USPS begins busiest month of the year with employees working around the clock ahead of Christmas

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- USPS employees are in the middle of their busiest mailing month of the year, with many employees working around the clock to help Santa get those packages delivered before December 25th.

"A typical day. First come in get a mail back there," said Stanley Szczurek. "Then sort everything in here. Normal case in time about an hour, then we're out on the street seven to eight hours a day."

Szczurek has been delivering mail for 38 years, manning the Glenside post office on Easton Road. It's one of the areas busiest.

The madness starts right after Cyber Monday.

"We're looking at anywhere between 5,000 to 7,000 packages a day," said Postmaster Christopher Policano. "That's on any given day."

But this isn't your average time of year. December is the busiest mailing month.

"It will just increase more," he said. "The most I've ever seen here about 9,000 packages a day."

The Postal Service's Philadelphia plant processes an average of 5.2 million pieces of mail a day, according to the agency. That number will skyrocket in the days leading up to Christmas.

Because it's such a busy time, USPS has some advice for customers.

"Make sure the name is correct, address is good. We know where it's going to go," said Szczurek. "We make sure the package is getting delivered up to the last day."

Because deliveries are happening seven days a week and well into the night, customers are also being asked to leave their porch lights on so carriers can see in the dark.