Vacation packages remain stuck on USPS Oak Creek facilities
Some people have sent packages in the hope of arriving on Friday’s holiday, but that will not happen.
OAK CREEK, Wis. – It will take a holiday miracle for some packages to arrive in time for Christmas morning; there is a major slowdown with the US Postal Service (USPS).
The USPS said that the transportation of historic holidays, combined with personnel problems caused by the pandemic COVID-19, slowed everything down. Some people have sent packages in the hope of arriving on Friday’s holiday, but that will not happen.
“This is something I did a long time ago,” said Donna Sorenson of Sturtevant. “It takes months.”
Sorenson knows a thing or two about patience, sewing complex jobs with vibrant colors.
This year, Christmas will be different. Sorenson will not see his daughter, who lives in St. Louis, so she decided to send her a favorite piece – her old Christmas stocking.
“Just because of COVID, you never know, you might not be around the next day. I thought it would be a nice touch to send it to her,” said Sorenson.
That gift has not yet reached Sorenson’s daughter; he was sent earlier this month and is currently stuck at a post office in Oak Creek.
“He’s been standing there since 5 (December), when I sent him. He hasn’t moved,” said Sorenson.
United States Postal Service (USPS)
And Sorenson is not alone.
A representative from the USPS Lakeland District said they are experiencing delays due to a history of holiday remittances and a shortage of temporary staff due to the pandemic.
“I’m frustrated, but I understand,” said Sorenson.
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Sorenson knows that things take time. She is trying to be patient again, but she is not counting on a Christmas miracle.
“I am resigned, but it will not get there this year. I just hope it is not lost,” said Sorenson.
The USPS said it is working non-stop to deal with the historic volume of packaging. They are trying to ensure that the packages arrive at their locations soon.
USPS statement on delayed Oak Creek installation:
The US Postal Service, similar to the broader shipping industry, continues to face short-term pressure on the service’s performance across all categories, as it manages a historic holiday volume record this season. This negative impact is compounded by the lack of temporary staff due to the increase in COVID-19, as well as ongoing capacity challenges with air and road transport to move this historic volume of correspondence.
The 644,000 postal workers continue to work diligently to resolve problems and remain focused on delivering holidays and beyond to the country. Amidst the historical volume, Correios continues to make its network more flexible, including ensuring that the right equipment is available to classify, process and deliver a historical volume of correspondence and packages during this holiday season. Our entire operations team, from collection, through processing to delivery, worked all weekend and continues to work around the clock to deal with the historical volume. We accept all the volume that is presented to us and that increases our challenges.