MONROE — The U.S. Postal Service expects to deliver nearly 16 billion pieces of mail, including 900 million packages, during this year’s holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. 

In the city of Monroe, postal employees are ready to deliver for the holiday season. 

Postmaster Douglas Crooks said they have added more transportation and have also extended delivery times for the season. 

The Postal Service is expanding its Sunday delivery operations to locations with high package volumes beginning Nov. 25. The Postal Service already delivers packages on Sundays in most major cities, and anticipates delivering more than 8 million packages on Sundays this December. 

♦ Delivering for the troops and overseas

The Postal Service also processes mail for overseas Department of Defense and Department of State  recipients, and it’s expected that the Postal Service will process more than 16 million pounds of mail for DoD and DoS recipients between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve.

♦ Busiest mailing and delivery days

With an increase in early and online shopping for gifts, there is no longer a “busiest day” for holiday shipping. Instead, the postal service’s busiest time is now two weeks before Christmas. 

Starting the week of Dec. 10, customer traffic is expected to increase. The week of Dec. 17-23 is predicted to be the busiest mailing, shipping and delivery week, when nearly 3 billion pieces of first-class mail, including greeting cards, will be processed and delivered.

♦ Skip the trip and ship online 

Consumers don’t even have to leave home to ship their packages, simply visit usps.com. The Postal Service anticipates Dec. 17 will be the Postal Service’s busiest day online. 

♦ New this year

Informed Delivery is the Postal Service’s free daily digital preview of what’s coming to your mailbox. 

♦ 2018 Holiday Shipping Deadlines*

The Postal Service recommends the following mailing and shipping deadlines:

Dec. 4: APO/FPO/DPO (zip code 093 only) priority mail and first-class mail

Dec. 11: APO/FPO/DPO (all other zip codes) priority mail and first-class mail

Dec. 14: USPS retail ground

Dec. 18: APO/FPO/DPO (except zip code 093) USPS priority mail express

Dec. 20: first-class mail (including greeting cards)

Dec. 20: first-class packages (up to 15.99 ounces)

Dec. 20: Hawaii to mainland priority mail and first-class mail

Dec. 20: Priority mail

Dec. 20: Alaska to mainland priority mail and First-Class Mail

Dec. 22: Alaska to mainland priority mail express

Dec. 22: Hawaii to mainland priority mail express

Dec. 22: Priority mail express

*Not a guarantee, unless otherwise noted. Dates are for estimated delivery before Dec. 25. Actual delivery date may vary depending on origin, destination, post office acceptance date and time and other conditions. 

Additional news and information, including all domestic, international and military mailing and shipping deadlines, can be found at the Postal Service Holiday Newsroom at usps.com/holidaynews.