LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Thousands of people work tirelessly to ensure your Christmas gifts reach their destinations in time — and many of them are in Louisville.

UPS is preparing for what could be its seventh consecutive season of on-time delivery, according to Mechelle Stanchfield, a spokesperson for the shipping giant.

"This is our sixth consecutive season for on-time delivery service, and we are about ready to make this our seventh," she said.

On the UPS Worldport tarmac Tuesday, planes destined for destinations worldwide were being loaded. Inside, a sophisticated system of conveyor belts sorted packages with precision, sending them down specific chutes.

"Packages are only touched by a human twice during the entire process," Stanchfield said. "From intake to sorting to distribution, it takes just 13 minutes."

She noted the staggering volume of shipments passing through Louisville.

"We estimate about 2.5 million packages will ship through our operations this week," she said. "That number will rise to 3 million starting next week."

UPS officials emphasized the importance of preparing packages properly.

"Make sure your box is clean and free of any other labels that could be misconstrued and cause the package to end up in the wrong place," Stanchfield said.

The holiday rush at UPS extends well into the evening, with three times as many workers on the night shift to handle incoming packages and flights. In total, 20,000 employees are on the job.

Even after Christmas, the pace doesn’t slow.

"You have returns after Christmas that definitely keep us busy," Stanchfield said. "It continues through January."

Seasonal hiring for this year has wrapped up, but UPS is already planning for next holiday season. Hiring begins in September.

"There’s still time to get your packages shipped," Stanchfield said. "But if you procrastinate, the last day for ground shipping guaranteed to arrive by Christmas is Dec. 18."

UPS drivers will deliver 28 million packages Thursday, Dec. 20. That equals 300 packages delivered every second. 

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