BEAUMONT, Texas — The Christmas rush has begun at the Beaumont Post Office Processing Center, where officials say the rise in online ordering has tightened holiday deadlines.
Workers are managing the influx through 12-hour shifts and logistics systems.
The facility purchased new machines last year to enhance efficiency, including the SIPS machine that sorts packages to their designated areas.
"It's very busy the employees are working, are working long hours, but we're trying to make sure everybody gets their mail and packages for Christmas," said Cynthia Fontenot, Plant Manager at the USPS Beaumont Processing Center.
"We separate it, we sort it, and it gets sent to Houston for processing. Houston sends it to us and we put it in sequential order for delivery," Fontenot explained.
Some residents who made orders have experienced delays.
"I did order one package and I swear, that thing took like a week or two just to even get shipped," said Orange resident Dayjanea Jordan. "And then once it got shipped, it sat in Houston for like maybe a week before it actually got to me."
New machines include the SIPS machine to make the process more efficient.
"The SIPS machine takes those packages and they sort to the different areas where they supposed to go," said Fontenot.
Some circumstances may slow the process, including unclear addresses.
"The reader can't read it, so it may take a few more days than that," said Fontenot. "But normally, it's a one to two day process."
However, some residents have found ways to manage their shipments.
"I've heard of the horror stories where people are not getting their packages or having late sent out, but so far we've been very fortunate," said Orange resident Rick Guidry. "If I put a package here at the post office, I have that tracked and follow it through."
The post office advises customers to take several precautions when shipping:
- Write addresses clearly and completely
- Verify postage stamps
- Avoid prohibited items like fireworks, drugs, or explosives
For Christmas delivery, USPS recommends ordering by December 18 for normal ground delivery, December 19 for Priority Mail, and December 21 for express services.
"What's more challenging is we have, of course, a lot more people ordering packages for Christmas," said Fontenot. "And so, we have thousands, and thousands of packages that are coming in and then, one of the challenges that we have is those last-minute packages that come in," she said. "And we're trying to get them home before Christmas."
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.