The Postal Service’s continued investment in modernization means the organization is more than ready to deliver for the holidays.
During the past four years, USPS has invested nearly $20 billion in its facilities and processing capabilities with the goal of realigning the national postal network to meet the mailing and shipping needs of modern consumers.
“The Postal Service plans throughout the year to deliver the nation’s mail and packages during the high-volume holiday season and we are well prepared and ready to deliver for the American public,” said Postmaster General David Steiner. “For the past several years, the Postal Service has been gaining market share in our package business, which reflects the strong value and excellent portfolio of the shipping options we provide. We expect to see a continuation of this trend in the coming holiday period and to continue winning a larger share of the nation’s shipping business.”
Areas of progress ahead of the 2025 holidays include:
• Increased daily package processing capacity to 88 million from 60 million: The organization has added 614 state-of-the-art package sorting machines during the past five years that can handle more, and larger, packages than older machines. Automated scanning capabilities also ensure tracking visibility as packages move through the system.
• Reduced need for seasonal employees: The Postal Service has converted nearly 232,000 precareer employees to full time since 2020, reducing the need for seasonal employees. This year, the organization plans to hire 14,000 temporary workers, down from 40,000 just a few years ago.
• Expanded turnaround service: Updated service standards allow the organization to expand its reach for turnaround service, which is the processing and delivering of mail within the same region. Local consumers and businesses can now send holiday greetings more quickly and reliably within a region.
• The debut of new facilities: During the past four years, the Postal Service has opened nine regional processing and distribution centers, 19 regional transfer hubs, 17 local processing centers and 133 sorting and delivery centers — all to ensure the organization has the space needed to not only process additional holiday volume but to better serve customers year-round.
• Improved strategic planning in targeted markets: The organization recently created a chief performance officer position and an associated group to identify ways to work more effectively and efficiently, working closely with customers to match needs with solutions.
• New vehicles: The Postal Service has received nearly 29,000 new vehicles this year and is using more than 24,000 of them on postal delivery routes. Overall, a total of 106,480 new vehicles, including 66,000 zero-emission electric vehicles, are expected.
• Flexible products and services: Customers can rely on USPS Ground Advantage (2-5 business days), Priority Mail (2-3 business days) and Priority Mail Express (1-3 business days) during the holidays, with $100 insurance and tracking included on most shipments.
As it has in the past, USPS will also prioritize morning parcel delivery, enhanced scanning technology and extended retail and pickup delivery hours at popular Post Office locations during the holiday season.