USPS network operations in full force for the holidays

Miami Letter Carrier Milaina Cruz loads
packages into a new cargo van.

USPS – 12.18.14 – Postal facilities across the nation are working hard to keep the mail moving during the peak holiday season.

Atlanta District is having its biggest season ever. One example: Package volume at the Peachtree P&DC has surged 23 percent this month compared to last year, with 735,000 packages processed Dec. 15 alone.

“The outstanding leadership in the Atlanta District put an excellent plan in place and is executing the plan flawlessly,” said Network Operations VP Dave Williams.

In the Midwest, the Michigan Metroplex has been working around the clock to cancel millions of holiday cards and letters. The Pontiac center expects to cancel 58 million mailpieces, more than any other facility in December.

Meanwhile, the Miami International Service Center (ISC), one of four in the United States, will sort about 1 million packages during the holidays.

The Miami ISC — open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — processes all mail heading to the Caribbean and South America. The facility has 300 regular employees and added 110 temporary employees for the holidays.

“This is our season, and we are more than ready to handle the increase in package volume for our customers,” said Distribution Operations Supervisor Marina Santos.

Processing centers aren’t the only facilities in holiday crunch mode, though. At the Milam Dairy Post Office in Miami, carriers are using new cargo vans that are specifically designed to deliver packages from other countries.

The Postal Service is expected to deliver about 15.5 billion pieces of mail during the holidays, including as many as 470 million packages.