Mail Transport Equipment (MTE) Management is a major component of Lean Mail Processing (LMP). LMP is efficient, easy, and the right way to do business. All Postal Service™ plants should have a process in place to properly prepare MTE throughout operations as well as within established MTE work cells.
Delivery Units and Associate Post Offices™ play a major role in LMP MTE Management. They are the front line in properly preparing MTE for return to the processing plants. Doing it right the first time saves the Postal Service time and money.
First, follow the established LMP MTE Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which specifies the procedure to use for each type of MTE.
For Example:
Sacks
n Empty and “elbow” each sack to be sure there is no hidden mail.
n Remove the label and D&R tag.
n Do NOT stuff sacks — spread them flat and return them to the Mail Transport Equipment Service Center (MTESC) as soon as possible.
Trays
n Empty the tray and check the sleeve for hidden mail.
n Remove the tray label.
n Make the right decision and sort trays neatly by type.
n Follow the MTE SOP and stack trays to standard; shrink wrap when possible.
Second, and very important, keep only the MTE you need for your operation and local mailers — consolidate and return excess MTE to the MTESC for redistribution. Maximize all transportation to return MTE.
Third, rolling stock (APC/GPMCs, wire containers, OTRs) should be used to move mail. Associate Offices and feeder plants should return what they receive daily to keep equipment flowing to processing operations. Damaged rolling stock must be red-tagged and sent to maintenance or a MTESC for repairs.
MTE-handling SOPs are available at: http://blue.usps.gov/network_operations/mte.htm.
— Mail Transport Equipment,
Network Operations, 3-19-15
