Truck drivers reported waiting more than half a day to pick up or deliver loads at Ohio post office locations overwhelmed by online holiday shopping and reportedly understaffed due to COVID-19.
The heavy delays for truck drivers were reported at post office locations in Akron and Cleveland, Ohio, over the weekend.
Dozens of trucks lined up outside the facilities, with drivers saying that they were forced to wait for as many as 15 hours.
One driver reported waiting at a Cleveland post office from 9 p.m. on Thursday until 4 p.m. on Friday to make a deliver, the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Truck driver Fronrue Tarpeh told News 5, “With trucking, you’re on a time schedule and most of the truck drivers are going to have to stay here and wait until tomorrow. They’re not going to get them on time. All we can do is just deliver it. They’ve got to go and do their part.”
The USPS pointed a few factors as reasons for the extreme wait times, including increased holiday volume and reduced employee availability due to the pandemic:
This has been an extraordinary year of unprecedented challenges. The Postal Service is experiencing significant volume increases, while at the same time employee availability has been reduced due to the impacts of COVID-19. We are flexing our resources to process and deliver the mail as quickly as possible. We are committed to making sure gifts and cards are delivered on time to celebrate the holidays. Customers needing assistance are encouraged to contact the USPS Customer Care Center at 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777).