LAS VEGAS — The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are expected to bring a surge in shipping volume that mail carriers are already preparing for.
The holidays in Las Vegas bring a rush of shopping, tourists, and increased foot traffic. Increased shopping means a heavier strain on mailing companies to deliver packages across the country safely and on time. According to a forecast from ShipMatrix, U.S. holiday package deliveries are expected to rise about 5% from last year, totaling roughly 2.3 billion packages.
Companies like FedEx and Amazon are predicted to be the busiest this holiday season. A USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) report on FY 2025 peak season preparedness found that seasonal holiday package volumes between Thanksgiving and Christmas put a significant strain on how well mail carriers can operate during this season.
To prepare for the surge, USPS is implementing a temporary price change for some package services for the 2025 peak holiday season. The temporary rates went into effect at midnight Central on Oct. 5 and remain in place until midnight Central on Jan. 18, 2026.
Other carriers like FedEx will implement peak season surcharges from Thanksgiving until Dec. 28. UPS will also have the highest surcharges between Nov. 23 and Dec. 27, with lower surcharges in place until Jan. 17, 2026.
In addition to peak surcharges, some companies, like USPS, are planning to hire 14,000 temporary employees to make up their seasonal workforce.
