Postal Service Ready for Busiest Mailing Day

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Dec 17, 2012, 01:47 ET

More Than 658 Million Pieces of Mail Expected Today

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today marks the Postal Service's busiest mailing day for holiday cards and packages, when more than 658 million pieces of mail will be processed — compared to 528 million on an average day. This represents an increase of more than 25 percent in the average daily volume of mail entering the system.

The busiest days for the delivery of holiday mail and packages are coming up soon — Wednesday, Dec. 19 for mail and Thursday, Dec. 20 for holiday packages — when millions of mail and packages will be delivered in time for the holidays to homes across the country.

"Our employees work tirelessly to make sure cards and packages arrive on time for the holidays," said Patrick Donahoe, Postmaster General and chief executive officer. "With 237 years of experience, we're sure to process the mail provided to us by Dec. 22 in time for the holidays."

The National Operations Center at postal headquarters has been diligently working around the clock to track mail delivery, volume and weather since Dec. 4 and will continue its 24/7 schedule until Christmas Day.

"We know customers are looking at options to ship their last minute holiday gifts, and the Postal Service offers a great combination of unmatched value and convenience," said Maura Robinson, vice president Consumer and Industry Affairs. "We're just a click away for online customers who want to take care of their shipping needs from their home and office computers."

Robinson urges customers to visit usps.com as the easiest way to send holiday packages. "Customers can print postage and shipping labels directly from a home or office computer with Click-N-Ship," she said. "With shipping discounts, free Delivery Confirmation and free package pickup, Click-N-Ship is the best holiday shipping solution. Plus, customers can pay for postage online."

At usps.com/shop, customers can order this year's holiday-themed gifts as well as shipping supplies, and philatelic items, including high-quality framed and canvas artwork, books, puzzles, games, totes and collectibles — all from the Postal Store.

Holiday shoppers have until Dec. 20 to send First-Class Mail and Dec. 21 to send Priority Mail items. For those last-minute shoppers, the Postal Service recommends Dec. 22 as the last day to mail Express Mail packages. Express Mail boxes and envelopes are available online at usps.com and at local Post Offices.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world's mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 29th in the 2010 Fortune 500. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service