Shipping presents? Wrap them up right Posted On: Thursday, Nov. 26 2009 05:44 AM By Jade Ortego
Killeen Daily Herald

There are many tips to remember when mailing packages for the holidays to ensure gifts arrive on time and in one piece.

The most important thing to remember is to wrap the gift completely.

"Use bubble wrap, packing peanuts or old newspaper to keep those items from moving around. In the event that something does drop, if it's just rattling around in the box, it's going to be easier to break," said Kimberly Hartman, retail associate at the Killeen Main Post Office on 10th Street.

Many people try to send wine over the holidays, Hartman said, but no alcoholic beverages are permitted in the mail.

Also important is timing, she said.

"A lot of people see our commercials and think we can do next-day delivery anywhere," she said.

Post offices in the Killeen area can guarantee two-day delivery to out-of-state addresses and most places in Texas. They guarantee next-day delivery to cities between Waco, Austin and Dallas.

Hartman recommends that people trying to mail packages in time for Christmas begin next week. "This is our busiest time of year," she said.

Priority mail is the best service for the price, she said. The closer the state the parcel is being shipped to, the cheaper the cost. Shipping is guaranteed in two to three days to anywhere in the country.

According to www.usps.com, customers can order priority-shipping supplies, like boxes, tape, labels, stickers and forms, online, and have the items sent to them free of charge.

The Web site also offers stamps with Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Eid ul-Fitr, as well as generic holiday, themes.

Many Killeen residents send packages overseas for the holidays, and it's important to remember that those shipping times take longer. Priority mail to ship internationally is 7 to 10 days.

APO (Army Post Office) and FPO (Fleet Post Office) addresses are considered domestic mail, and so they carry the same shipping prices, Hartman said. The packaging is actually cheaper, however: a large flat-rate priority mail shipping box is $13.95, but to send the APO and FPO addresses, the boxes cost $11.95.

"That's just us doing our part to support the troops, especially when we're so close to a military base. We run out of those boxes quick," Hartman said.

Packages over one pound sent internationally require the 2976A customs form, and can be picked up at a post office or ordered at www.usps.com.

Contact Jade Ortego at jortego@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7553.