The holiday shopping season may be in full swing, but for UPS customers and business partners in Texas, people may not receive their packages in time for Christmas, according to a local FOX affiliate.
"If this thing drags on too long, I'll have to either start canceling orders or breaking orders apart into multiple shipments," Robert Schlien, an e-commerce business owner told the source.
A recent winter storm that consisted of freezing rain, harsh winds and snowfall greatly impacted operations in parts of Texas. Flights were canceled, Dallas' light-rail system was closed and traffic jams lasted many hours on major highways.
Fulfillment centers around Texas are doing what they can to process as many packages as possible, but sending in UPS employees from other parts of the United States may not be enough because the backlog may have reached an unsustainable point. However, they're doing their best, a UPS spokesperson explained.
"In addition, our drivers who might not normally work on Saturdays were called in for deliveries. Expanded sorts are underway this week."
On top of these delays, December 16 and 17 are the busiest days of the holiday season for shippers because millions of parcels are being processed all over the U.S. to guarantee these boxes will arrive on people's doorsteps by December 25.
For example, the U.S. Postal Service processed about 607 million pieces of domestic mail nationwide, but the North Texas office planned on going through 3 million pieces as well. The USPS told the Dallas Morning News that the last day to ensure items will arrive in time for the 25th is December 23.
Weather-related issues may be out of our control, but during peak times of the year, organizations need to take the proper steps to prepare for the worst case scenario. Business continuity consultants can help identify a strategy that will mitigate these concerns.