WASHINGTON – Two weeks before Christmas (Wednesday, December 25), the U.S. Postal Service today reports exceptional service during the holiday peak and expects continued success throughout the season, including the busiest week of the year – the very week before Christmas.

With significant progress made by the Postal Service as part of its 10-year Delivering for America plan – a $40 billion investment to modernize and revitalize the organization – USPS faces the challenge of peak mail and package volume growth of the year with expanded processing capabilities, optimized transportation strategies, increased operational precision and the commitment of more than 640,000 employees across the country.

The continued transformation of the Postal Service has resulted in significant cost savings, increased service reliability and improved service performance. Currently, 98 percent of the country’s population receives their mail and packages in an average of 2.6 days.

“We are committed to providing exceptional service during the peak holiday season and beyond,” said Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy. “Thanks largely to the investments and strategies identified in our Delivering for America plan, I have every confidence that we will continue to achieve our goal of making a busy day like any other day – only more.”

As the nation’s preferred delivery provider, the Postal Service has also implemented several expedited processes, including prioritized morning package delivery, enhanced scanning technology, and extended retail and pickup times at popular postal locations, while continuing to offer the lowest postage rates in the industrialized world.

Important achievements before the peak of the holiday wave

In addition to implementing Delivering for America strategies and initiatives aimed at building operational excellence, financial stability and a sustainable future throughout the year, the Postal Service has made important investments to ensure reliable, on-time service leading up to the peak holiday season.

• First class operation: The Postal Service has committed $17.3 billion to redesign and improve its processing and delivery networks. 83 new sorting and delivery centers have been added across the country, serving as central hubs and expanding the geographic reach and speed of mail and package delivery.

• Advanced processing options: The Postal Service has deployed 506 new package conveyance systems since 2021 – 158 of which were added since the peak season last year. This dramatically increased packet processing capacity from 47 million to 77 million packets per day.

• Fully optimized transport network: The CThe regional realignment of its transportation infrastructure has allowed USPS to shift volumes from costly air transportation to more efficient land routes. The vast majority – more than 95 percent – of first-class mail and packages travel via ground transportation, resulting in fewer empty trucks, lower costs and faster delivery times.

• Modern, transformed retail network: The Postal Service is revitalizing its network of 32,000 post offices and has equipped more than 50 sorting and delivery centers with state-of-the-art technology to optimize the customer experience and speed transactions. These modern retail locations feature rapid parcel drop-off stations, smart parcel lockers and multi-functional self-service kiosks to meet customers’ mail and parcel needs.

• Increased delivery fleet: This holiday season will also see the debut of the brand new next-generation delivery vehicles, which will be on select roads and routes this winter. Additionally, more than 27,000 new USPS vehicles will be on the road this holiday season, including more than 500 battery-electric vehicles.

• Stable and empowered workforce: The Postal Service hired 7,500 seasonal employees to help its workforce handle an expected increase in shipping volume during the holidays.

Important dates to remember

To ensure delivery before December 25th, USPS reminds customers to send mail and packages as early as possible and to use the following recommended shipping dates:

• December 18 – USPS Ground Advantage service and First Class Mail service
• December 19th – Priority Mail service
• December 21st – Priority Mail Express service

Customers can rely on affordable tariffs

The Postal Service is committed to providing customers with affordable and reliable shipping solutions, including free home or office package pickup services.

• USPS Ground Advantage service: An improved shipping solution that provides a reliable, more cost-effective way to ship packages throughout the contiguous United States. Delivery is expected within 2 to 5 business days and $100 insurance is included. USPS Ground Advantage is, on average, 11 percent cheaper than competitors’ ground offerings.

• Priority Mail service: An expedited solution that provides a quick and cost-effective way to send packages and mail with expected delivery within 1-3 business days. Priority Mail offers a price that is, on average, 35 percent lower than competitors’ selected three-day products.

USPS Holiday Schedule

All post offices will be closed on Christmas Day (Wednesday 25 December) and New Year’s Day (Wednesday 1 January). Regular post office hours and mail delivery resume on the Thursday following each holiday. Services and hours may vary by location. Always check with your local post office for exact opening times. For more information, see usps.com/holidayhours.

Information about preparing shipments, ordering free shipping materials, stamps for holiday greetings, and featured products and services can be found at usps.com.

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