KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The holiday season is in full swing, and so is holiday shipping. It’s the busiest time of the year for sending mail and shipping packages.
If you haven’t shipped those packages to loved ones yet, your window is closing.
Experts at The Mail Center in Kansas City, Missouri, say you’ve got until Dec. 20 if you want those items to get to their destination by Christmas if that’s what you celebrate.
“Shipping has gone up, the gas prices have gone up industry-wise, and I think because of the labor shortage I think we’re still having, it’s harder to find help for those carriers,” Tamica Montilla, director of operations at the facility, said. “I also think there are more delays than usual because carriers are kind of overburdened.”
Montilla shared some holiday shipping dos and don’ts:
- Ship early
- Shop around for the best shipping rate prices
- Consider having packages delivered to a locker or hub
- Ship according to weight, size, and dimension
- Properly label anything battery-powered or hazardous
- Utilize packing specialists for multiple or fragile items
“When you’re sending things that are fragile or perishable and time sensitive, I would bring them to a packing specialist like us and let us pack them up so that they’re shipped safe and get there in a safe and conditioned manner,” she said.
The mail center offers services with a variety of carriers at 4050 Pennsylvania Ave. in Westport.
