Postal Service Ready for Busiest Mailing and Delivery Days

Tips for packaging and shipping

The holiday mailing season is in full swing, and no one knows that better that the U.S. Postal Service. December is the busiest time of year, when 20 billion cards, letters and packages are expected to be delivered by the Postal Service. 

The Postal Service expects Monday, Dec. 17 to be its busiest mailing day of the year, with more than
1 billion pieces of mail projected. On average, the Postal Service processes and sorts 703 million pieces of mail every day.

Wednesday, Dec. 19, is expected to be the busiest delivery day, when postal carriers will be seeing increased volumes of mail to be delivered to customers on their routes.

The Postal Service also is seeing a dramatic increase in holiday mail to military installations in Iraq and Afghanistan, with average weekly volume quadrupling the first week in December to 4,000 pounds of mail. For the first 14 days in December, there were 12 additional 747 cargo aircraft dispatched with mail to the Middle East than during the same time last year. That’s almost one extra 747 lift every day. About 20 million pounds of mail is expected to be delivered to military installations around the world this season.

The Postal Service offers free, environmentally friendly Priority Mail and Express Mail shipping boxes and envelopes. These supplies are available via the internet at usps.com or at local Post Offices. The best consumer value is the Flat-Rate shipping boxes and envelopes. No calculating postage or weighing is needed. Customers pay a flat rate of $8.95 when using the Priority Mail Flat-Rate Box, no matter the weight of the package or its destination. When a package is ready to be shipped, mailers can schedule a free package pickup form their home or office by logging on to usps.com/pickup.

The Postal Service recommends using Priority Mail service up to Dec. 20 and Express Mail service for shipments sent Dec. 22 to ensure delivery by Christmas Day. Express Mail offers guaranteed next-day and second-day delivery nationwide or your money back-365 days a year. Contents are automatically insured to $100 against loss or damage. Signature proof of delivery and tracking information are available upon request. Check with your local Post Office for details. Some restrictions apply.

When addressing envelopes and packages the Postal Service recommends the following guidelines:

• Print complete address clearly.
• A complete address includes street number and name, secondary address (such as apartment or suite number), city, state and 5-digit ZIP Code. For example: 123 S. Main St. Apt 4 Washington, DC 20001. 
• Use the proper ZIP Code. ZIP codes can be found at usps.com or by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS.
• Print the delivery and return addresses on the same side of the envelope or package.
• Always use a return address. It tells the Postal Service where to return mail if it cannot be delivered.   
• Packages can weigh up to 70 lbs. and measure up to 130 inches in combined length and width. Make sure the width is measured around the largest point of the package.

Helpful packaging tips:

• Make sure packages are able to withstand processing without the contents or packaging breaking.
• Cushion items with bubble wrap, newspaper, or “foam peanuts” so they do not shift during transit.
• Wrap each item separately when packing more than one item in the same box.
• Remove batteries from electronic devices and wrap separately.
• Close and shake the box to see if there is enough cushioning. If items are shifting, add more cushioning.
• Mark packages "Fragile" in large print on the outside of the box when shipping materials that might be more likely to break.
• When re-using a box make sure previous labels and markings are covered before mailing.
• Mark "Perishable" on packages that contain food or other items that can spoil.
• Place an extra address label with the delivery and return address inside the package. This ensures the safe return of an item that could not be delivered should outside label become damaged or falls off.
• Always use tape designed for sealing shipping boxes. Do not use string, cellophane and masking tape to seal packages.