USPS says time is running out to send your holiday gifts and greetings

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Time is running out for you to ship your holiday gifts and greetings.

The United States Postal Service said this week is expected to be the busiest.

The postal service said it’s been preparing for the holiday peak since January, hiring more full-time and seasonal workers.

But if you want to make sure your presents make it to your loved ones in time for the holidays, now’s the time to send them.

“We prepare for the holiday season all year. We started in January of this year. This is supposed to be the busiest week of the year,” said Strategic Communications Specialist for USPS, Debra Fetterly.

USPS said it has converted more than 41,000 part-time workers to full-time since January and has hired additional seasonal employees.

The postal service has also added more space and new equipment to the network allowing it to process more packages.

But there are still deadlines.

“For our first-class mail letters, holiday cards, and gifts, the deadline would be Saturday, December 17. Priority mail would be two days later on December 19, and if you’re still shopping later, we have priority mail express, and that deadline would be December 23,” Fetterly explained.

But she said you might not want to gamble on those deadlines.

“So, these are guidelines, and we hope that our customers will be able to follow them. It helps us plan better. We do recommend you shipping as soon as possible. These are recommended deadlines,” Fetterly said.

USPS is also adjusting its delivery hours for the month of December saying you could see your packages delivered as early as 6 in the morning.

For more information about those hours, visit usps.com and click the Quick Tools link for location hours.

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