Postal service employees tackling the holiday rush as shipping deadlines loom
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - With just 13 days left until Christmas, the holiday shipping deadlines are coming up fast, and postal service employees are working around the clock.
Mail carriers at the post office in Monroeville and all over the country are working extra hard around the clock to help Santa get gifts delivered by Dec. 25. At the same time, the clock is ticking to get your holiday packages in their trucks!
It's the most wonderful time of the year and the busiest month of the year for U.S. Postal Service employees.
Mail carriers at the Monroeville Post Office start their day loading their delivery trucks before tackling the holiday rush.
"Today's a fairly average heavy day, but some days, you can't even shut the door of the truck, and that makes it a little bit rougher. You just go through your day like you always do, and it takes as long as it takes. Some days, you're out until dark, [and] some days you're done a little earlier," said Paul Devito, a USPS mail carrier.
Devito is a pro at delivering holiday packages. He's been a mail carrier for a little over 29 years.
"I like seeing the customers. Basically, I feel like our jobs are important; people are waiting on packages and gifts, and it gives you a good feeling doing your job," Devito said.
USPS Strategic Communications Specialist Mark Lawrence said USPS hired 10,000 seasonal employees.
"We're leading up to our Super Bowl; it's the holidays, and we prepare year-round for this, and we're excited, we're ready to go," Lawrence said.
If you still need to mail a card or package, Lawrence said Dec. 16 is the cut-off for USPS Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail. If you use Priority Mail, you have until Dec. 20. If you use Priority Mail Express, the deadline is Dec. 21.
The last day to ship a package using FedEx Ground Economy is Dec. 13. If you're using FedEx Ground, it's Dec. 15. The deadline to ship using Express Saver is Dec. 19. The cut-off for 2-day and 2-day a.m. shipping is Dec. 20. The deadline for First Overnight 1-day shipping is Dec. 21.
As for UPS, if you use the 3-day delivery option, you've got until Dec. 19. For UPS 2nd Day Air, the deadline is Dec. 20. For next-day air services, the last day is Dec. 21.
"We highly urge people just to mail early, get it done, and allow yourself to enjoy a little bit of downtime before the hustle and bustle of relatives coming in," Lawrence said.
USPS won't be delivering regular mail on Christmas Day, and with Christmas Eve falling on a Sunday, the last day for regular deliveries is Saturday, Dec. 23.
It's the time of giving, and postal service workers don't want your gifts to arrive late.
"Everybody works together to get the jobs done and put the smiles on faces for the holidays," Lawrence said.
You can help carriers during the holidays by making sure they have a clear path to your door, so shovel any snow and put down salt if it's icy. It's also helpful if you clear snow in front of mailboxes. You can also leave your porch light on if you're expecting a delivery at night.