Effective August 2, 2010, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) section 602.4.3 to provide new containerization and palletization options for the preparation of saturation flats with detached address labels (DALs).
Current mailing standards limit containerization of DALs, and their corresponding flats, to being placed in cartons or made into bundles and placed in sacks. To optimize the use of the required barcodes on DALs mailed with saturation flats, mailers will have the option to place the DALs in letter trays, allowing efficient processing of the mailpieces on automation equipment. We also clarify the standards for the optional preparation of placing bundles of saturation flats on 5-digit pallets instead of placing the bundles in 5-digit sacks.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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600 Basic Standards for All Mailing Services
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602 Addressing
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4.0 Detached Address Labels (DALs)
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4.3 Mail Preparation
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4.3.2 Basic Standards for DALs
[Revise the text of 4.3.2 to read as follows:]
The DALs must be presorted, counted, and prepared by 5-digit ZIP Code delivery area. Only DALs for the same 5-digit area may be placed in the same carton, sack, or tray. DAL mailings claimed at carrier route basic or walk-sequence prices must be further prepared under the corresponding standards. Mailers must prepare DALs as bundles in sacks, or in cartons, unless prepared in trays under 4.3.6 when mailed with saturation flats. Different size cartons may be used in the same mailing, but each must be filled with dunnage as necessary to ensure that the DALs retain their orientation and presort integrity while in transit. Each carton of DALs must bear a label showing the information in 4.3.5 unless a mailing identification number is used (see 4.3.1). Multiple containers of DALs must be numbered sequentially (“1 of __,” “2 of __,” etc.).
4.3.3 Basic Standards for Items Distributed With DALs
[Revise text of 4.3.3 as follows:]
Except for bundles of saturation flats placed directly on pallets under 4.3.6, the items to be distributed with DALs must be placed in cartons or prepared in bundles placed in sacks, as appropriate for the type of item and subject to the standards for the price claimed. A label bearing the content description information in 4.3.5 must be affixed to each carton, sacked bundle, or pallet unless a mailing identification number is used (see 4.3.1). Cartons of items (including those on pallets) may be of different sizes but must be filled with dunnage as necessary to ensure the integrity of the items while in transit. The gross weight of each carton or sack must not be more than 40 pounds.
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[Renumber current 4.3.6 as new 4.3.7 and add new 4.3.6 as follows:]
4.3.6 Optional Tray and Bundle Preparation
Mailers may prepare DALs in letter trays according to 245.7.0, when DALs are used for mailings of saturation flats. Bundles of saturation flats to be distributed with DALs may be prepared on 5-digit pallets under 4.3.7. The mail may not be prepared on pallets when the Drop Shipment Product indicates the delivery unit that serves the 5-digit pallet destination cannot handle pallets. For such delivery units, mail with DALs must be prepared in sacks. The tray(s) of corresponding DALs must be placed on top of the accompanying pallet of flats, and the pallet contents must be secured with stretchwrap to avoid separation in transportation and processing. All containers must be labeled according to 4.3.5.
[Revise heading and text of renumbered 4.3.7 as follows:]
4.3.7 Optional Container Preparation
Cartons, bundles of flats, and sacks of items may be placed on 5-digit pallets meeting the standards in 705.8.0. Cartons or trays of DALs must be placed on pallets with the corresponding items under 4.3 and 705.8.0. The USPS plant manager at whose facility a DAL mailing is deposited may authorize other containers for the portion of the mailing to be delivered in that plant’s service area.
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed version of the DMM and into the monthly update of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Mailing Standards,
Pricing, 7-29-10
