The United States Postal Service (USPS) announced in a press release on Wednesday that it is fully prepared for the holiday season. Currently, USPS remains the most economical way for Americans to mail letters and packages, with an average delivery time of 2-3 days.
Over the past four years, USPS has invested nearly $20 billion in facilities and processing capabilities to reshape the national postal network, meet customers’ evolving mail and package needs. The ongoing modernization investment is expected to further enhance the quality service customers have come to expect from the agency’s 250-year history.
“In recent years, USPS’s market share in the parcel business has continued to grow, reflecting the strong value we provide and the excellent transportation options we offer,” said USPS Postmaster General and CEO David Steiner. “We expect this trend to continue during the upcoming holiday season and continue to capture a larger share of the national transportation business.”
Prior to the holiday peak season, the postal service has deployed over 600 parcel sorting machines to increase daily processing capacity from 60 million pieces to 88 million pieces. These sorting machines can scan automatically, ensuring customers’ packages can be tracked as they pass through the postal system.
Compared to traditional machines, these machines enable USPS to handle more and larger packages. By December 2024, USPS was delivering 45% more packages per day than its competitors, in addition to over 3.5 billion pieces of mail.
USPS delivers more mail than any other postal system in the world, serving nearly 169 million addresses and processing and delivering 44% of global mail.
This year, USPS has received nearly 29,000 new vehicles, with over 24,000 deployed on postal delivery routes. It plans to add 106,480 new vehicles next year, including 66,000 zero-emission electric vehicles.
To meet the busy holiday shipping demands, USPS is hiring 14,000 seasonal employees to better handle the surge in mail and packages during the holiday period. Since 2020, the postal service has converted nearly 232,000 non-career employees to full-time employees.
Last Friday, the Los Angeles area post office released recruitment requirements, and individuals seeking long-term employment opportunities can also apply. (Details can be found on the USPS website, the application pages for occupational positions and seasonal positions may differ.)
Applicants must be U.S. citizens or foreign nationals with permanent resident status, aged 18 or older, or individuals over 16 with a high school diploma.
Applicants must hold a valid driver’s license in their state of residence and maintain a safe driving record; selected applicants must successfully complete vehicle safety operation training, including demonstrating the ability to safely drive the type of vehicle used for work.
Qualified applicants must also pass pre-employment criminal background checks and drug screenings to meet USPS’s drug-free requirements.
As part of USPS’s transformation and modernization plan, the agency is committed to building a more stable and capable workforce, providing comprehensive benefits to employees, including medical, dental, and vision benefits, as well as accrued vacation and sick leave rights.
USPS updated service standards in July, adopting a 2-3 day turnover service standard post-improvement, meaning customers can receive holiday greetings more quickly and reliably.
This year, USPS has opened new facilities in Dallas, Phoenix, Johnson City, Tennessee, and will soon establish new branches in Memphis, Tennessee, Birmingham, Alabama, Tampa, Florida, and San Antonio, Texas.
Over the past four years, USPS has opened nine regional processing and distribution centers, 19 regional transfer hubs (RTH), 17 local processing centers (LPC), and 133 sorting and delivery centers (S&DC). These new facilities provide more space and processing capabilities.
Postage rates increased by an average of 7.4% in July, including raising the postage for 1-ounce letters from 69 cents to 74 cents; the cost of First-Class Mail domestic letters (including Forever stamps) increased from 73 cents to 78 cents; domestic postcards increased from 56 cents to 61 cents, and postage for First-Class Flats (large envelopes) will increase from $1.5030 to $1.5033.
As the holiday season approaches, from October 5 to January 18 next year, service fees for Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, and Parcel Select have been raised.
In Priority Mail and USPS Ground Advantage, parcels weighing 0-3 pounds have increased by 40 cents; 4-10 pounds increased by 60 cents; 11-25 pounds increased by 90 cents; over 26 pounds increased by $3; additionally, prices may be higher in certain regions.