It’s crunch time this time of the year, with most businesses full steam approaching the season’s rush. It’s expected to be another unprecedented month as carriers and shippers work on strategies to maximize volume and profit.
To avoid disappointment, parcel carriers have to set deadlines to ensure all customers’ expectations can be met within a reasonable time, as Christmas approaches.
AusPost, FedEx, and UPS set holiday cut-off dates
Most parcel carriers have set the deadline for last deliveries at around December 20, but some are hoping customers are getting those orders in earlier.
Australia Post will only accept parcel post shipments until December 18, but with Express Post, the deadline is extended until December 21. However, residents in Western Australia will need to send their packages earlier, by the 15th, and Express Post by December 20.
FedEx clients must get their freight goods shipped by no later than December 15 to allow for a 5-day shipping. As a last resort, packages can be sent using FedEx’s SameDay or Home Delivery by no later than December 22.
UPS is not allowing any delivery services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. To avoid any customer dissatisfaction, it advises shippers to send parcels by December 19. UPS will also not accept pickup or delivery on Thanksgiving Day (November 23) or New Year’s Day.
Things to remember during peak season
Locate2u CEO Steve Orenstein says this time of the year, traditional couriers will have significant delays, misplaced or lost parcels, and customers not being given the service they deserve. But there are ways to plan for this and improve the service speedily.
- Plan early: Every courier in the country will be busy during December. So, if you have many deliveries to your staff or customers, contact us here, and we can help.
- Use your team: If you are considering using your team to do deliveries over Christmas, Locate2u can assist with working out the most efficient route.
Extra staff for extra work
Australia Post delivers one million parcels each day during the peak Christmas period. To get to all the deliveries in time, it hires, on average, 2,000 extra staff over the peak period.
UPS is hiring over 100,000 workers during the peak season to help with the extra volume of parcels. According to Reuters, analysts expect holiday sales to grow more slowly this year as higher inflation eats into household budgets.
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Mia is a multi-award-winning journalist. She has more than 14 years of experience in mainstream media. She's covered many historic moments that happened in Africa and internationally. She has a strong focus on human interest stories, to bring her readers and viewers closer to the topics at hand.
