Duck Checked

Your deadline, not the carrier's

What has to be packed and shipped first?

Carrier holiday dates are recommendations, not promises. Use the current official cutoff for the exact service and destination, then move your own deadline earlier.

Station result

Your internal cutoff should be earlier

Work backward from the promised arrival with carrier guidance, packing time, and your own buffer.

    Deadline pages expire fast

    Recheck the carrier source before buying postage and again near the shipping day. Weather, destination, service, international, military, and territory routes can differ.

    Official starting point: USPS holiday shipping dates. If 2026 dates are not yet posted, wait for the official update rather than borrowing last year's table.

    Duck's call

    What to do next

    Use the carrier's current cutoff as the outside limit. Move your own date earlier enough to cover packing and bad luck.

    Leave this page with

    The date packing starts and the earlier ship-by date you will actually use.