• Americans should ship packages early to meet holiday delivery deadlines and avoid delays.
• UPS is hiring thousands of seasonal workers to handle increased demand for holiday shipping.
• Here are the specific deadlines from FedEx, USPS and UPS for holiday delivery.

The holiday season is just around the corner and while delivery drivers are working hard to ensure packages reach their destination on time, gift givers can help by sending them before shipping deadlines.

With less than two weeks off Christmas, there are only a few days left to send gifts to your loved ones. Shippers are preparing for the busy holiday season by hiring seasonal employees to help drivers or deliver packages themselves.

In 2023, UPS announced it would hire 100,000 seasonal workers for the busy holiday season; This year they reported hiring more than 125,000 employees. Although many carriers’ deadlines allow for last-minute shipments – 48 hours before December 25th – it’s best to have your gift shipped as early as possible.

Here are three major postmen saying you need to send your gifts.

FedEx

There were five fewer shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, Brie Carere, executive vice president and chief customer officer of FedEx, noted in a press release. That’s why FedEx says it’s doing everything it can to curb holiday shipping chaos.

FedEx is giving consumers until December 23 to ship their packages within the U.S., Mexico, Canada or Puerto Rico for next-day delivery.

USPS

If consumers use the United States Postal Service, they should mail their gifts by December 21st to ensure they arrive in the U.S. before Christmas. However, for shipments to Alaska and Hawaii, packages must arrive by December 20th.

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December 16th is the deadline for international shipping to Asian and European countries.

It is unclear whether shipping to Canada will be possible in time for Christmas. The USPS had previously said it was suspending postal service to Canada due to the ongoing strike by postal workers, but Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon called for Canada Post union employees to return to work on Friday, according to the Toronto Star.

UPS

Those who ship with UPS have until December 23rd to send their packages within the USA or Canada using the Next Day Air service. Prices depend on when you ship and where you ship.