OMAHA, NE — An avalanche of cards, letters and packages are expected this holiday season at Nebraska Post Offices, including a record 2.6 million packages – a 10.5 percent increase compared to last holiday season.

The busiest mailing day of the year is forecast to be Monday, Dec. 14, when 612 million pieces of mail are expected nationwide.

Those looking to avoid the crowds, and save some time and money, are encouraged to ship from home for the holidays at usps.com where prices are lower than Post Offices, and customers can print postage-paid shipping labels and request a free pickup of their packages by their letter carrier. The busiest mailing day also is expected to be the Postal Service’s busiest day online with more than 7 million customers predicted to visit usps.com.

According to Postmaster Keith Reid the Omaha Post Office is prepared for the big day.

“We plan months ahead for the holidays,” said Reid. “We are fully staffed and fully stocked with holiday stamps and mailing supplies, including free Priority Mail boxes of all sizes. It’s a busy time for us, but it’s also a very rewarding time for our employees, who enjoy going the extra mile for their customers to ensure all holiday cards and packages are delivered on-time — this is ‘our season’.”

Virtually all larger Post Offices in the state, and across the country, are delivering packages seven days a week through Christmas, and some smaller Post Offices as well where package volumes merit.

“We have been investing in our infrastructure including high-speed package-sorting equipment, and scanning technology to provide real-time visibility of packages,” said Reid.

In time for the holidays, the Postal Service will offer real-time delivery notifications – meaning customers who sign up for alerts at myusps.com will receive email notification within a few minutes of the delivery scan for select packages.

Customer are encouraged to go online to usps.com/holiday for information on holiday shipping dates, print shipping labels, schedule a Free Package Pickup, download the USPS mobile app, and more.

Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, the USPS will handle 15.5 billion pieces of mail – 541 million a day – which will be delivered to more than 150 million U.S. addresses with the help of nearly 200,000 vehicles. Approximately 30,000 seasonal workers have been hired to process and deliver holiday cards and packages.

Monday, Dec. 21 is expected to be the busiest delivery day of the year for packages with more than 30 million packages being delivered.

“The Postal Service ships more packages to more places than anyone else,” said Reid. “During the holidays, we’re raising the bar with enhanced tracking, real-time delivery notifications, and Sunday delivery providing excellent service and reliability that only Santa can compete with.”

International Mail-by Dates

• Dec. 8-17 for Priority Mail Express International Service – depending on destination
• Dec. 19 for Global Express Guaranteed Service

Military Mail-by Dates

• Dec. 17 for Priority Mail Express Military Service

U.S. Mail-by Dates:

• Dec. 15 for Standard Post
• Dec. 19 for First-Class Mail
• Dec. 21 for Priority Mail
• Dec. 23 for Priority Mail Express

(Last Name) offers some more quick, easy and convenient shipping tips:

• Use free Priority Mail flat rate envelopes and boxes – If it fits it ships to any U.S. address for one low price. Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes are free, and are available at Post Offices.
• Take advantage of the military discount – Use a Priority Mail Large Flat Rate box when shipping to an Army Post Office (APO) or Fleet Post Office (FPO) address and pay only $15.90, a discount of $2 off the regular retail price.
• Pack smart: Pick a strong and sturdy box, cushion contents with packing peanuts, newspaper or bubble wrap and tape it closed with strong packing tape. Remove batteries from toys, and always place a card inside the package that contains the delivery and return addresses. Finally, never guess a ZIP Code. Visit usps.com to look up a ZIP Code, buy stamps, and more.
• Find a convenient location - Call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) to find the postal location nearest you or go online at usps.com and click on “Locate a Post Office.”
• Know when it’s delivered: The USPS offers real-time tracking, and delivery notifications – meaning customers who sign up for alerts at myusps.com will receive email notification within a few minutes of the delivery of their package.
• Use Self Service Kiosks – These self-service machines, located in the lobby of select Post Offices, are easy to use and make shipping packages convenient and 24/7. These self-service kiosks accept credit and debit cards. Go to usps/com to find a Kiosk near you.

# # #

Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm. A complete list of the holiday shipping deadlines can be found at https://about.usps.com/holidaynews.

For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf. Follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/usps), Instagram (instagram.com/uspostalservice), Pinterest (pinterest.com/uspsstamps), LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/usps), subscribe to our channel on YouTube (youtube.com/usps), like us on Facebook (facebook.com/usps) and view our Postal Postsblog (uspsblog.com).

For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and usps.com/postalfacts.