Domestic Mail

Approved Alternative Mail Transport Equipment

Occasionally, the Postal Service™ is unable to pro­vide mailers with the Mail Transport Equipment (MTE) they need to use when preparing their mailings. This may be due to a temporary shortage of equipment at processing and distribution centers or MTE service centers.

When this occurs, mailers may be authorized, through an exception request, to prepare mailings in approved alternative containers. Business Mail Entry managers will handle the exception request process and provide mailers with the list of authorized alternative containers.

Below is the list of authorized container alternatives. Employees on the dock or workroom floor must process the mail pieces in the alternative containers as appropriate for the mail piece class and shape, regardless of the con­tainer. Use of the alternative containers will have been already approved at the office of entry and acceptance.

— Operational Requirements and Integration, Operations, 6-7-07