Kihei letter carrier Nick Hernandez says he enjoys his job even though the holidays mean a lot more deliveries for him and his coworkers at the U.S. Postal Service. Eli Pace/The Maui News

The holiday season brings the largest volume the U.S. Postal Service handles all year, but for Kihei letter carrier Nick Hernandez, the job is still a pretty good gig.

Many postal workers are no stranger to the stress of the holidays. Since Nov. 24, the Postal Service has accepted more than 3.7 billion mail pieces and packages, and Hernandez is just one of many workers helping ensure those packages reach their destinations.

“Oh, it’s nuts, absolutely,” Hernandez said.

But there are benefits too.

Hernandez said he likes that he can wear shorts to work, enjoy Maui’s great weather and get his exercise in as he makes his way down his route.

In many ways, Hernandez gets to be a small but essential part of his customers’ daily lives. He delivers as families welcome home new babies, and those deliveries continue as those children grow up over the years.

Once a year, Hernandez gets to lend a hand in making the miracle of Christmas happen for many children across South Maui.

“It’s the busiest time of year, but it’s also the most exciting because we are part of that Santa team,” Hernandez said.

According to Hernandez, not only does the U.S. Postal Service deliver children’s letters to Santa at the North Pole, they also have to deliver the packages Santa couldn’t fit on his sleigh.

“You know, his sleigh can only hold so much,” Hernandez said.

For the Kihei letter carrier, there’s something special about seeing a child’s beaming face when he walks a package up to the door with Christmas right around the corner.

“Some of the kids know how it works,” he said. “They see those packages, and their eyes light up.”

Hernandez also tries “to be a Santa” himself as he carries a little bag in the mail truck that has small gifts for children here and there.

“I have only been able to give out one so far,” he said Friday. “I’m kind of holding off until it gets a little bit closer, so it’s more Christmassy.”

Hernandez said that around Christmastime, it’s almost like children respond to letter carriers with the same admiration they have for police officers and firefighters.

“We’re in their neighborhoods every single day, and they see that truck coming, and they start waving,” he said. “It’s really cool. It’s one of the best things about doing what I do.”

But the work doesn’t come without its demands.

Describing the volume they’re seeing at the Post Office this year, Hernandez referenced how Cyber Monday broke records as consumers spent more than $14 billion this year, according to published reports.

“Like I said, it’s the most ever,” Hernandez explained. “The logistics involved with having to deliver all those packages — they service all of Kihei, Wailea, Makena — it’s nuts. On my ride alone, I have 800 households that depend on me to get them their mail daily. The thing about this job is the mail never ends.”

Even though it’s a never-ending mission, Hernandez said the workers at the Postal Service strive to make sure every single piece of mail gets delivered regardless of the weather.

“Sometimes it can be stressful, you know if you get a sick call here and there, but we have a great team that works together every day no matter what it takes,” he said. “Some guys are out there for 12 hours a day till after dark, making sure that everything gets delivered.”

Hernandez said the volume has risen so much over the last four years that the Kihei Post Office added two routes this year to help keep the carriers’ jobs manageable. However, the office is currently down to 27 carriers from about 33 or 34 in previous years, according to Postmaster Chris Harris.

And yes, Harris said, they are hiring.

Full-time and part-time entry-level carrier positions are currently open. Harris said the full-time jobs lead into career positions with benefits and hourly pay starting in the $30s.

“You can’t honestly beat being out in the sun,” Harris said. “I miss it. I was a carrier when I started.”

He said the Post Office is also looking for clerks, and many of the Post Offices across Maui are hiring as well.

“We have competitive pay, good benefits, that’s the main draw, because it is hard work,” Harris said. “You got to come willing to work.”

A point of pride

According to Harris, Hernandez isn’t one to toot his own horn, but Harris called Hernandez “one of the Post Office’s best carriers.” Harris said Hernandez knows every one of the 21 routes in the Kihei zip code, “which is no small feat.”

Not only that, Harris said, Hernandez this past year helped put out a vehicle fire at a gas station and has been honored in the Postmaster General’s Hall of Heroes.

Hernandez said he saw the fire while on his route, grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher at the gas pump and sprayed it on the burning vehicle until a water truck arrived and doused the vehicle.

The Hall of Heroes is a program established by the Postal Service to honor employees who perform extraordinary acts of bravery or assistance, such as saving lives, helping lost children or intervening in emergencies.

Help your carriers

Hernandez said pet owners can help their letter carriers by making sure dogs are leashed or restrained if the owners are expecting a package.

Also, because some of the routes involve deliveries after dark, it can be helpful if people who are expecting packages leave a driveway or porch light on. Hernandez said that can help prevent slips and falls, which are some of the most common injuries for letter carriers.

“Also, just be aware of the postal truck,” Hernandez said. “This time of year, we make a lot of stops, we’re in and out of traffic — just be cognizant of that.”

Important dates

The Post Office’s deadlines for guaranteeing packages will arrive on time for the big day are fast-approaching.

If you’re shipping holiday cards and gifts, the earlier, the better. The information below covers domestic, international and military shipping destinations to allow for the timely delivery of cards, letters and packages by Dec. 25.

Items sent to addresses on the mainland U.S.

• USPS Ground Advantage service: Dec. 17

• First-Class Mail service: Dec. 17

• Priority Mail service: Dec. 18

• Priority Mail Express service: Dec. 20

Items sent to addresses in Alaska and Hawaii:

• USPS Ground Advantage service: Dec. 16

• First-Class Mail service: Dec. 17

• Priority Mail service: Dec. 18

• Priority Mail Express service: Dec. 20

For customers sending packages internationally or to military addresses, USPS suggests checking the complete list of recommended holiday mailing and shipping dates at usps.com/holidayshippingdates.