Post Office offers holiday mailing tips and deadlines

To get a sense of how much work goes into getting packages delivered on time, you have to see where it all begins. Staff at the

on Vassar Street in Reno gave KOLO 8 News Now’s Gianna Giorgi a tour of the Reno Mail Processing Facility.

2.6 million packages are expected to be processed from December first through the 24th at the Reno plant.

According to post office staff, on average 90,000 packages are processed on any given day. During the holiday season that number can jump as high as 125,000 per day.

Randi Jones with the Postal Service says the busiest time for mail staff has grown from a day to a week of long hours.

"It's crunch time for us."

The busy week started December 17 and is expected to stay steady through December 23. Besides longer lines during the final week before Christmas, Senior Plant Manager Jason McMahill says customers should be aware of the shipping deadlines for 2018.

"We make the deadlines so that, they know, that this is the time frame you have to get it there and home in time for Christmas."

For First Class and Priority mail, it is recommended you ship your packages out by December 20, and for Express shipping, no later than December 22.

"As soon as possible get it shipped out. This is the week to do it."

Jones says the most common mistakes customers make, that affect the delivery of packages are mislabeling and gift-wrapped packages.

"That gift wrap will get torn off and it won't arrive as pretty as you want it to; also it could get mis-delivered because the address is missing."