FedEx, United Parcel Service and the United States Postal Service continued to operate delivery and pick up service by ground yesterday with delays expected. Both FedEx and UPS suspended money-back guarantees for delivery service until normal service resumed.
FedEx is making pickups and deliveries in areas where service has not been restricted. No service was provided in Manhattan on Wednesday and the situation was still being evaluated for Thursday at press time.
"We're operating as normal as possible under the circumstances," FedEx spokesperson Pam Roberson said. "The goal is to keep shipments going. We have secured additional trucking capacity as part of our all-trucking contingency plans. All packages at this time are being moved by truck."
Roberson said shipments are being delayed a minimum of 24 to 48 hours.
The delivery companies are expecting to resume air service when the ban on air traffic is lifted. "We'll try to pick up where we left off," Roberson says. FedEx moves about five million packages a night.
UPS continues delivery and pickup service with exceptions in areas in New York and Washington. Packages already in route to and from the affected areas are being held at UPS facilities and will be delivered when it becomes feasible to do so.
The USPS is moving mail nationwide with the exception of the most severely impacted areas in New York City, USPS spokesperson Judy De Torok said. The USPS has expanded its ground delivery capabilities with help from the 6,000 to 7,000 trucking companies that it contracts with. The USPS processes 650 million pieces a day.
