Behind the scenes look at UPS deliveries as holiday shipping deadlines near

Time is ticking to ensure on-time arrival for holiday items sent via mail.

An estimated 2.2 billion packages will be shipped this holiday season, according to ShipMatrix Inc. 

The last day for FedEx ground economy is Friday Dec. 13, and Wednesday Dec. 18 is the deadline for U.S. Postal Service ground and first-class mail. Procrastinators have until Dec. 23 for FedEx overnight and UPS Next Day Air.

Making those deadlines requires a workforce of more than 1.5 million drivers nationwide, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Here’s a look at how the UPS operates with the holiday season in full swing.

Behind the scenes at UPS

CBS News correspondent Nancy Chen went behind the scenes at a UPS training facility in Chicago. It’s one of 13 so-called Integrad training facilities across the globe where more than 100,000 drivers have graduated since 2019.

“Every driver has to go through this training, including annual training afterwards,” said Ryan King, Chen’s instructor for the day.

King explained they use a see-through truck as a tool to teach organization.

“They have hundreds of stops a day and hundreds of packages, so it’s very important that they’re able to find the package efficiently,” he said.

Chen then learns the basics, including putting on special shoes and a safety harness to simulate icy and slippery conditions.

She also practiced driving on their simulator.

“We have a lot of pedestrians out on the streets here so we need to get eye contact. We’re gonna tap that horn,” King said during the training.

Ride along with UPS

After training, Chen rode along with Sharon Pascoe, who has been accident-free in her 35 years of delivering for UPS.

Pascoe said she likes the people most in this job, but she has a message during this holiday season, “If you shop early, it gets shipped early. That’s the best way to get everything on time,” she said.

Other advice to get your gifts to where they need to go on time include picking the correct packaging to reduce weight. Envelopes can sometimes be less expensive than boxes. 

Also consider printing two copies of the label. One for the outside — just in case something happens to the package — and another for the inside as a backup.