LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The holiday season is adding pressure on the U.S. Postal Service, and many Kentuckians say they are feeling the impact.
During the holiday shipping rush, residents across the state are reporting significant USPS delays. In some cases, packages are taking unexpected routes, traveling hundreds of miles despite originating close to their destinations. USPS attributes the delays to severe weather and increased holiday volume, while noting it has expanded staffing and processing capacity. Meanwhile, Congressman Morgan McGarvey is calling for greater transparency and accountability from the agency.
From mail arriving weeks late to packages zigzagging across the country, routine deliveries are not always going as expected.
Scott Harvey experienced the problem firsthand after ordering coffee from a roaster located less than 20 miles from his home.
“I ordered coffee from a roaster that lives about 20 miles away,” Harvey said. “I go to their shop all the time, but they didn’t have what I wanted last time, so I ordered it to be delivered.”
Instead of a short trip across central Kentucky, the package took more than 20 days to arrive and traveled over 1,400 miles before reaching Harvey in Nicholasville.
Tracking information shows the coffee shipped from Danville to Louisville, then traveled north to Buffalo and Rochester, New York, before heading to Indianapolis and finally returning to central Kentucky.
“It came to me more than 20 days later, and traveled about 1,460 miles, so I didn’t have to drive 20,” Harvey said.
After contacting the seller about the delay, Harvey said the business told him the issue was ongoing and offered to send a replacement order. That package was shipped through UPS and arrived the next day.
USPS said multiple factors are contributing to the delays, including severe weather and higher-than-normal package volume.
In a statement, the Postal Service said recent weather conditions disrupted transportation networks nationwide, including postal operations. Combined with increased holiday mail volume, those challenges led to delays unloading inbound trailers at the Louisville Processing and Distribution Center.
To address the backlog, USPS said it hired 14,000 seasonal employees and increased daily processing capacity to 88 million pieces of mail, up from 60 million last year.
U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, said his office has received calls from constituents reporting missing or delayed mail. He said he sent a letter to the Postmaster General urging openness and accountability.
“Making sure that they are getting what they need to stay in front of this, because if they continue to get behind it’s only going to get worse,” McGarvey said. “Be open, be transparent, be honest about it. We’re going to hold you accountable, but we’re also going to get you what you need to make sure people get their mail.”
USPS recommends customers sign up for its Industry Alert mailing list to stay informed about potential delays.
The Postal Service said there is still time for packages to arrive before Christmas. Ground shipping deadlines are Wednesday, Priority Mail is Thursday, and Priority Express shipments must be sent by Dec. 20.
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