Postal Service Struggling To Get Holiday Packages Delivered In Time For Christmas
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - We can always count on Santa to make it to his destinations in time for Christmas, but the same can't be said for delivery companies like the United States Postal Service.
Time is running out for packages in transit to beat the deadline of Christmas morning, and customers like Amber Donahue are running out of patience.
"Every day we're checking the tracking, and it will say, 'Almost there,' and then it just says 'shipping' and 'en route,' but nobody gets it. It's just frustrating," she said.
USPS says it and other delivery companies are dealing with a record amount of packages and mail this season.
According to software company ShipMatrix, around 6 million packages a day are piling up in warehouses or shipping centers.
On-time delivery rates for USPS dropped from 93% at the beginning of the month to just above 86% the third week of December.
"I had a Nintendo switch that I was going to give to my friend," said customer Maggie Xia, who said she shipped 2nd Day. "I shipped it through USPS over a week ago. I shipped it from here to Atlanta, but it's still stuck in Oklahoma."
In addition to the historic number of packages, the Postal Service said the delays are also caused by a temporary employee shortage because of the pandemic, as well as capacity challenges with airlifts and trucking.
A USPS spokesperson told CBS 11, "Our employees are all working longer hours here in the Dallas area, [and] we are delivering seven days a week. We appreciate our customers' patience and remain committed to delivering their holiday mail."
USPS also said it hired additional seasonal workers.
Customers said they wish the delivery companies could have better planned ahead. But they also know it's 2020.
"It's just such a crazy time, and I feel like Christmas feels really different this year. It's just not like any other year, and there's nothing you can really do about it," said Donahue.
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