DULUTH, GA -- With 17.9 billion pieces of mail expected to be delivered this holiday season, including 3 billion cards and letters, the U.S. Postal Service reminds you to ‘Mail Early’ for the holidays.’

“The holiday season is the busiest time of year for the Postal Service but we are prepared to deliver,” says Atlanta District Manager Salvatore Vacca.

During this holiday season, Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve, the Postal Service also expects:

• 560 million pieces of mail on average to be processed every day.
• 29.5 million pounds of mail to be delivered to overseas military installations, including Iraq and war zones in Afghanistan.
• 2.5 billion holiday stamps will be printed.

Simple Tips for Holiday Mailing and Shipping:

• Confirm addresses. Print addresses clearly and in all CAPS and be sure to include all address elements — apartment numbers, suite numbers and directional information for streets. For example: 123 S Main St. or 12456 Elm St. N. Include both “to” and “from” information on packages — and only on one side. Never guess a ZIP Code. Visit usps.com to find all ZIP codes.
• Choose the Right Box. Select a box that is strong enough to protect the contents. Leave space for cushioning inside. Do not reuse mailing boxes — they weaken in the shipping process.
  Customers can purchase ReadyPost boxes at a local Post Office or at the Postal Store on  usps.com. Express Mail and Priority Mail boxes, envelopes and tubes are free.

• Pack Delicately. Cushion contents with shredded or rolled newspaper, bubble wrap or foam peanuts. Plain air-popped popcorn also is good for cushioning — it’s inexpensive and environmentally friendly. Pack contents tightly to avoid shifting during transit. Use pressure-sensitive tape, nylon-reinforced craft paper tape or glass-reinforced pressure-sensitive tape for shipping. Do not use wrapping paper, string, masking tape, duct tape or cellophane tape.

The Postal Service recommends the following mail-by dates to ensure on time arrival:

More than 37 million customers will skip the trip to the Post Office this holiday season and take advantage
of online shipping at usps.com. Customers can print shipping labels, pay for postage and request free
package pickup while staying warm and comfortable in their homes or offices. The Postal Service will
deliver free shipping supplies, including the popular Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes, and pickup packages  
for free when customers ship online.

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Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at http://about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation — 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office™ Boxes. The Postal Service™ receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com®, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. In 2011, Oxford Strategic Consulting ranked the U.S. Postal Service number one in overall service performance of the posts in the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

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