What:

As packages have gotten larger, so has the machinery needed to process them. Where size matters, mail processing facilities have transformed the work area to accommodate a behemoth machine to handle and process over-sized parcels. The universal sort system (USS) is a robust, highly automated machine for handling the organization’s growing volume of very large pieces, a result of increased online shopping. 
The San Francisco Mail Processing and Distribution Center has one such machine, in addition to machinery that handles a variety of parcel sizes.
What used to be termed the “busiest mailing day” of the year has morphed into the “busiest week,” all driven by an increase in online retail purchases, which mean packages, bigger packages. Nationally, more than 200 million packages are expected to be processed and delivered the week of Dec. 16-22, 2019.

For the week of Dec. 16-22, the San Francisco facility is projected to handle more than 1.5 million parcels, of which 72, 492 will be over-sized packages on the USS machine.

The San Francisco mail processing facility is expected to process more than 227,000 parcels on Monday, Dec. 16, with more than 17,000 over-sized packages run through the USS machine alone.

When:

Monday, Dec. 16, between 6 p.m. - 7 p.m., offers the best operating window to catch the action of automated parcel sorting in full operation.

Where:

San Francisco Processing & Distribution Center
1300 Evans Street
San Francisco, CA 94188

MEDIA ALERT: For entry into the building, call Kristina Uppal at 415-550-5759, kristina.uppal@usps.gov, or Augustine Ruiz @ 415-640-1447.

Background:

The San Francisco postal district is processing packages more efficiently now that it has the newest in package sorting systems in its facility. The USS is specifically designed to handle over-sized packages weighing up to 70 pounds.

The USPS has deployed more automated parcel sorting systems when it began to experience a significant growth in package volume, largely driven by increased online shopping.

The USPS has the most sophisticated mail processing and delivery network in the world, which has positioned it as the leader in the package delivery business with a 47 percent market share as more shoppers and shippers rely on the Postal Service as the courier of choice because of three key factors – our price, our product, and our performance.

The Postal Service delivers more ecommerce shipments to homes than anyone else, with one notable exception on Christmas Eve.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Editor’s Note: We’ve expanded our media room with an easy-to-use media center that includes a refreshed photo gallery, postal b-roll and video files now available at media.usps.com.  Media releases by state and for national news remain at about.usps.com/newsroom.

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