GREAT FALLS — The United States Postal Service is in the middle of “peak season”, as people rush to send packages to loved ones for the holidays.
This means that city carriers like John Becker have been working overtime.
“This is probably more than doubled on this route,” said Becker, pointing at the amount of packages he had in his mail truck, “I would say on a normal day, it’d be about one of these, maybe less. And now I have two and a half probably.”
Peak season usually starts around Black Friday and continues a few weeks beyond Christmas but this year, it began even earlier.
“A lot of us have 12-hour days,” Becker said.
Despite the workload, Becker is in good spirits while loading up his truck.
"You're delivering Christmas gifts,” Becker said, “So it feels a little better.”
Becker is in his second year as a city carrier in Great Falls.
“I’ve enjoyed it,” Becker said, “I like being out, I like walking.”
This is good because he does a lot of it.
On normal days, he walks about 12 miles but during peak season, it's between 16 and 21 miles per day.
So far, the season has gone smoothly, even with carriers working late past sundown.
“If the customers can leave their porch lights on a little bit later, that can be helpful,” Becker said.
Make sure you check for packages if you’re expecting them, to stay safe from porch pirates.
“We try to tuck it behind a plant or, you know, sort of out of view,” Becker said.
You can also do your part in making sure your local carrier can deliver your mail safely and efficiently.
“When it snows, having the pathways clear and with the Christmas decorations, having the light on lets us see the decorations and all the wires that come off that hold them up,” Becker said.
Remember: if you’re trying to send gifts, the earlier the better.
“Shipping earlier is always better if you want to make it there by December 25th,” Becker said.
Below are the mailing deadlines provided by the USPS:
- USPS Ground Advantage® Service: Dec. 18
- First-Class Mail® Service: Dec. 18
- Priority Mail® Service: Dec. 19
- Priority Mail Express® Service: Dec. 21
