Don't Miss Out: Shipping Companies Reveal Must-Know Deadlines for Holiday Shipping

With only 10 days left until Christmas, the United States Postal Service is reminding holiday gift senders to act quickly. The deadline for USPS first-class mail is this Saturday, ensuring that gifts will arrive in time for the festive season.

This December is proving to be an exceptionally busy month for shipping companies. It is estimated that around 82 million parcels will be sent each day during this peak season.

In Nashville, a facility called UPS Worldport is seeing boxes pile up as it plays a crucial role in the holiday shopping process. This 5.4 million square foot facility has the capacity to sort approximately 416,000 packages per hour. The scene at the facility is a true reflection of the holiday rush.

Customer Melinda Wayland expressed her relief at having her packages shipped, stating, "I feel better about it. At least I have these shipped off."

Leslie Phelts, a frontline supervisor at the Nashville facility, likened the team to Santa's helpers. She said, "We are like Santa's helpers... we do feel like we play a large portion or piece in the holiday season."

Shipping Deadlines for the Holiday Season

During the holiday season in Nashville, packages are transported by truck and by plane to a distribution center. Once there, they go through a 155-mile conveyor belt system, getting sorted by zip code and loaded into large shipping containers. This entire process takes less than four hours and is repeated for approximately 300 flights each day. To ensure smooth operations, a team of meteorologists assists in planning routes around any potential winter weather.

Bill Moore, the president of UPS Airlines, revealed that they start preparing for the following year's holiday season immediately after Christmas. He advises people to send their gifts early and avoid waiting until the last minute.

"Time is running out, so we tell people not to wait. Don't procrastinate. Ship early and ship often," said Moore.

For online retailers like Omaha Steaks, the holiday rush is a critical period that can make or break their business. The company is currently selling a box of filet mignon every 2.4 seconds, with an estimated 80,000 boxes being shipped daily.

"Delivering packages on time is crucial for providing a positive customer experience, and UPS excels in that regard," said Nate Rempe, the president and CEO of Omaha Steaks.