If you see a mail carrier or FedEx driver out on your street today, buy them a cup of coffee — they’ll probably need it.
Today is the busiest shipping day of the year, as people across the country get their shipping of gifts, packages, and cards done before the holidays finally arrive.
FedEx (FDX) expects to process around 22.6 million packages today. That is up from the last year, when 22 million packages shipped on Dec. 16. Just seven years ago, the busiest day of the year saw only 11.5 million packages shipped.
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, the shipping company expects to move 290 million packages, an 8.8% jump over last year.
The United States Postal Service is also seeing a jump in volume this year. USPS expects to carry 640 million pieces of mail today, up from 607 million on the busiest day in 2013.