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A sea of letters, parcels and parcels. This is the United States Postal Service dispatch center in Los Angeles, California. It is the largest in the United States. And now, in the run-up to Christmas, it's high season.
George Banks, dispatch center manager:
"That's what we've been preparing for all year, isn't it? I'll put it this way: This is our Super Bowl. That's what we work for, that's why we chose this job."
Currently, the work here continues to increase. There are more shipments every day than the day before, Banks says. He is trying to compensate for this: 100 additional employees are on duty. And new devices have also been added.
George Banks, manager of the dispatch center:
"This machine can handle up to 2000 packages per hour."
This is also necessary. Because the mass of broadcasts that his team has to deal with here is enormous.
George Banks, manager of the fulfillment center:
"We expect to process more than one million shipments a day. To explain the dimension: Last year we had 25 million shipments during our peak season. This year, we expect about 30 million. We're really happy about it."
So the boss is thrilled. And the staff? Some people here are obviously already in the Christmas mood. But of course, a lot more mail also means a lot more work. As a result, the strain on employees is particularly high during this time. How do they feel about the Christmas season?
Antoinette Brown, UPS employee:
"Busy. Busy sums it up. We get a lot of mail every day. Every time we walk in here, there's mail everywhere. And then we have to take care of them, every day. So we're here for nine, ten, eleven hours, some even twelve."
And despite new equipment, extra staff, and long days, the U.S. Postal Service recommends sending letters, packages, and packages early so they can still be under the Christmas tree in time.