HARTFORD, Conn. — With Christmas around the corner, delivery services are ready to ship out mail in time for the holiday.
USPS said it is expecting to see an increase in letters because everyone is trying to get their Christmas cards mailed out.
“This is our playoffs time. This is our Super Bowl. This is the time we really, you know, we deliver for our customers, and then we couldn't be more thankful. And I'm so proud of the employees that work in this facility for a job well done,” said Frantz Lauture, USPS processing and distribution center plant manager.
Millicent Meadows was one of many who went to the post office to mail out her Christmas cards.
“Hoping it gets to my friends before the holiday. I was here earlier, dropped off about 12 Christmas cards, and went and brought three more. And I’m about to drop those off to just make sure because a couple of them are going out of state,” Meadows said.
She said she prefers to do it that way.
“I do the birthday cards and everything, even though I still send the text, happy holidays, but I still like to send on the cards, just that's the extra personal touch,” Meadows said.
When people mail out letters, Lauture said they are picked up by a truck or trailer which then comes to their facility.
The mail is then taken to the canceling machine which makes sure the mail is valid and can correctly go to the intended recipient.
Lauture said they had 1.5 million letters go through the machine on Monday.
Once finished, the mail then goes to the delivery barcode sorter which has the capability of doing 25-30,000 pieces an hour.
A robot then finishes the job by sorting the letters into containers or a skid, which is a single-deck loading platform standing on a pillar.
They have 38 of them in the building and can sort about 140,000 pieces of mail every day.
At the end of the process, the mail is ready to be placed on a trailer and delivered to its correct location.
Lauture said they are committed to getting people's mail delivered but that it may take a few days depending on their location.
“If the piece of mail has a proper address on it, rest assured we will get the mail home to you on time,” Lauture said.
He noted that people should make sure their envelopes are sealed accordingly so they won’t tear while going through the USPS machines.
Dec. 18 is the cut off date for mail to be delivered before Christmas through first class and ground advantage shipping. For priority mail, the deadline is Dec. 19.
Cayla Cade is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at ccade@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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