Effective immediately, Handbook PO-603, Rural Carrier Duties and Responsibilities, is revised in order to update part 242 and section 535.12j with the new bundling requirements and standard undeliverable-as-addressed designations.
Also included in this article is a revised PS Form 4241–M.
Handbook PO-603, Rural Carrier Duties and Responsibilities
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2 Office Work of Rural Carriers
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24 Undeliverable-as-Addressed Mail Information
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242 Procedures for Processing Undeliverable-as-Addressed Mail
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242.2 Undeliverable-as-Addressed Mail Requiring Carrier Endorsement
242.21 Casing
[Revise 242.21 as follows:]
Case undeliverable mail with no active forwarding order on file to the proper separation or designated location for the following categories:
a. Carrier Endorsed Mail. This includes mail that may be undeliverable for any one of the following reasons as well as other appropriate carrier endorsements from DMM 507.1.4.1:
(1) Deceased (DEC). This endorsement is used only when it is known that the addressee is deceased and the mail is not properly deliverable to another person. This endorsement must be made personally by the delivering employee, and under no circumstances may it be rubber stamped. Mail addressed In Care Of another must be marked to indicate which person is deceased.
(2) No Record Mail. Credit as a markup each piece of mail given to the carrier under the provisions of 242.4
b. Carrier Endorsed Bundles (with PARS bundle annotations). This includes mail such as the following:
(1) Insufficient (IA). Mail without number, street, box number, route number, or geographical section of city or city and state omitted and correct address not known.
(2) Attempted Not Known (ANK). Addressee is not known at place of address.
(3) In Dispute (DIS). Mail is returned to sender by order of the chief field counsel when it cannot be determined which of the disputing parties has the greater right to the mail.
(4) No Such Number (NSN). Nonexistent number, and the correct number is not known.
(5) No Such Street (NSS). Addressed to nonexistent street and correct street not known.
(6) Unable to Forward (UTF). Mail undeliverable at address given; no change-of-address order on file; forwarding order expired.
(7) No Mail Receptacle (NMR). Addressee has failed to provide a receptacle for the receipt of mail.
(8) Refused (REF). Addressee has refused to accept mail or pay postage charges.
(9) Temporarily Away (TA). Addressee temporarily away and period for holding mail expired.
(10) Unclaimed (UNC). Addressee abandons or fails to call for mail.
(11) Vacant (VAC). House, apartment, office, or building is not occupied. It is used only on First–Class and endorsed standard mail addressed to Occupant, Resident, etc.
(12) Illegible (ILL). Address not readable.
(13) Undeliverable Bulk Business Mail (UBBM). UBBM with a specific customer name and address. When a piece of UBBM with a specific name is undeliverable-as-addressed, place the mail to one side of the case ledge or in another designated location at the case. After completing casing of all mail designated for delivery that day, bundle this mail and mark the top piece UBBM, put your initials and route number on it, and leave it on the case ledge.
(14) Other Undeliverable Bulk Business Mail. UBBM addressed to Occupant, Resident, or using the exceptional address format (John Doe or Current Address). Normally, this type of mail is undeliverable only because the delivery point is vacant or the address is incorrect. Place undeliverable UBBM marked occupant, resident, or current resident to one side of the case ledge, or in another designated location. After completing casing of all mail designated for delivery that day, bundle this mail and mark the top piece “Other UBBM,” put your initials and route number on it, and leave it on the case ledge.
(15) Excess Boxholder Mail. Place all excess boxholder mail into the appropriate container (sack, hamper, tray, etc.), endorse a facing slip “In Excess of Requirements,” initial the slip, and attach it to the container with the excess boxholder mail.
242.22 Preparation
[Revise 242.22 as follows:]
a. Withdraw and endorse mailpieces as described in 242.21a; In addition to the endorsement, write the date and route number on each piece.
b. Bundle mail for each category as described in 242.21b, enter the date and route number, and deposit in the designated location.
242.23 Disposition
[Revise 242.23 as follows:]
Deposit other undeliverable mail on your route in the proper separations of the throwback case, or as designated by your postmaster or supervisor (see Exhibit 242.23, Suggested Layout of Carrier Throwback Case (Automated and Nonautomated Units), Item 29). Separate marked-up mail (to correspond with throwback case separations) at the time of marking-up or before depositing it in the throwback case. This eliminates the need to separate it at the throwback case and to cause others to wait.
242.3 Accountable and Signature Mail
[Revise 242.3 as follows:]
Return this mail to the accountable clerk and explain why it is undeliverable. Under no circumstances must this type of mail be obtained from or returned to the accountable clerk without establishing proper accountability. Return accountable mail or signed receipts for delivered accountable items found in your mail during the delivery process for which accountability was not established prior to your departure for the route as provided in 431.4.
242.4 No Record Mail
[Revise 242.4 as follows:]
Handle No Record Mail returned to your route from the forwarding unit and endorsed as No Record in the following manner:
a. Verify that the name in the address contains the correct spelling. Verify that the mailing address is correct. If there is an error in the above information, correct and return the mailing piece to the forwarding unit.
b. If an active Form 3575 is on file, return the mailpiece to the forwarding unit.
c. If no errors are noted, and no Form 3575 is on file, attempt delivery of the piece.
d. If delivery attempt is unsuccessful, handle the mailing piece in accordance with 242.21.
Note: All No Record labels must be removed prior to reprocessing
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5 Inspection, Count, and Adjustment of Rural Routes
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53 Rural Route Mail Counts
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535 Mail Count Forms
535.1 Form 4239
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535.12 Completion
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j. Column J — Marked Up Mailpieces
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[Revise 535.12j3 as follows:]
(3) A markup credit is provided for the following categories of undeliverable mail:
a. Mail Individually Endorsed by the Carrier. Credit a markup for each piece of mail in the following categories:
(1) Deceased (DEC). This endorsement is used only when it is known that the addressee is deceased and the mail is not properly deliverable to another person. This endorsement must be made personally by the delivering employee and, under no circumstances, may it be rubber stamped. Mail addressed In Care Of another must be marked to indicate which person is deceased.
(2) No Record Mail. Credit as a markup each piece of mail given to the carrier under the provisions of 242.4.
(3) Other categories as defined in DMM 507.1.4.1 unless listed in 535.12.j.3.b (bundled markups).
b. Each of the following Carrier Endorsed Bundles is credited as one markup:
(1) Insufficient (IA). Mail without number, street, box number, route number, or geographical section of city or city and state omitted and correct address not known.
(2) Attempted Not Known (ANK). Addressee is not known at place of address.
(3) In Dispute (DIS). Mail is returned to sender by order of the chief field counsel when it cannot be determined which of the disputing parties has the greater right to the mail.
(4) No Such Number (NSN). Nonexistent number and the correct number is not known.
(5) No Such Street (NSS). Addressed to nonexistent street and correct street not known.
(6) Unable to Forward (UTF). Mail undeliverable at address given; forwarding order expired.
(7) No Mail Receptacle (NMR). Addressee has failed to provide a receptacle for the receipt of mail.
(8) Refused (REF). Addressee has refused to accept mail or pay postage charges.
(9) Temporarily Away (TA). Addressee temporarily away and period for holding mail expired.
(10) Unclaimed (UNC). Addressee abandons or fails to call for mail.
(11) Vacant (VAC). House, apartment, office, or building is not occupied. It is used only on First–Class Mail and endorsed Standard Mail items addressed to Occupant, Resident, etc.
(12) Illegible (ILL). Address not readable.
(13) Undeliverable Bulk Business Mail (UBBM). UBBM with a specific customer name and address. When a piece of UBBM with a specific name is undeliverable-as-addressed, place the mail to one side of the case ledge or in another designated location at the case. After completing casing of all mail designated for delivery that day, bundle this mail and mark the top piece UBBM, put your initials and route number on it, and leave it on the case ledge.
(14) Other Undeliverable Bulk Business Mail. UBBM addressed to Occupant, Resident, or using the exceptional address format (John Doe or Current Address). Normally, this type of mail is undeliverable only because the delivery point is vacant or the address is incorrect. Place undeliverable UBBM marked Occupant, Resident, or Current Resident to one side of the case ledge, or in another designated location. After completing casing of all mail designated for delivery that day, bundle this mail and mark the top piece “Other UBBM,” put your initials and route number on it, and leave it on the case ledge.
(15) Excess Boxholder Mail. Place all excess boxholder mail into the appropriate container (sack, hamper, tray, etc.), endorse a facing slip “In Excess of Requirement,” initial the slip, and attach it to the container with the excess boxholder mail.
Note: Do not credit as a markup parcel post endorsed only to indicate that an attempted delivery notice was left.
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Exhibit 531.5
Form 4241-M, Rural Route Evaluation Worksheet
[See page 27 for the sample form.]
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We will incorporate this revision into the next printed edition of Handbook PO-603 and into the next update of the online version accessible on the Postal Service™ PolicyNet Web site.
(The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet Web site is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.)
PS Form 4241-M
— Rural Delivery, Delivery and Retail, 8-30-07
