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By Nic Miller
Star Staff
nic.miller@elizabethton.com

The weather is getting colder, Frazier firs are being bought, and colorful lights can be seen all across Carter County, meaning only one thing: Christmas is coming soon. And while it may be a joyous time of year for most, this time of year means postal carriers and shipping providers in the area will be hard at work for the coming weeks.

“The demand during the holiday time has been busier, as it usually is. However, what is different about this year is that it is not a huge increase, as we have been busy since the pandemic with people shipping items to their family members,” said Tammy Taylor, franchisee of the UPS Store in Elizabethton.

“You’re always going to be busy at a place like this during the holiday season, so it is as expected,” said Tyler Arnold, print manager. “The main difference however, is the variety of items that we are seeing come into the store now.

“Before the holiday season rolled around, we would get the typical items that would need to be shipped such as Amazon packages. But now we are seeing a little bit of everything come into the store, with people going through their things and shipping more sentimental items,” Arnold said.

One major factor of shipping around the Christmas holiday is when to ship the items to ensure they will make it to their destination before the big day.

“There are deadlines that have not been printed yet, but the last day that you can ship with a guarantee that it will arrive before Christmas is the 22nd of December. That is more of an overnight shipping, and it is ensured to make it on time because UPS drivers deliver on Christmas Eve and stay on the roads until every package has been delivered,” Taylor added.

Along with those deadlines, the United States Postal Service has recently released a statement entailing when to ship items to make sure they make it under the tree Christmas morning, varying by what type of shipping is used.

Those dates beginning with USPS Retail Ground Service being Dec. 15, First Class Mail Service being Dec. 17, Priority Mail Service being Dec. 18, and Priority Mail Express Service being Dec. 23.

For more information on when to ship, visit the USPS at usps.com or contact the UPS at ups.com or contact the Elizabethton location at (423) 297-1215.