SAN ANTONIO – We’re hitting the holiday rush!
The United States Postal Service is trying to make sure the Grinch doesn’t steal Christmas this year and that packages arrive on time.
It’s the most wonderful and busiest time of the year for USPS. Their team of elves took on the task of sorting 1.1 billion packages during the holidays.
After delays last year, the postal service made some changes.
“The Postal Service leased 46 of these facilities throughout the country to prevent the delays and all that we had last Christmas season,” Tim Keating, the manager of in-plant support for the postal service said.
KSAT got a tour of one of these package support annex facilities located on IH-10 E in Converse.
On top of opening this space, USPS also invested in 112 additional pieces of equipment, three are here in San Antonio.
“Our single induction parcels order. It’s capable of doing three thousand pieces an hour and has 200 separations that we sought into for our delivery area,” Keating explained.
It’s no sleigh and a magical gaggle of reindeer, but the postmaster general was determined to prevent package delays.
Other machines helping are the flexible rover system which are 12 robotic carts that optimize employee effort, and the linear integrated spider, a large parcel sorting conveyer system.
“It’s a learning curve for all of the employees out here because the majority of the employees out here work Christmas hires,” Keating said.
To help with the holiday rush, 418 employees were hired and 200 pre-career employees were shifted to assist as well.
“The whole Postal Service proved that we were ready for this peak season and we’re being good now,” Keating said.
If you’re hoping to send gifts to your loved ones, there are some important dates to remember. Express mail needs to be sent by the 16th and USPS Retail Ground mail needs to be sent by the 15th in order to get there by Christmas.