If you’re shipping gifts ahead or in lieu of going home for the holidays, there’s not much time left to do it without costs racking up.

The major carriers — the U.S. Postal Service, United Parcel Service and FedEx – have posted their deadlines to mail gifts to make sure package arrive on time for the holidays as the coronavirus pandemic continues to cause shipping delays.

In general, earlier is better, said Cameron Wells, who owns Postal Stop in west Eugene.

“If it’s anything like last year, the carriers are gonna be pretty overloaded,” he said.

There was a big uptick in shipping last year, he said, and that’s unlikely to change this year as carriers suspend money-back guarantee amid ongoing delays.

While timing is important, there are a lot of other factors to consider before shipping gifts to loved ones, Wells said.