Demand for peak-season parcel delivery services in the U.S. will exceed the total capacity of the nation's delivery network by about 4.7 million parcels a day, according to a detailed forecast by consultancy ShipMatrix.

The data indicates that, like the unprecedented 2020 peak delivery season, shipping activity during the upcoming peak will surpass the infrastructure's ability to handle it. However, the projected differential this year is much narrower than the 7.3 million daily gap that the noted consultancy identified in 2020.

On a recent analyst call, UPS CEO Carol B Tomé forecast a daily gap of about 5 million parcels. Jindel said Wednesday that he doesn't know how Tomé came up with the number, but that it didn't come from his company's data.

The 2021 gap was not expected to be as wide as last year's. In-store shopping is expected to increase as more Americans get vaccinated, which would typically mean less online ordering. Carriers have added more infrastructure since the last peak, enabling more daily parcel throughput. Shippers, retailers, and carriers have had a full year, and the sobering experience of the 2020 peak, to adjust operations to prepare for this year's spike.