It’s (almost!) the most wonderful time of the year. And that means… mail! And cards! And care packages! And stressing out that your care packages actually got to their address and aren’t just stuck on a tarmac in a foreign country. (Oh wait, just me? Okay. )
The USPS has released their mailing deadlines for 2018, which means you have guidance so you don’t have to wake up at night and worry if that one box made it to your deployed loved one.
And by the way… the idea that there’s one busiest day of the year at the post office. The USPS says that idea is antiquated and doesn’t exist anymore. Instead, they point to the two weeks prior to Christmas as being the busiest in the year, beginning the week of December 10. “Customer traffic is expected to increase and the Postal Service expects to deliver nearly 200 million packages per week during these two weeks,” according to USPS.
MAILING DEADLINES:
(Use these as drop-dead dates if you want your mail to make it by December 25.)
AE ZIPS 090-098 (EXCEPT 093)
- Priority Mail Express Military Service: Dec. 18
- First-Class and Priority Mail: Dec. 11
- Parcel Airlift Mail: Dec. 4
- Space Available Mail: Nov. 27
- Retail Ground Mail: Nov. 6
AE ZIP 093
- Priority Mail Express Military Service: N/A
- First-Class and Priority Mail: Dec. 4
- Parcel Airlift Mail: Dec. 4
- Space Available Mail: Nov. 27
- Retail Ground Mail: Nov. 6
AA ZIP 340
- Priority Mail Express Military Service: Dec. 18
- First-Class and Priority Mail: Dec. 11
- Parcel Airlift Mail: Dec. 4
- Space Available Mail: Nov. 27
- Retail Ground Mail: Nov. 6
AP ZIPS 962-966
- Priority Mail Express Military Service: Dec. 18
- First-Class and Priority Mail: Dec. 11
- Parcel Airlift Mail: Dec. 4
- Space Available Mail: Nov. 27
- Retail Ground Mail: Nov. 6
DOMESTIC MAIL
- USPS Retail Ground: Dec. 14
- First-class packages (up to 15.99 ounces): Dec. 14
- First-Class Mail (including greeting cards): Dec. 20
- Hawaii to mainland Priority Mail and First-Class Mail: Dec. 20
- Priority Mail: Dec. 20
- Alaska to mainland Priority Mail and First-Class Mail: Dec. 20
- Alaska to mainland Priority Mail Express: Dec. 22
- Hawaii to mainland Priority Mail Express: Dec. 22
- Priority Mail Express: Dec. 22
CARE PACKAGE RESOURCES
Need more help? We’ve got you covered with everything you could want for deployment and care packages. Get started with these three articles:
- 22 Christmas care package ideas
- Here’s what troops really want in a care package
- Here’s how to avoid common care package disasters
