Effective July 28, 2013, the Postal Service™ will revise Handbook PO-603, Rural Carrier Duties and Responsibilities, to reflect the name change of the product known as Express Mail to Priority Mail Express®.
Handbook PO-603, Rural Carrier Duties and Responsibilities
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1 General Information
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13 Basic Carrier Duties
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132 Delivery and Collection
132.5 All Classes of Mail
[Revise the first sentence of 132.5 to read as follows:]
Accept, collect, and deliver on the route all classes of mail, including registered, insured, certified, extra services items, COD, Priority Mail Express, and delivery confirmation mail.***
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2 Office Work of Rural Carriers
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25 Accountable Items
251 Definition
For rural carriers, accountable items include:
[Revise item g to read as follows:]
g. Priority Mail Express.
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252 Accountability Procedures
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252.2 Receipting for Accountable Items
[Revise the title of 252.21 to read as follows:]
252.21 Registered, Certified, Priority Mail Express, Return Receipt for Merchandise and Receipt for Recorded Delivery
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[Revise item b to read as follows:]
b. Verify the number appearing on articles with the entry made by the accountable clerk on Form 3867, Accountable Mail Matter Received for Delivery.
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[Revise the title of Exhibit 252.21c to read as follows:]
Form 3867, Accountable Mail Matter Received for Delivery
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[Revise the title of 253 to read as follows:]
253 Use of Form 3849 for Accountable Mail
253.1 General
[Revise the first sentence of 253.1 to read as follows:]
As you make delivery, use Form 3849, Delivery Notice/Reminder/Receipt, as required for accountable mail.***
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[Revise the Exception to read as follows:]
(Exception: See 342, Priority Mail Express.)
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3 Carrier Performance on Route
[Revise the title of 34 to read as follows:]
34 Special Service and Priority Mail Express
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[Revise the title of 342 to read as follows:]
342 Priority Mail Express
342.1 Acceptance
[Revise the text to read as follows:]
Priority Mail Express may be accepted for mailing provided the customer prepays the required postage and fees.
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342.2 Delivery
342.21 Dismount Delivery
[Revise the first sentence of item a to read as follows:]
a. All Priority Mail Express must be delivered to the residence or business.***
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[Revise item b to read as follows:]
b. In order to meet required delivery times, management may require a carrier, during the course of normal delivery of the route, to deviate from the established line of travel to deliver Priority Mail Express and will provide additional compensation as appropriate.
However, a carrier who traverses both sides of a roadway is expected to deliver Priority Mail Express to a residence or business on the opposite side of the roadway in order to meet an established delivery time when it is anticipated that the carrier will not traverse the opposite side of the road until after the required delivery time for the Priority Mail Express piece. In those circumstances where divided highways, limited access roads, hazardous conditions, or other unusual situations exist that may encumber delivery to the opposite side of the roadway, management may require the carrier to deviate and the carrier will receive additional compensation as appropriate.
342.22 Signature
[Revise the first sentence of 342.22 as follows:]
Use PS Form 3849, Delivery Notice/Reminder/Receipt, to capture the customer signature for Priority Mail Express items.***
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342.23 Complete Delivery
[Revise the text to read as follows:]
Using the handheld scanner, scan the Priority Mail Express barcode and enter other appropriate information including the recipient’s first initial and last name.
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4 Office Work After Return from Route
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42 Disposition of Mail Collected/Accepted on Route
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422 Special Service Mail
[Revise the title of 422.6 to read as follows:]
422.6 Priority Mail Express
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43 Clearance and Disposition of Accountable Items
[Revise the title of 431 to read as follows:]
431 Registered, Certified, and Priority Mail Express
431.1 Handling
Give the postmaster or supervisor, or designee, all of the following for all articles attempted for delivery:
[Revise item b to read as follows:]
b. Certified and Priority Mail Express articles.
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[Revise item e to read as follows:]
e. Labels 11-B, Priority Mail Express Next Day Service Post Office to Addressee
431.2 Clearance
[Revise the text to read as follows:]
The postmaster or supervisor, or designee, clears each item on Form 3867, Accountable Mail Matter Received for Delivery (see Exhibit 431.2).
[Revise the title of Exhibit 431.2 to read as follows:]
Exhibit 431.2 Form 3867, Accountable Mail Matter Received for Delivery
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432 CODs
432.4 Form 3821 for Articles Not Delivered
[Revise the Note from 432.4 to read as follows:]
Note: If a Form 3821 was completed for clearance of registered, certified, or Priority Mail Express, include on that form CODs not delivered. Do not complete another Form 3821.
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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
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535.1 Form 4239
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535.12 Completion
During the entire mail count period, complete PS Form 4239 daily for each route. Transfer the totals daily from PS Form 4239 to PS Form 4241. Use the following guidelines to complete PS Form 4239:
a. Column A — Letter-Size Mail
[Revise the third sentence of item (2) to read as follows:]
***Do not include registered, certified, COD, numbered insured, Priority Mail Express, and other accountable mail in this column. ***
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c. Column C — Papers, Magazines, Catalogs, Flats, Other Nonletter Size Mail
[Revise the last sentence of item c to read as follows:]
***Do not count registered, certified, COD, numbered insured mail, Priority Mail Express, and other accountable mail in this column. For special delivery articles see column F.
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d. Column D — Parcels
[Revise item (6) to read as follows:]
Registered, certified, COD, numbered insured, Priority Mail Express, and other accountable mail are not counted in this column.
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[Revise the title of item f to read as follows:]
f. Column F — Registered Mail, Certified Mail, Numbered Insured Articles, Priority Mail Express, and Other Accountable Mail
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u. Column U — Authorized Dismounts
[Revise the last sentence of Example as follows:]
***When a carrier dismounts primarily to provide other services, such as delivery or pickup of accountable mail, COD, Priority Mail Express, etc., do not authorize dismount credit; existing time allowances include time for dismounting.
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Forms Glossary
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[Delete the table entry for Form 3849-C in its entirety:]
Express Mail-Notice of Attempted Delivery
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[Revise the title of Form 3867 in table to read as follows:]
Accountable Mail Matter Received for Delivery
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next online issue of Handbook PO-603, Rural Carrier Duties and Responsibilities, which is available on the Postal Service PolicyNet website:
n Go to http://blue.usps.gov.
n Under “Essential Links” in the left-hand column, click PolicyNet.
n On the PolicyNet page, click HBKs.
(The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet website is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.)
— Delivery Operations,
Delivery and Post Office Operations, 7-25-13
