USPS Recommended Shipping Dates For 2017 Holiday Season

Written By Paul Scicchitano, Patch Staff:

The most wonderful time of the year is rapidly approaching — office parties, cheesy decorations, cookie swaps, lights and gifts. It's not too soon to start thinking about your gift list and specifically how you plan to get your holiday gifts from here to there. The U.S. Postal Service has released its recommended shipping dates for the 2017 holiday season as well as some helpful tips to make the holidays a little less hectic and a lot more jolly.

For holiday procrastinators, the very last day to mail a first class greeting card is Dec. 19. For serious procrastinators, you can hold off another day by using Priority Mail and three more days if you choose Priority Express.

Of course they are costlier options.

The Postal Service expects to deliver more than 15 billion pieces of mail this holiday season and 850 million packages between Thanksgiving and New Year's day. That's up 10 percent from last year, so think early if you want your packages and cards to arrive on time.

The Postal Service will be expanding its Sunday delivery operations in locations with high package volumes beginning Nov. 26. The Postal Service already delivers packages on Sundays in most major cities and anticipates delivering more than six million packages on Sundays this December. Mail carriers will also deliver packages on Christmas Day in select locations.

Here are the 2017 holiday season recommended Postal Service mailing and shipping deadlines:

• Nov. 6 APO/FPO/DPO USPS Retail Ground
• Dec. 11 APO/FPO/DPO Priority Mail & First Class Mail
• Dec. 14 USPS Retail Ground
• Dec. 15 Hawaii to Mainland Priority Mail & amp; First-Class Mail
• Dec. 16 APO/FPO/DPO USPS Priority Mail Express
• Dec. 16 First Class Packages (up to 15.99 ounces)
• Dec. 19 First Class Mail (including greeting cards)
• Dec. 20 Priority Mail
• Dec. 20 Hawaii to Mainland Priority Mail Express
• Dec. 20 Alaska to Mainland Priority Mail & First-Class Mail
• Dec. 21 Alaska to Mainland Priority Mail Express
• Dec. 22 Priority Mail Express

Finding The Right Box

"Choose a box with enough room for cushioning material around the contents. Sturdy paperboard or corrugated fiberboard boxes are best for weights up to 10 pounds. If you are reusing a box, totally remove or obliterate all previous labels and markings with heavy black marker," according to the Postal Service.

Most Post Offices sell boxes and tubes in multiple sizes. Some Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail boxes are available free at the Post Office for items using either of these services. While you are not required to use the free packaging, you must use the USPS-produced address label provided by the Post Office for Priority Mail Express. To order Priority Mail Express or Priority Mail boxes at no extra charge, call 800-222-1811 or visit www.usps.com/store.

Cushioning

Place the cushioning all around your item or items. You can use newspaper, "foam peanuts," or shredded paper. Close and shake the box to see if you have enough cushioning. If you hear items shifting, postal officials suggest adding more cushioning.

Another pro tip is to place an extra address label with the delivery and return addresses inside the package in case the outside label becomes damaged or falls off.

Mailing Fragile Items

Mark your packages "Fragile" if they can break. Mark food items as "Perishable."

Mailing Heavy Items

If you are mailing a very heavy or dense item, postal officials suggest using a sturdy box. Pack the contents securely with a strong material for bracing to prevent shifting and tape all the edges with reinforced tape. Packages heavier than 70 pounds cannot be mailed, according to postal officials.

Sealing

Postal officials suggest taping the opening of your box and reinforcing all seams with 2-inch-wide tape. "Use clear or brown packaging tape, reinforced packing tape, or paper tape," officials said. "Do not use cord, string, twine, masking or cellophane tape. Place a strip of clear packaging tape over your label to prevent the address from smearing."

Return Address

Remember to print or type your address in the upper left corner on the same side of the package as the delivery address.

Extra Services

"Place labels for extra services above the delivery address and to the right of the return address, or to the left of the delivery address," according to postal officials.

Postage

You can use stamps, a postage meter or a PC Postage system to apply the correct postage. You can also calculate and purchase postage online at www.usps.com.

Delivery Address

"Print or type the delivery address parallel to the longest side of the package," postal officials advised. "Type or print clearly with a pen or permanent marker so that your address is legible from an arm's length away. Do not use commas or periods."

Confirmation Services

Labels for USPS Tracking or signature confirmation should be placed to the left of the address label.

City, State and ZIP Code

To find the correct spelling of a city name and state abbreviation or to find a ZIP Code visit www.usps.com or call 800·ASK·USPS. Using the correct ZIP Code helps direct your mail more efficiently and accurately.

Drop Off

If your mail item weighs 13 ounces or less, and you have used correct postage, you can save time by mailing it in one the blue collection boxes that your parents still refer to as mailboxes. If your item weighs more than 13 ounces, and you have affixed postage stamps, you must take it to an employee at the retail counter of a Post Office.

Watch this video from the Postal Service on how to pack a box:

Top Image via Travis Loose, Patch News