MIAMI (CBSMiami) - With less than two weeks before Christmas, the holiday shipping season is in full swing.
"This is the busiest shipping week of the year," said USPS regional spokeswoman Debbie Fetterly. "As volume dictates, we have carriers out as early as 6 a.m. dropping off packages and coming back later for their regular deliveries."
The postmaster general has invested heavily in manpower and equipment to avoid the shipping problems last year when some packages were delayed from being delivered on time.
"Like many businesses we were affected by COVID. And we had more volume than expected," explained Fetterly.
The post office has temporarily raised rates for the holiday surge.
On Monday, Melfi Osorio went to the Oakland Park post office to mail six small gifts to family members around the United States. He says it cost him $70 to ship.
"It was $12 to send a single package to be delivered in two to three days," he said.
CBS4 compared the cost to mail a one-pound tin of cookies from south Florida to the Chicago area, between the post office, UPS and FEDEX.
The breakdown was as follows:
USPS cost for shipping was $12.70 for a 1.75-pound weight with expected delivery December 17 to the 18.
UPS estimated the cost for the same package at $13.24 with a delivery of between December 17 and the 20.
And FEDEX ground estimated the cost at $15.84 with delivery between December 16 and 18.
However, all three said they could not" guarantee a delivery date.
Here is a list of holiday shipping deadlines for USPS, UPS, and FedEx delivery services:
USPS: December 13-18 will be the busiest mailing, shipping, and delivery week of the year.
Customers can ship their packages through USPS' Retail Ground service by Wednesday, December 15, so they arrive by Christmas Day.
If you are interested in using their First-Class Mail service, USPS encourages those to get to the post office by Friday, December 17.
Christmas gifts traveling via Priority Mail will need to be sent by Saturday, December 18.
The last date to use the USPS for gifts this Christmas season is Thursday, December 23, which is the deadline of their Priority Mail Express service.
The U.S. Postal Service estimated that nearly 2.3 billion pieces of mail, including greeting cards and packages, will be processed, and delivered nationwide that week.
UPS: The last day to use UPS Ground shipping to mail Christmas gifts depends on the size of your package and how far it has to travel.
If you're sending packages via UPS 3 Day Select, you have until Tuesday, December 21 to get to a UPS Store.
The final day for UPS 2nd Day Air is Wednesday, December 22, and Thursday, December 23 for UPS Next Day Air services.
FedEx: The deadline for FedEx Ground Economy the company's slowest option and often the most cost-effective one for small packages, is coming up on Thursday, December 9.
Customers who miss that date have until Wednesday, December 15 to mail their gifts through FedEx's additional Ground services.
To ship via FedEx Express Saver, drop off your packages by Tuesday, December 21.
The deadline for FedEx's 2Day & 2Day AM service is Wednesday, December 22, and Thursday, December 23 is the last date for taking advantage of FO, PO, SO, Extra Hours.
If you choose to wait until Friday, December 24 to use FedEx Same Day, be warned that deliveries may move slower than promised the closer we get to Saturday, December 25.
