CULLMAN, Ala. – In order for your holiday packages to arrive by Dec. 24, frequently used shipping services have provided their recommended last days to ship by.
The last day to ship with UPS Ground varies depending on the cities being shipped from and to, and can be verified on https://www.ups.com/us/en/global.page, the last day to ship with UPS Three Day Select is Dec. 21. UPS Second Day Air must be sent by Dec. 22, and the last day to ship with UPS Next Day Air is Dec. 23.
The shipping deadline with FedEx Ground Economy is Dec. 9, FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery is Dec. 15, FedEx Express is Dec. 21 and the last day to ship with FedEx Standard or Priority Overnight is Dec. 23.
Postal Service Retail Ground Service is recommended to ship by Dec. 15, First Class Mail Service by Dec. 18 and the last day to ship with Priority Mail Service is Dec. 19. Priority Mail Express Service should be sent by Dec. 23.
If you are ordering gifts from third parties and having them shipped to loved ones, supply chain issues may cause delays in shipping depending on shipping origin.
Part of the issue is due to low vaccination rates in countries that supply raw materials and components continue to slow shipments, because higher rates of COVID-19 will lead to port closures. Once those shipments arrive at U.S. ports, they are likely to wait to be unloaded amid a labor shortage here.
Scott Grawe, chair of the Department of Supply Chain Management at Iowa State University, told USA Today, “While retailers and their suppliers are working together to ensure that customers can get what they need, there are some bottlenecks that cannot be avoided, like a lack of available drivers and a shortage of labor at distribution centers.”
To avoid a lack of presents at Christmas, shopping locally will likely be many consumers best bet this year.
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Articles referenced: “Pacidic Port Problems Pile More Strain on Bustling Trade Lane (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-08-18/supply-chains-latest-china-s-port-shutdowns-hit-world-trade-outlook)
“Historic backup at Port of Oakland could be bad news for consumers” (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/port-of-oakland-historic-backup-could-be-bad-news-for-consumers/)
