DMM Revision: Advance Notice — Address Facing Standards for Presort Bundles on Pallets
The Postal Service™ is giving advance notice that effective September 11, 2008, we will require mailers to place presort bundles on pallets with the addresses facing up. Placement of presort bundles on pallets with the address side facing up is needed for efficient processing and, eventually, for the automated preparation and induction for the Flats Sequencing System (FSS) in the future. This new standard will aid in verifying that the contents are on the correct pallet and will enhance manual distribution of the bundles.
The Postal Service is in the process of implementing technological changes through the deployment of the FSS to automate delivery sequencing for flat-size mail. FSS can sort flat-size mailpieces into delivery sequence, increasing the efficiency of letter carriers by reducing time in sorting mail, and allowing delivery to begin earlier in the day. We also plan to use automated preparation stations to support the FSS. To be operationally effective, these stations will require bundles to lie flat on pallets.
These changes will be incorporated into Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 705.8 in our September 11, 2008, update as noted below. Mailers are encouraged to make the related changes to their mailings as soon as possible, but no later than September 11, 2008.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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700 Special Standards
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705 Advanced Preparation and Special Postage Payment Systems
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8.0 Preparing Pallets
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8.5 General Preparation
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8.5.6 Mail on Pallets
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[Revise 8.5.6 to clarify that presort bundles on pallets must be placed face up by adding new item i as follows:]
i. All presort bundles on pallets must be placed with the addresses facing up.
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We will incorporate this revision into the next printed version of the DMM and into the monthly update of the online DMM available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Mailing Standards,
Pricing and Classification, 6-19-08
