• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

U.S. companies have finally gotten $71 billion in tariff refunds, but they’re using it to offset inflation caused by the Iran war

2

FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’

3

Buffett says AI giants are ‘playing a game they don’t want to play’ in the AI race, reveals he was behind Berkshire’s $31 billion bet on Google

1

U.S. companies have finally gotten $71 billion in tariff refunds, but they’re using it to offset inflation caused by the Iran war

2

FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’

3

Buffett says AI giants are ‘playing a game they don’t want to play’ in the AI race, reveals he was behind Berkshire’s $31 billion bet on Google
Tech

Part of Postal Service’s Site Buckles Under ‘Unprecedented’ Demand

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 22, 2015, 2:33 PM ET
The Expected Budget Deficit Of US Postal Service Grows To 7 Billion For '09
SAN FRANCISCO - JULY 30: US Postal Service letter carrier Anthony Ow sorts through mail in the back of his delivery truck July 30, 2009 in San Francisco, California. The US Postal Service is expecting their budget deficit to reach $7 billion, up from earlier projections of $6 billion. The Postal Service is seeking permission from Congress to go to a 5 day delivery week to make up some of the deficit. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Photograph by Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Part of the U.S Postal Service’s website slowed to a crawl on Tuesday because of overloading by people looking to track their holiday packages.

“Due to unprecedented heavy volume, there were delays in providing tracking results for a very brief period late this morning,” USPS spokesman Roy Betts told Fortune. “We continue to closely monitor the site.”

Betts confirmed that USPS tracking is now “working.”

Late Tuesday morning, several Twitter (TWTR) users tweeted that they were unable to track packages through the USPS.com site. Annoyed that they couldn’t find their packages, the tweeters quickly turned to hashtags that lambasted the USPS, including “#USPSfail,” “#holidayfail,” and “#USPSdonttrustthem.”

Despite the displeasure, the issue was short-lived and the complaints petered out soon after. It’s unclear how widespread the issue was, but it did not impact tracking accuracy, and data was not lost.

SIGN UP: Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter about the business of technology.

The issue couldn’t have come at a worse time for USPS, which said yesterday that Monday would be its busiest day of the year as employees delivered more than 30 million packages. Postmaster General Megan Brennan said in a statement that the day’s package volume was up 15% compared to last year. In total, the USPS will deliver 15 billion packages and pieces of mail this year.

WATCH: For more on holiday shopping, check out the following Fortune video:

The problem came Tuesday as anxious shoppers flocked to USPS to delivery last-minute Christmas gifts. With just three days to go before the holiday, they apparently overloaded the tracking page to see where their packages were and determine when they’d be delivered. For a short while, they couldn’t get the answers they wanted.

Update – 7:20 pm, Dec. 22: This story and its headline were updated to clarify that only part of the Postal Service’s website was impacted.

 

 

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

The AI boom is increasingly built on debt, but investor demand is plunging just as hyperscalers ramp up their bond blitz
AIBonds
The AI boom is increasingly built on debt, but investor demand is plunging just as hyperscalers ramp up their bond blitz
By Jason MaJuly 17, 2026
3 hours ago
xi
AIChina
Xi offers AI olive branch to the world, calling for ‘symphony of global cooperation’
By Han Guan Ng, Chan Ho-Him and The Associated PressJuly 17, 2026
3 hours ago
Alex Karp gestures
SuccessWealth
With a $15 billion net worth, Palantir CEO Alex Karp predicts he will get 20x richer from AI—but that middle-class workers will get just modest raises
By Preston ForeJuly 17, 2026
4 hours ago
The Netflix logo is displayed on a smartphone screen featuring a color gradient in the background.
Big TechCFO Daily
Netflix stock hits a 52-week low after earnings—but analysts say investors are missing the bigger picture
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 17, 2026
6 hours ago
Esther Perel speaks on stage during a panel discussion at SXSW in London.
Workplace Culturecorporate culture
Esther Perel has a warning for executives: your workforce is suffering from social atrophy and AI is making it worse 
By Sam BirchallJuly 17, 2026
6 hours ago
shelton
Commentarydisruption
Former Obama official on AI anxiety and the depression nobody remembers — and the training model that gives him hope
By Jim SheltonJuly 17, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

U.S. companies have finally gotten $71 billion in tariff refunds, but they’re using it to offset inflation caused by the Iran war
Economy
U.S. companies have finally gotten $71 billion in tariff refunds, but they’re using it to offset inflation caused by the Iran war
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 17, 2026
12 hours ago
FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’
C-Suite
FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’
By Fortune EditorsJuly 15, 2026
2 days ago
Buffett says AI giants are ‘playing a game they don’t want to play’ in the AI race, reveals he was behind Berkshire’s $31 billion bet on Google
Big Tech
Buffett says AI giants are ‘playing a game they don’t want to play’ in the AI race, reveals he was behind Berkshire’s $31 billion bet on Google
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 16, 2026
24 hours ago
26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave
Law
26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave
By Barbara Ortutay, Alexandra Olson and The Associated PressJuly 15, 2026
2 days ago
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says 300,000 workers are needed to rebuild American shipbuilding—with jobs paying $100,000 without a college degree
Success
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says 300,000 workers are needed to rebuild American shipbuilding—with jobs paying $100,000 without a college degree
By Preston ForeJuly 16, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of July 17, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 17, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 17, 2026
9 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.