mail.

Peter Hass, spokesman with the U.S. Postal Service, said he didn’t know the protesters would be focusing on the contract renewal and was not immediately able to verify their claims.

Protesters use postcards to oppose Postal Service’s use of private trucking (video)