Mail Transport Equipment (MTE) consists of trays, sleeves, sacks, pallets, and rolling stock (including hampers and cages). Every employee can save time and money for the Postal Service™ by removing slide labels from trays and sacks as they are emptied. Employees can also save our reputation by checking for hidden mail in trays, sleeves, and especially sacks.
Customer Service and Delivery employees are our eyes and ears in the field. Recognizing misuse of Postal Service MTE and reporting that misuse through the MTE hotline can help return missing equipment for use in moving the mail and reduce the amount of new purchases. Identifying customers storing excess quantities or the wrong type of MTE can help us recover missing assets.
In the past 10 years, the Postal Service has purchased $1 billion of new MTE to replenish inventory and ensure that both our business and our customers can function effectively. With the average cost of letter trays at $2.80 each, sleeves at $0.85 each, flat tubs at $6.00 each, and pallets at $22.00 each, costs add up quickly.
The Postal Service encourages all employees to report MTE that’s being misused, stored unnecessarily, or located outside the postal network. Report all unauthorized use of MTE to the MTE hotline at 866-330-3404 or email hqmte@usps.gov.
— Mail Transport Equipment,
Network Operations, 3-5-15
