FedEx: 17M packages to move on peak day of Dec. 12

NEW YORK — FedEx expects to handle more than 17 million packages on its busiest day of the year in mid-December, as holiday shoppers continue to buy more online.

That volume represents a 9 percent increase from last year's busiest day, and is almost double what FedEx ships on a normal day. The world's second-largest package delivery company thinks its busiest day will fall on Dec. 12.

The number of shipments handled on the busiest day has climbed steadily through the recession as holiday shoppers skip stores and have gifts shipped after buying them online.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, FedEx Corp. expects more than 260 million shipments. That's a 12 percent increase from 2010.

The Memphis, Tenn. company plans to add about 20,000 seasonal workers to handle the surge.