If UPS’s estimates are any indication, it looks as if the “nice” will outnumber the “naughty” on Santa’s list this year.
UPS has completed its holiday operations plan and expects to deliver more than 340 million packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The biggest spike will come on Tuesday, December 21, when approximately 20 million air and ground packages will be delivered on what is known as “Peak Day.” That’s 230 packages every second, or an additional 6 million-plus packages beyond normal daily delivery volume.
On the next day, Wednesday, December 22, the delivery of air packages will peak with an anticipated global volume of about 5 million packages. That’s 2.5 times the normal average.
UPS will hire nearly 70,000 seasonal workers in the U.S., including package sorters and driver helpers. Its ground delivery fleet of 88,000 package cars, vans and tractors will increase by more than 7,000 vehicles and UPS Airlines, the ninth largest in North America, will add two dozen large jets to its year-round operating fleet.
As the world’s leader in package delivery services, UPS’s global infrastructure includes The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc.
For added convenience, most The UPS Store locations are extending their hours of operation to accommodate customers’ busy holiday schedules. In addition, an online store locator is available at www.TheUPSStore.com to provide information about the nearest locations, services, hours of operation, directions and maps.
For the do-it-yourself shipper who wants to ship from the comforts of home at any hour, UPS offers an Internet shipping option at www.UPS.com. This allows consumers to select the service they want, pay by credit card and then print the proper shipping label on a regular piece of paper. Once the package is sealed and the label affixed, the customer can hand it to a driver, arrange for a special pickup, or take it to any of UPS’s 70,000 shipping locations.
UPS recommends consumers pay attention to these general holiday shipping deadlines:
• UPS Ground, ship by December 15 (check www.UPS.com to verify time-in-transit for shipping destinations);
• 3 Day Select, ship by December 20;
• 2nd Day Air“, ship by December 22;
• Next Day Air“, ship by December 23.
UPS will maintain its service guarantees throughout the holidays on UPS Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air and 3 Day Select packages. UPS’s network, including commercial and residential ground services, will remain open through Christmas Eve, fulfilling its Santa-related duties right to the end.
