The Island Package Center and Post Office are entering their busiest time of the year, as are most entities on Bald Head Island. Together, the facility processes approximately 75,000 to 80,000 packages annually, with package volume increasing significantly between Memorial Day and Labor Day, as well as during major online retail events such as Amazon Prime Week. In advance of the large number of packages anticipated to be coming to the island for the upcoming Prime Day (unconfirmed dates are June 25 through July 2) and Independence Day holiday, the Village wants to remind residents and visitors that package delivery to the island varies depending on carrier (USPS, FedEx, UPS) and regardless of carrier, package delivery to BHI takes a bit longer than deliveries on the mainland.
We have a complete breakdown of the estimated delivery times per carrier in our “Guidance on Package Delivery to Bald Head Island” document (HERE). In addition, to save a trip to the Island Package Center to check on your packages, we have our own package tracking system that indicates when a package is available for pick-up at the Island Package Center (HERE).
USPS Capacity Issues
United States Postal Service (USPS) packages are not delivered directly to the Deep Point Warehouse and barged to the island like UPS and FedEX packages. USPS has limited capacity in its Southport facility and its vehicles, so delays are expected during peak times.
In addition, Bald Head Island Transportation, Inc. (BHIT) has limited capacity (BHIT transports several USPS dollies to the island each day via passenger ferry), and deliveries are delayed when the number of packages increases beyond the available capacity of the passenger ferry.
The issues with USPS developed over the last year or so when USPS took on more Amazon deliveries. The Village has been working with USPS, its federal representatives, and BHIT to explore all options available to expedite USPS package delivery to the island.
Absent any near-term solutions from other entities or federal government intervention, the Village plans to alleviate some of the capacity issues firsthand by picking up USPS packages from the Southport Post Office using the Village’s Public Services vehicles and transporting packages via the barge and to the Island Package Center–during planned trips to the mainland. Note that this effort is not the long-term solution, nor would it be sustainable without an increased cost in time & personnel to the Village to manage USPS customers’ package volumes and delivery, as they would be expected to do so on the mainland.
All this to say that despite the Village’s best efforts over the last several months, Islanders should expect USPS package delays again this peak season. If you have guests and visitors who plan on utilizing the Island Package Center this season, you may want to consider reaching out to them to let them know of the delays. If they are only staying for one week, it may be presumptuous to expect a delivery during their stay.
Looking Ahead
The Village remains committed to working with USPS, BHIT, and federal partners to improve reliability and develop long-term solutions that can accommodate the island’s growing package delivery needs. Our goal is not to only address current challenges but also to ensure that package delivery infrastructure evolves alongside USPS Southport and Bald Head Island’s continued growth and development.
Thank you for reading this Village’s Voice announcement and for taking the time to stay informed on Village news and events. If you have any questions about the content in this announcement or about the Village’s departments and services, please reach out to us at public.information@villagebhi.org or (910) 457-9700 ext. 1025.