Effective July 28, 2013, the Postal Service™ will revise the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 705 and 707 to allow Periodicals nonmachinable flats and Periodicals flats sorted to carrier routes to be prepared in flat trays instead of sacks, whenever the current standards allow such mail in sacks. Currently, only machinable flats may be prepared in flat trays, and flats sorted to carrier routes must be sacked. Mailers may use the expanded option 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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[Revise the title of 10.0 as follows:]
10.0 Merging Bundles of Flats Using the City State Product
10.1 Periodicals
10.1.1 Basic Standards
[Revise the introductory text of 10.1.1 as follows:]
Throughout 10.1, trays may be used in lieu of sacks, even when the language specifies just “sacks.” Carrier route bundles in a carrier route mailing may be placed in the same sack or on the same pallet as 5-digit bundles from machinable (barcoded or nonbarcoded) price mailings (including pieces cobundled under 11.0) under the following conditions:
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707 Periodicals
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20.0 Sacks and Trays
20.1 Basic Standards
20.1.1 General
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[Revise Exhibit 20.1.1. as follows:]
Exhibit 20.1.1 USPS Containers
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20.4 Use of Flat Trays (Optional)
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20.4.2 Flat Tray Preparation
Mailers using this option must prepare flat trays subject to these standards:
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[Revise the second sentence of 20.4.2b as follows:]
b. ***Once the required minimum volume is reached to allow or require preparation of a tray, additional pieces must be placed in the same tray up to its capacity to minimize the number of trays used.***
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22.0 Preparing Nonbarcoded (Presorted) Periodicals
22.1 Basic Standards
22.1.1 General
[Revise the introductory text of 22.1.1 as follows:]
For letter-size mail, nonletter-size mail in sacks (or flat trays when permitted), and palletized mail, the following standards apply:
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[Revise the introductory text of 22.1.1d and item d1 as follows}
d. Bundles of nonletter-size pieces must be prepared under one of the following:
1. Sacked under 22.6 or trayed (for flats) under 22.7, except that a nonbarcoded price mailing that is part of a mailing job that also contains a barcoded mailing must be prepared as described in 22.1.2.
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[Revise item 22.1.1.e as follows:]
e. Sacks prepared under 22.6 (or flat trays under 22.7) may subsequently be prepared on pallets under 705.8.0.
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[Revise the title of 22.1.2 as follows:]
22.1.2 Additional Standards for Nonletter-Size Mailing Jobs Containing More Than One Mailing
The following standards apply:
[Revise 22.1.2a as follows:]
a. Mailings prepared in sacks (or for flats, in flat trays) that are part of a mailing job that includes carrier route, barcoded price, and nonbarcoded price mailings must be prepared under one of the options listed below. Machinable barcoded and nonbarcoded pieces may be cobundled together under 705.11.0.
1. The carrier route mailing must be prepared under 13.0 and 23.0, and the barcoded price and nonbarcoded price mailing must be prepared under 705.9.0, or
2. All three mailings in the mailing job must be prepared under 705.10.0.
[Revise 22.1.2b through 22.1.2d as follows:]
b. Mailing jobs that include a barcoded price mailing and a nonbarcoded price mailing must be prepared under the “cosacking” standards in 705.9.0.
c. Mailing jobs that contain only a carrier route mailing and a nonbarcoded price mailing may be separately prepared under 23.0 and 22.0 or may be prepared using the merged option under 705.10.0.
d. Mailing jobs that contain only a carrier route mailing and a barcoded price mailing may be separately prepared under 23.0 and 25.0, or may be prepared using the merged option under 705.10.0.
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22.1.4 Merged Containerization of Nonletter-Size Carrier Route, Barcoded Price, and Nonbarcoded Price Mail
[Revise the text of 22.1.4 as follows:]
Under the optional preparation in 705.10.0, nonbarcoded price 5-digit bundles prepared under 22.1 and 22.2 are cosacked (or flats may be cotrayed) with carrier route bundles prepared under 23.0 and with barcoded price 5-digit bundles prepared under 25.0 in merged 5-digit and merged 5-digit scheme sacks (or flat trays). Under the optional preparation in 705.10.0, 705.12.0, or 705.13.0, nonbarcoded price 5-digit bundles prepared under 22.1 and 22.2 are copalletized with carrier route bundles prepared under 23.0 and with barcoded price 5-digit bundles prepared under 25.0 on merged 5-digit and merged 5-digit scheme pallets. See 22.1.2a for information on when preparation under 705.10.0 may be required. Machinable barcoded and nonbarcoded price pieces may be cobundled under 705.11.0.
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22.7 Optional Tray Preparation—Flat-Size Nonbarcoded Pieces
[Revise the introductory text of 22.7 as follows:]
As an option, mailers may place in flat trays (see 20.4) machinable pieces that would normally be placed in sacks. Mailers also may prepare nonmachinable (see 26.0) flats in flat trays. Bundling is not permitted unless a bundle is more finely presorted than the presort destination of the tray. The trays are subject to a container charge, and any bundles are subject to a bundle charge. Tray preparation, sequence, and labeling:
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23.0 Preparing Carrier Route Periodicals
23.1 Basic Standards
23.1.1 General
Mailers must meet the following standards for carrier route mailings:
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[Revise the introductory text of 23.1.1d as follows}
d. Except as noted in 23.4.2, mailers must prepare bundles of nonletter-size pieces according to one of the following:
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23.1.4 Merged Containerization of Nonletter-Size Carrier Route, Machinable Barcoded and Machinable Nonbarcoded Price Mail
[Revise the text of 23.1.4 as follows:]
For mailing jobs that contain machinable barcoded, machinable nonbarcoded price, and carrier route price mailings; see 22.1.4 for preparation options.
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23.4 Preparation — Flat-Size Pieces and Irregular Parcels
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23.4.2 Exception to Sacking
[Revise the introductory text of 23.4.2 as follows:]
Flat-size pieces in carrier route bundles may be placed in flat trays instead of sacks when the mail is sorted under standards in 23.4.1a through 23.4.1d. Sacking or traying is not required for carrier route or 5-digit bundles entered at a DDU when the mailer unloads bundles under 29.5.5. Mail presented under the latter exception is not subject to the container charge (but is subject to the bundle charge). Mailers must prepare unsacked, untrayed bundles as follows:
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We will incorporate these revisions into the July 28, 2013 update of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Pricing, 5-30-13
