Send out Christmas shipments soon
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ALPENA -- To ensure cards and packages arrive in time for the holidays, postal officials say it's important that people not delay dropping them off in the mailbox or at the post office.
Local postal workers have already seen their deliveries double in volume, and, as Christmas nears, those deliveries will increase even more.
Alpena Postmaster Kim Kanarr said employees are working long hours delivering daily mail and added holiday envelopes and packages. To make sure gifts and cards arrive on time at their destination, people should mail them out soon, she said.
"You should ship things out with plenty of time to spare so things get there in time, so my recommendation is, the sooner you can send it, the better," she said. "It also makes sure we don't have an uptick of thousands of packages all at once. That would overwhelm the system and slow things down even more."
Kanarr reminds people that, if they send out packages with gifts in them, make sure the items inside the boxes are protected with plastic bubble wrap, paper, or other materials to be sure no unexpected damage happens during the shipping process.
Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy said a lot of work has been done to prepare for the large influx of mail. In a press release, she listed some key components of holiday operation.
∫ USPS Ground Advantage: Introducing an affordable, reliable, and simple ground shipping solution with expected delivery within the U.S. in about 2-5 business days.
∫ Hiring 10,000 Seasonal Employees: In addition to the 150,000 employees that have converted to full-time career positions with USPS in the past two years.
∫ 348 New Package Sorting Machines: Enhancing package processing capabilities with additional machines to be installed.
∫ Increased Daily Package Processing Capacity to 70 Million: This expanded capacity eliminates the need for the Postal Service to lease temporary annexes.
∫ More Reliable Ground Transportation: Shifting 95% of volume to more reliable ground transportation, reducing reliance on expensive air transportation.
"In the face of the busiest shipping season, the United States Postal Service stands ready," said DeJoy. "We are confident in our ability to handle the holiday season surge with the same efficiency and reliability that the nation has come to expect from us throughout the year."
Locally, Kanarr said on average, the post in Alpena processes 1,000 to 1,500 parcels a day, but the amount blooms to about 4,500 during the peak holiday mailing season. That is on top of the regular 15,000 to 30,000 regular pieces of mail that are delivered.
She said work can be chaotic, but teamwork and a dedication to get every last gift or card to its recipient on time is what drives employees.
"There is a lot of hustle and bustle here this time of year. We bust our butt," she said. "The carriers are awesome and we perform our best this time of year."
Kanarr said residents who want to give their postal carrier a gift can do so, but there are limits. She said gifts are always nice, but a simple thank you or Merry Christmas also means a lot.
"They can take up to $20 cash or any food or gift equal to that amount," she said. "Any amount over that, they are not supposed to accept."