Postal Service Ready to Deliver for 2025 Holiday Season

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Oct 22, 2025, 10:00 ET

Prepared for the holidays through significant investments in modernized facilities and processing equipment
Service standards updates allows for 2–3-day turnaround within the same regional service areas
Less than three days, on average, to deliver mail and packages
USPS remains the most affordable way to ship mail and packages

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2025/PRNewswire/ -- The Postal Service is more than ready to deliver for the 2025 holiday season. Continued investment in modernization will boost the strong service customers have come to expect throughout the organization's 250 years of service to the nation.

Planning for peak delivery season begins every January. Over the past four years, USPS has invested nearly $20 billion in its facilities and processing capabilities with the goal of realigning the national postal network to meet the mailing and shipping needs of the modern consumer.

Through its investments, the Postal Service has built capacity into its processing, logistics and delivery infrastructure to meet customers' evolving mail and package needs. USPS is implementing strategies to stay ahead of challenges, pulling together its people, technology, transportation, equipment and facilities into a well-integrated, streamlined mail and package network.

As a result, USPS is ready to handle the expected increase in mail and package volume during the holidays. These efforts will enable dependable, affordable and high-quality service throughout the season.

"The Postal Service plans throughout the year to deliver the nation's mail and packages during the high-volume holiday season and we are well prepared and ready to deliver for the American public," said Postmaster General and CEO David Steiner. "For the past several years, the Postal Service has been gaining market share in our package business, which reflects the strong value and excellent portfolio of the shipping options we provide. We expect to see a continuation of this trend in the coming holiday period and to continue winning a larger share of the nation's shipping business."

Key accomplishments and areas of progress ahead of the 2025 peak holiday season include:

Increasing daily processing capacity from 60M to 88M by deploying more than 600 package sorters: USPS has expanded its daily package processing capacity by adding 614 state-of-the-art package sorting machines over the past five years, including 94 installed this year alone. The machines have automated scanning capabilities that ensure tracking visibility for our customers as packages move through the postal system. These machines allow us to handle more and larger packages than the legacy machines and prepare the Postal Service for the expected surge in package volume for the holidays.
- By comparison, in Dec. 2024, we delivered 45% more packages per operating day than our competitors, in addition to also delivering more than 350 million mail pieces per operating day.
Hiring 14,000 seasonal employees: USPS has stabilized its workforce since 2020 through the conversion of nearly 232,000 precareer employees to full-time positions. This year, it plans to hire 14,000 temporary employees — down from 40,000 just a few years ago. The seasonal workforce will complement the full-time employees and better position the Postal Service to handle the extra holiday volume in key locations throughout the nation.
Expanding turnaround service: In July, USPS updated its service standards. The new standards allow the organization to expand its reach for turnaround service — processing and delivering mail and packages within the same region. The turnaround service enhancements will now have a 2-day or 3-day service standard. This means local consumers and businesses can send holiday greetings in the region more quickly and reliably.
The debut of new facilities: In 2025, USPS opened new facilities in Dallas; Phoenix; Johnson City, TN; and other locations, and will soon open buildings in Memphis, TN; Birmingham, AL; Tampa, FL; and San Antonio, TX. Within the past four years, USPS has opened nine regional processing and distribution centers, known as RPDCs; 19 regional transfer hubs, known as RTHs; 17 local processing centers, known as LPCs; and 133 sorting and delivery centers or S&DCs. — all to ensure we have the space needed to not only process additional holiday volume but to better serve customers year-round.
Improving our proactive, strategic planning in targeted markets: The organization recently created a chief performance officer position and an associated group to look across our entire enterprise and identify ways to work more effectively and efficiently. Additionally, this group is working more closely with our customers and taking a consultative approach to matching customer needs with postal solutions.
New vehicles in the postal delivery fleet are now on routes: USPS has received nearly 29,000 new vehicles this year and has deployed more than 24,000 of them on postal delivery routes this year. The Postal Service expects to acquire a total of 106,480 new vehicles, including 66,000 zero-emission electric vehicles, demonstrating the organization's commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility while ensuring reliable service.
Variety of products and services for shipping gifts: The Postal Service has a range of convenient and affordable options for customers to get their mail and packages where they need to go during the holidays quickly and reliably. With $100 insurance and tracking included on most shipments, customers can rely on USPS Ground Advantage (2-5 business days), Priority Mail (2-3 business days) and Priority Mail Express (1-3 business days) during the holidays.

As in years past, the Postal Service will also prioritize morning parcel delivery, enhanced scanning technology and extended retail and pick-up delivery hours at popular Post Office locations. It will also continue to offer the lowest postage rates in the industrialized world. In addition, USPS delivers more mail than any other postal system in the world, serving nearly 169 million addresses, and processes and delivers 44 percent of the world's mail.

For tips on mailing and shipping preparation, ordering free shipping supplies, packaging guidelines (including restricted and prohibited item information), and Post Office location hours, usps.com or the USPS YouTube channel .

Please Note: The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to nearly 169 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a 10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America , to modernize the postal network, restore long-term financial sustainability, dramatically improve service across all mail and shipping categories, and maintain the organization as one of America's most valued and trusted brands.

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

For USPS media resources, including broadcast-quality video and audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom . Follow us on X , formerly known as Twitter; Instagram ; Pinterest ; Threads ; and LinkedIn . Subscribe to the USPS YouTube Channel and like us on Facebook . For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and facts.usps.com