The U.S. Postal Service has exciting news for the upcoming December holidays. To meet the growing demand, USPS has announced that it will be hiring 10,000 seasonal workers and implementing 395 new package-sorting machines. These efforts aim to ensure smooth transportation of packages, greeting cards, and other mail items across the country during the 2023 holiday rush.

In a welcome move, USPS has also declared that it will not be imposing any additional holiday surcharges this year. This means that there will be no extra fees for residential-area delivery, Saturday delivery, or minimum volumes.

USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy expressed confidence in their ability to deliver an exceptional service this holiday season: "Our 2022 peak season was a tremendous success. We are ready to deliver for the holidays in a superior and routine manner. We have been planning early and leveraging investments in our people, infrastructure, transportation, and technology made possible by the Delivering for America plan. And with no holiday surcharges, we are strongly positioned to be America's most affordable delivery provider this holiday season."

In recent years, the Postal Service has been focused on competing with FedEx and UPS to offer more cost-effective package delivery options. The Wall Street Journal reported that general ground rates for FedEx and UPS have steadily increased by 4.9% annually from 2015 to 2021. In 2022, they jumped by 5.9%, and in 2023, they rose by 6.9%. To address this, USPS introduced USPS Ground Advantage, a rebranded service specifically designed for smaller packages weighing up to 70 pounds. This service promises nationwide delivery within two to five business days, starting at a reasonable rate of $4.75.

During the previous holiday season in 2022, USPS processed an impressive 11.7 billion packages and mail items. They proudly boast an average delivery time of just 2.5 days to reach their intended destinations.

Looking ahead to the 2023 holiday season, USPS is making strategic investments to ensure they continue to meet the expectations of the American people. Some of these investments include:

USPS's Efforts to Enhance Efficiency and Service

USPS (United States Postal Service) has implemented several initiatives to improve its operations and customer experience during the holiday season. Here are some key highlights:

Seasonal Staffing

This year, USPS plans to hire 10,000 seasonal employees, a decrease from the previous year's 28,000. This reduction is a result of the conversion of over 150,000 pre-career positions into full-time jobs since October 2020.

Advanced Package-Sorting Machines

To expedite package handling, USPS has deployed 395 new package-sorting machines capable of efficiently processing packages of various sizes. These machines are part of a significant investment of $40 billion in innovative technology and facilities. By early 2021, USPS had already rolled out 348 of these machines, with an additional 47 being added before the upcoming holiday season.

Enhanced Ground Transportation System

Instead of relying heavily on costly air transportation, USPS is increasingly utilizing reliable ground transportation for moving mail and packages. Presently, the revamped ground-transportation system caters to 95% of first-class mail and over 95% of first-class packages.

Expanded Package-Processing Capacity

USPS has significantly scaled up its daily package-processing capacity to nearly 70 million items, representing an increase of about 10 million compared to the previous year. Since 2020, USPS’s daily package-processing capability has almost tripled. This expansion aligns with the growing demand for home deliveries.

These measures are part of USPS's ten-year plan, aimed at achieving "service excellence" while simultaneously addressing an anticipated $160 billion in financial losses over the next decade.

Notably, on the same day, Target announced its decision to employ 100,000 seasonal workers, joining its existing workforce of over 400,000 employees for the holiday season. Similarly, Amazon revealed plans to hire 250,000 seasonal employees, a noteworthy 67% increase from the previous year.

Overall, USPS's initiatives signify its commitment to improving efficiency, meeting customer expectations, and ensuring smooth operations during the busy holiday period.