The Busiest Day of the Year for the United States Postal Service

BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- With just days until Christmas, the United States Postal Service is experiencing its busiest day of the year. Millions of people are lining up to ship off their packages.

Marcus Washington has more on the mad rush to get gifts out and what you need to know to get them there before Christmas Day.

There is little room for rest for people working at the post office. Customers were coming one after another at the main location on Fayette Street. Everyone trying to make someone's holiday a bit brighter with a gift.

The gifts are purchased, wrapped and ready to ship.

"I am putting a gift together for my little niece in Atlanta, Georgia," said Heather McKenzie.

December 19 is deemed the busiest mailing day for the United States Postal Service. With 12 million customers visiting thousands of locations nationwide.

"On our normal business day, we'll process anywhere from 650,000 to 700,000 pieces of mail in a day. Today we are looking to process 2.1 million pieces of mail today. Right here in Baltimore," said Craig Miner, Postmaster at the Baltimore USPS location.

With all the packages and letters coming and going through the Baltimroe area, there are dates you need to be mindful of if you want your package to get to its destination before Christmas Day.

• Mailing things using first-class mail, must go out no later than Tuesday, December 20, to ensure arrival before Christmas Day.
• Using priority mail, you're deadline is December 21.
• And if you need a little more time, priority mail express is your best bet to get that item there before December 25.

"We've hired additional holiday staff to help us through the processing to assure that we keep the mail moving on time, to deliver on time," said Miner.

For many shippers, even six days before Christmas there was some worry about if their gifts would make it to the destination.

"I felt it wasn't going to get there by Christmas. They told me priority mail, it would get there two or three days. So, that's what I'm going to do," said Bennie Goode.

And if fear of on time arrival wasn't the issue, It was getting everything out in one trip.

"I also, before I left the house, had to write up Christmas cards, so I could do everything all at once at the post office," said McKenzie.

"Last mailing dates of the season and customers like to get their packages there as closely as possibly to the Christmas actually holiday," said Miner. "You always want to mail early to assure that you get it and have plenty of time to get it there, but we're dedicated to provide the service and our commitment days until we stop."

The United States Postal Service delivers 750 million packages during the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas eve--- 10 million of those are packages are to or from Baltimore.

In:
• United States Postal Service