U.S. Postal Service Ready for Busiest Mailing, Delivery Days of the Year
December 17th marks the busiest mailing day of the year for the Postal Service, with nearly 1 billion pieces of mail entering the system, up from an average day’s volume of 703 million pieces. Americans will entrust about 275 million cards and letters with the Postal Service today, more than three times the average daily volume of 82 million.
The National Operations Center (NOC) at headquarters has been tracking mail delivery, volume, air cargo routes and weather daily since Dec. 11 and will continue working round-the-clock until Christmas Day. NOC staff, charts, systems and graphs will be essential in making Wednesday, Dec. 19, successful when postmaster, letter carriers, processing and distribution center staff and retail clerks mark the busiest delivery day of the year.
With 37,000 Post Offices and stations, 55,000 places to purchase stamps and 251,038 delivery routes within its system, the Postal Service is equipped to handle the busiest days of the year, in addition to rain, sleet and snow.
With Christmas fast approaching, the following mailing deadlines are recommended in order for holiday cheer to reach its destination on time:
– First-Class Mail (with stamps) and Priority Mail: Dec. 20
– Express Mail: Dec. 22
The Postal Service is providing a money-back guarantee that all Express Mail sent by Dec. 22 will be delivered by Christmas Day. Gifts sent by Express Mail are automatically insured for USD 100. Express Mail packages and envelopes are available online at usps.com and in Post Office lobbies across the country.
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