With record holiday package volumes forecast for Nebraska and Southwest Iowa, the media is invited to a fascinating look at how technology and dedicated employees combine to magically move an avalanche of holiday packages each night.

With the busiest mailing days of the year on the horizon, and a record 4.9 million holiday packages forecast in Nebraska and Southwest Iowa, it’s an opportunity to capture some great visuals and sounds for current and future holiday-related stories.

Postal employees will share some mind-boggling holiday shipping numbers and essential information on the holiday mailing season, including busiest mailing dates, shipping deadlines, packaging tips, how to save time and money when shipping, and how Nebraskans and Iowans can sign up for a free service that helps them manage their incoming mail and packages in one convenient, online location, and provides a daily sneak peek at what holiday cards and letters are coming before they’re delivered to the mailbox.

The Postal Service plans months ahead for the holiday season. It is a busy and rewarding time for Nebraska and Southwest Iowa postal employees as they work around the clock for their customers to ensure all holiday cards and packages are processed and delivered on-time.

Due to continued e-commerce growth and improvements to its Priority Mail product line, the Postal Service is projecting to deliver a record 850 million packages this holiday season – more than a 10 percent increase compared to the same time last year.

The Postal Service predicts that Monday, Dec. 18, will be the busiest mailing and shipping day of the year. The week of Dec. 18-24 more than 3 billion cards, letters and packages will be processed and delivered, including more than 180 million packages — roughly 26 million packages each day.

Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, the USPS expects to deliver a lot of cheer — in the form of more than 15 billion cards, letters and packages — to more than 156 million U.S. addresses.