Effective January 27, 2013, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 705.8.10.2 to align pallet preparation standards for Periodicals with those currently required for Periodicals prepared in sacks and similar containers. The Postal Service will also align the preparation standards for merged pallets of Periodicals in DMM 705.10, 705.12, and 705.13 with other DMM sections by allowing mailers using these programs to place Periodicals bundles directly on mixed area distribution center (ADC) pallets.
On January 22, 2012, the Postal Service revised DMM 705.8.10.2 to allow mailers to place bundles of flat-size Periodicals directly onto mixed ADC and origin mixed ADC (OMX) pallets, but retained the existing language describing these pallet levels as optional. The long-standing language that required the mixed ADC pallet to be labeled in accordance with labeling list L004 was also retained. As a result of this change, some mailers have discontinued the practice of making the mixed ADC and OMX separations when placing bundles of flat-size Periodicals directly on pallets. It was not the intent of the January 22, 2012, revision to eliminate the requirement to perform the OMX and mixed ADC separations. As a result, on September 24, 2012, the Postal Service published a final rule, Federal Register notice (77 FR 58774–58775), announcing these DMM revisions.
The separation of mail destinating within the OMX surface reach of the mailer’s plant (or entry point) from the remaining mixed ADC mail is crucial for maintaining acceptable service performance, for the benefit of both Periodicals customers and USPS® processing operations. To assure that these separations are being made, the Postal Service will revise DMM 705.8.10.2 to provide the option for mailers to prepare both the OMX and mixed ADC pallets at no minimum volume threshold, and to require the preparation of both pallets at volumes of 100 pounds or more. Mailers will be required to sack the bundles if they choose not to prepare either pallet level below the 100-pound threshold. The Postal Service also will require that mailers prepare the mixed ADC pallet in accordance with labeling list L009 instead of the currently required L004.
In response to inquiries from the mailing industry, the Postal Service also will provide an option for mailers of merged pallets of Periodicals, prepared under DMM 705.10, 705.12 and 705.13, to place Periodicals bundles directly on OMX and mixed ADC pallets.
These changes will be effective January 27, 2013. However, to provide for the most expeditious processing of OMX and mixed ADC Periodicals mailpieces in USPS® networks, the Postal Service strongly encourages mailers to begin using these new standards immediately.
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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8.10 Pallet Presort and Labeling
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8.10.2 Periodicals—Bundles, Sacks, or Trays
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[Revise the introductory paragraph of 8.10.2j as follows:]
j. Origin Mixed ADC (OMX), optional for sacks and trays; allowed with no minimum and required at 100 pounds of mail for bundles of flats. Bundles of flats totaling less than 100 pounds in weight must be sacked if not palletized. Pallet may contain carrier route, automation price, and presorted price mail. Labeling:
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[Revise the introductory paragraph and line 1 of 8.10.2k as follows:]
k. Mixed ADC, optional for sacks and trays; allowed with no minimum and required at 100 pounds of mail for bundles of flats. Bundles of flats totaling less than 100 pounds in weight must be sacked if not palletized. Pallet may contain carrier route, automation price, or presorted price mail. Pallets must not contain sacks, trays, or bundles that should be properly placed on the origin mixed ADC (OMX) pallet. Labeling:
1. Line 1: “MXD” followed by the city, state, and ZIP Code information for facility serving 3-digit ZIP Code prefix of entry Post Office as shown in L009, Column A.
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10.0 Merging Bundles of Flats in Sacks and Pallets Using the City State Product
10.1 Periodicals
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10.1.5 Pallet Preparation and Labeling
***Mailers must label pallets according to the Line 1 and Line 2 information listed below and under 8.6, Pallet Placards.
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[Delete 10.1.5g and 10.1.5h in their entirety and add a new 10.1.5g as follows:]
g. SCF through mixed ADC, use 8.10.2h through 8.10.2k, as applicable, to prepare and label SCF, ADC, Origin Mixed ADC (OMX), and mixed ADC pallet levels.
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12.0 Merging Bundles of Flats on Pallets Using a 5% Threshold
12.1 Periodicals
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12.1.5 Pallet Preparation and Labeling
***If a mailing contains no barcoded price pieces and the carrier route mailing and the nonbarcoded price mailing are irregular parcels, use “IRREG” for the processing category on the contents line of the pallet label.
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[Delete 12.1.5h and 12.1.5i in their entirety and add a new 12.1.5h as follows:]
h. SCF through mixed ADC, use 8.10.2h through 8.10.2k, as applicable, to prepare and label SCF, ADC, Origin Mixed ADC (OMX), and mixed ADC pallet levels.
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13.0 Merging Bundles of Flats on Pallets Using the City State Product and a 5% Threshold
13.1 Periodicals
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13.1.5 Pallet Preparation and Labeling
***If a mailing contains no barcoded price pieces and the carrier route mailing and the nonbarcoded price mailing are irregular parcels, use “IRREG” for the processing category on the contents line of the pallet label.
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[Delete 13.1.5h and 13.1.5i in their entirety and add a new 13.1.5h as follows:]
h. SCF through mixed ADC, use 8.10.2h through 8.10.2k, as applicable, to prepare and label SCF, ADC, Origin Mixed ADC (OMX), and mixed ADC pallet levels.
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next monthly update of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Pricing, 10-18-12
