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Effective April 30, 2006, mailers must use two bands to
secure all bundles of presorted flat-size mail and irregular
parcels when those bundles are not shrinkwrapped. This
requirement eliminates the current option to place only one
band around bundles 1-inch thick or less.
Bundle integrity - the ability of bundles to remain
intact - is crucial for our new, high-speed Automated
Package Processing System. When bundles break open,
we lose the value of the mailers' presort, and we must handle individual pieces manually. Manual handling of mailpieces from broken or loose bundles results in delayed
delivery and increases our processing costs. The new standard, which requires at least one band around the length
and one around the width for all bundles that are not shrinkwrapped, will prevent even small bundles from falling apart.
Although mailers must prepare presort bundles of flat-
size mail and irregular parcels according to the new standards beginning April 30, 2006, we encourage mailers to
follow the new standards immediately.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal
Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
* * * * *
300 Discount Flats
* * * * *
330 First-Class Mail
* * * * *
335 Mail Preparation
* * * * *
2.0 Bundles
* * * * *
2.4 Securing Bundles
* * * * *
[Add new item b as follows. Make an identical change in
345.2.5 (for Standard Mail flats), 365.2.5 (for Bound Printed
Matter flats), 375.2.5 (for Media Mail flats), 385.2.5 (for
Library Mail flats), 435.2.5 (for First-Class Mail parcels),
465.2.5 (for Bound Printed Matter parcels), 475.2.5 (for
Media Mail parcels), 485.2.5 (for Library Mail parcels), and
707.19.4 (for Periodicals).] |
b. When using only banding to secure bundles, the following additional requirements apply.
1. Use at least one band to encircle the length of the
bundle and use at least one band to encircle the
width of the bundle.
2. Use tension sufficient to tighten and depress the
edges of the bundle so that pieces do not slip out
of the banding during transit and processing.
* * * * *
340 Standard Mail
* * * * *
345 Mail Preparation
* * * * *
2.0 Bundles
* * * * *
2.6 Preparing Bundles in Sacks
[Revise introductory text to refer to the new banding requirements as follows. Delete item b to remove the old
banding requirements and renumber current items c
through f as new items b through e. Make identical changes
in 707.19.8 (for Periodicals).]
In addition to the standards in 2.5, mailers must prepare
and secure bundles placed in sacks as follows:
* * * * *
[Switch 445.2.5 and 445.2.6 for Standard Mail parcels. Revise new 445.2.5 using the text in 335.2.4 above; revise
new 445.2.6 using the text in 345.2.6 above.]
* * * * *
[Replace text in 705.8.5.11 with text in new 335.2.4 above
for bundles on pallets. Delete 705.8.5.12; renumber current
8.5.13 and 8.5.14 as new 8.5.12 and 8.5.13.]
* * * * *
We will incorporate this revision into the next printed version of the DMM® and into the April 30, 2006, update of the
online DMM available via Postal Explorer® at
http://pe.usps.com.
—Mailing Standards,
Pricing and Classification, 3-2-06 |
