As usual, this time of year is a busy one for mail carriers of all types. The contents of packages have undergone a bit of a transformation.
Although Christmas is almost two weeks away, the start of this week signals the heaviest mail day of the year.
For decades it was greeting cards which filled up mail bags and trucks. David Walton with the U.S. Postal Service in Kentucky says now it’s more often boxes. “Even though the internet has actually caused a bit of a dent in our letter mail volume, it’s actually caused a package volume to go up,” said Walton.
Walton says Mondays have traditionally been hectic during December. He says Sunday deliveries during the holiday period in Kentucky’s urban areas helps to lessen the load on Mondays.
Gift cards are on many a Christmas shopping list. But Walton says gift cards don’t travel well in greeting cards. “And that’s a no-no," he said. "Because our machines have a lot of trouble processing those. So if you are sending a gift card through the mail, it is advisable to either put that in a bubble envelope or a priority mail envelope.”
Walton says when mailing packages this season, if you’re unsure of the correct zip code, leave it blank on the envelope. He says no zip code is better than a wrong zip code. The postal service spokesman says this Saturday is the deadline for getting cards and letters in the mail using the traditional route.
