Tens of thousands of packages are piling up inside Philly-area USPS facilities, & veteran employees warn items may not be delivered by Christmas. Customers are watching items sent as early as Nov. 27 sit in Philly for weeks with no movement or updates. https://www.inquirer.com/business/usps-package-tracking-delays-philadelphia-christmas-2020-20201218.html

Processing facilities are so full, there is barely enough room to walk around, employees in Philly, Lehigh Valley & South Jersey said. Last week, dozens of trucks waited in an hours-long line outside the Southwest Philly facility b/c there was no space to unload more parcels.

The delays are caused by a massive staffing shortage due to rising coronavirus cases, long-term job cuts, and a liberal pandemic leave policy, combined with a record rush of holiday packages as more people shop online. Plus, USPS failed to hire enough temporary seasonal workers.

The delays shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone — employees, union leaders, & outside experts have sounded alarms of an impending holiday-time disaster for months, but believe the agency failed to adequately prepare, exacerbating the backlog and delays.

Already-strapped small businesses are bearing the brunt. Frustrated customers are calling asking where their items are & for refunds, but many businesses can’t afford to refund product they might not get back.

One Philly business owner said 327 of her shipments are AWOL.

Here’s what tracking on a package my mom sent to me from Florida on Dec. 3 looks like. It arrived in Philly Dec. 5, but has just sat there ever since. This is what customers and businesses across the region are seeing.