{"id":21394,"date":"2017-10-25T18:09:12","date_gmt":"2017-10-25T23:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/?p=21394"},"modified":"2017-10-25T18:09:12","modified_gmt":"2017-10-25T23:09:12","slug":"postal-service-is-ready-to-deliver-more-than-15-billion-pieces-of-cheer-this-holiday-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/2017\/10\/25\/postal-service-is-ready-to-deliver-more-than-15-billion-pieces-of-cheer-this-holiday-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Postal Service is Ready to Deliver More Than 15 Billion Pieces of Cheer This Holiday Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 The U.S. Postal Service will deliver more than 15 billion pieces of mail this holiday season. In the period between Thanksgiving and New Year\u2019s Day, the Postal Service also expects to deliver 850 million packages, which is more than a 10 percent increase compared to the same period last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Postal Service is well prepared to meet our customers\u2019 needs during the holiday season, especially as demand for package deliveries continues to grow,\u201d said Megan J. Brennan, Postmaster General and CEO.<\/p>\n

The Postal Service will be expanding its Sunday delivery operations to locations with high package volumes beginning Nov. 26. The Postal Service already delivers packages on Sundays in most major cities, and anticipates delivering more than 6 million packages on Sundays this December. Mail carriers will also deliver packages on Christmas Day in\u00a0select<\/strong>\u00a0locations.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmerica relies on the Postal Service and our 640,000 dedicated employees to deliver the holidays,\u201d said Brennan. \u201cWe take great pride in our holiday readiness and preparation, and in our ability to offer reliable, predictable and affordable service in every community in America.\u201d<\/p>\n

Busiest Mailing and Delivery Days<\/strong>
\nWith an increase in early and online shopping for gifts, there is no longer a \u201cbusiest day\u201d for holiday shipping. Instead, the Postal Service\u2019s busiest time is now two weeks before Christmas. Starting the week of Dec. 11, customer traffic is expected to increase, with the week of Dec. 18 – 24 predicted to be the busiest mailing, shipping, and delivery week. During this week, nearly 3 billion pieces of First Class Mail, including greeting cards, will be processed and delivered. The Postal Service also expects to deliver nearly 200 million packages\u00a0per week<\/strong>\u00a0during these two weeks.<\/p>\n

Skip the Trip and Ship Online\u00a0<\/strong>
\nWhile there may not be a busiest day for shipping this year, the Postal Service anticipates that Dec. 18 will be the Postal Service\u2019s busiest day\u00a0online<\/strong>\u00a0with more than 7 million customers predicted to visit\u00a0usps.com<\/a><\/em>\u00a0for help shipping that special holiday gift. Customers can avoid holiday hassles by visiting\u00a0usps.com<\/a><\/em>\u00a0\u2014 the Postal Service\u2019s website that helps make mailing and shipping easier than ever. Millions of customers will skip the trip to the Post Office altogether and take advantage of convenient online shipping this holiday season. Click-N-Ship and other online services allow customers to order free Priority Mail boxes, print shipping labels, purchase postage and even request free next-day Package Pickup from the mail carrier. And\u00a0usps.com<\/a><\/em>\u00a0is always open.<\/p>\n

The Postal Service offers a new feature this year to help you track and schedule package delivery. Our\u00a0Informed Delivery<\/a>\u00a0tool not only allows you to see your incoming mail and packages, it also allows you to reschedule delivery of your packages to ensure you\u2019re able to be home to receive them.<\/p>\n

2017 Holiday Shipping Deadlines<\/strong>
\nThe Postal Service recommends the following mailing and shipping deadlines:<\/p>\n