Dec. 13 kicks off what is expected to be the busiest week of the year for the Postal Service, the peak of peak season.
Nearly 2.3 billion First-Class Mail pieces, including greeting cards and packages, are expected to be processed and delivered this week.
The organization, which is encouraging customers to use usps.com for at-home shipping, estimates that on Dec. 14, nearly 500,000 consumers will use online services such as Click-N-Ship to order free Priority Mail boxes, print shipping labels, purchase postage and request free Package Pickup.
Dec. 19 is predicted to be the Postal Service’s busiest day online, with more than 12.5 million consumers expected to go to usps.com for help shipping their holiday gifts.
In total, the organization expects more than 12 billion letters, cards and packages to be processed between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
“Now is the time to mail your holiday greetings and packages to make sure they reach their intended destination in time for holiday gatherings and celebrations,” said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. “This will be the busiest week of mailing and shipping across the nation, but there is a spirit of excitement throughout the organization and our entire team is working around the clock to deliver the holidays for the nation.”
The Postal Service has been getting ready for peak season since spring.
Preparations included the conversion of 63,000 precareer employees into career positions and a national drive to hire an additional 40,000 seasonal employees; the leasing of 13 million square feet of additional space across more than 100 locations, including more than 50 annexes with multiyear leases to handle the increase in the number of packages; the installation of 112 new package sorting machines; and the expansion of Sunday delivery in select cities with high package volumes.
Other steps included checklists sent to retail locations and, new this year, peak prep tutorials.
Additionally, the Postal Service is educating the public.
In a Dec. 13 news release, the organization reminded customers of options such as Click-N-Ship and Package Pickup, encouraging them to go online for tips and videos on at-home shipping and for recommended deadlines for domestic, international and military mail.
The release also salutes USPS employees — a sentiment DeJoy echoes in a new video message.
“Please join me in thanking our nation’s postal workers and wishing them a great holiday season,” he says. “They do an amazing job every day.”
