New York news

Nov. 30, 2023

USPS in Melville is offering a behind-the-scenes tour

USPS Prepares for the Holiday with Higher Package Processing Capabilities

Mid-Island Processing and Distribution Center

MELVILLE, NY — The Postal Service is ready to deliver another successful holiday season and is offering the media a sneak peek into preparations.

This month, media is invited to take a tour of the Mid-Island Processing and Distribution Center located at 160 Duryea Rd., Melville, NY.

To book a tour, contact amy.n.gibbs@usps.gov and schedule a day and time. Please note, the facility is the busiest in the evenings as mail comes in from our collection units to get processed.

The Postal Service has been planning early and leveraging investments in its people, infrastructure, transportation, and technology — made possible by the Delivering for America plan.

USPS has made the several key investments ahead of the holiday season, including:

  • Increasing our daily processing capacity to more than 70 million – over 10 million over last year’s capacity.
  • Using 348 new package sorting machines – including 100 that were installed since last year’s holiday season.
  • Moving 95 percent of mail and package volume – via The Postal Service’s improved, more reliable ground transportation network.
  • Hiring 10,000 seasonal employees – and converted over 150,000 precareer workers into career positions since 2020.
  • USPS Ground Advantage – a new ground shipping solution that provides an affordable, reliable, and simple way to ship packages across within the U.S. with expected delivery in about 2-5 business days.
  • No holiday surcharges this year. The Postal Service is America’s most affordable delivery provider this holiday season.

Recommended Holiday Shipping and Mailing Dates:

  • Dec. 16: USPS Ground Advantage (5-day); First Class Mail (5-Day)
  • Dec. 20: Priority Mail (3-Day); USPS Ground Advantage (2-Day); First-Class Mail (2-Day); and Priority Mail Express (2-Day)
  • Dec. 21: Priority Mail Express (1-Day); and Priority Mail (2-Day)

In 2022, USPS processed nearly 12 billion packages and mailpieces during the holiday season. On average, it took just 2.5 days to deliver a mailpiece or package. We expect to handle a similar volume this year. The organization has increased its service performance throughout 2023 thanks to the ongoing implementation of the Delivering for America plan.

For complete recommended holiday shipping and mailing information, please visit usps.com/holidaynews.

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The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to 169 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a 10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America, to modernize the postal network, restore long-term financial sustainability, dramatically improve service across all mail and shipping categories, and maintain the organization as one of America’s most valued and trusted brands.

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

For USPS media resources, including broadcast-quality video and audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom. Follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter; Instagram; Pinterest; Threads and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the USPS YouTube Channel and like us on Facebook. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and facts.usps.com.

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