Ship it: Deadline near for Christmas mailing

Avi Steinhardt/Courier-Post

 By: Lavinia DeCastro, Courier-Post Staff, via CourierPostOnline.com

Still have holiday gifts to mail?

Officials with the United States Postal Service said packages must be mailed by Monday or they won't arrive at their destination before Christmas.

"The earlier the better as far as mailing anything," Cherry Hill Postmaster A.J. Andiroli said.

Last year, the postal service processed 19 billion pieces of mail nationally between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Postal Service spokesman Ray Daiutolo said.

This year, the postal service expects that number to drop to 17 billion, Daiutolo said.

"Mail volume is down slightly this year due to the recession," Daiutolo said.

So far, Monday has been the busiest day of season.

More than 830 million pieces of mail entered the system that day, an increase of more than 40 percent in the average daily volume of 583 million pieces of mail.

"This week has been extremely busy," Daiutolo said. "People are on the mindset that they have to get their packages in the mail."

The Bellmawr plant, which processes all mail coming from or going to anywhere from Trenton to Cape May, received 7 million pieces of mail on Monday, Daiutolo said. The plant usually processes between 4 1/2 million and 5 million, he added.

"It's a 40 percent increase, but that's usual for that week before Christmas," Daiutolo said.

Postal service officials said packages shipped via first class mail and priority mail before Monday will arrive in time for Christmas.

Wednesday is the last day to ship Christmas packages via Express Mail.

"We do deliver Express Mail on Christmas day," Daiutolo said.

Andiroli said customers should have their packages sealed and labeled before getting in line.

"It makes the visit go a lot more smoothly," Andiroli said.

Avoid peak times, which are at lunch time and after 4 p.m.

"The earlier in the morning that they can get here, the better," Andiroli said. "Bring your patience with you."

Customers can avoid the long lines by using the Automated Postal Centers, or APCs, available at the lobby of some post offices.

The machine dispenses stamps, weighs packages and calculates postage for Express Mail, Priority Mail, First-Class Mail and Parcel Post items.

There are 2,500 APCs in Post Office lobbies across the country.

"It's kind of like an ATM machine at a bank," Andiroli said.

At the Cherry Hill post office on Marlkress Road, workers were on the lobby helping customers operate the machines and label their packages.

"We're pulling from everywhere we can to have enough people at the registers," Andiroli said.

Customers can skip the trip to the Post Office completely and ship online using the Postal Service's Web site, usps.com. Customers can print shipping labels, pay for postage and order free shipping supplies, including the popular Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes, virtually eliminating the need to weigh.

Customers can also use the Web site to request free package pickup. The Postal Service will pick up packages during regular mail delivery the next business day.

Pat Lachnicht, of Cherry Hill, waited in line on Thursday afternoon to mail a present.

"I'm really late this year," she said. "I still have all my cards to be mailed."

Reach Lavinia DeCastro at (856) 486-2652 or ldecastro@courierpostonline.com.