Effective November 26, 2015, the Postal Service™ is revising the Postal Operations Manual (POM) to update the national service standards for collection of mail.
Postal Operations Manual (POM)
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3 Collection Service — National Service Standards
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31 Applicability and General Requirements
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311 Applicability
[Revise the text of 311 to read as follows:]
These standards found in Chapter 3 apply to all collection boxes. A collection box is a metal container that is dedicated to the collection of deposited mail by customers. Collection boxes come in three separate sizes: standard, large, and jumbo. Some collection boxes are dedicated to the collection of Priority Mail Express, while other boxes are dedicated to the collection of First-Class letter mail and flats. Collection boxes are under the direct control of the Postal Service. For exceptions to the applicability of these requirements, see 313.3.
The location types of collection boxes are the following:
a. Residential collection boxes: Boxes located in primarily residential areas. Mail from these boxes is generally collected when mail is delivered. A 25 piece daily average is needed to justify its location.
b. Business area collection boxes: Boxes located in primarily business areas, such as downtown commercial areas, office parks, or industrial parks. Mail from these boxes should be collected when mail is delivered to ensure no overflow but when its average daily collected volume exceeds the 100 piece threshold, it may also be collected at or after 5:00 p.m..
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313 Collection Requirements
313.1 Collection Schedules and Locations
[Delete the text of current 313.1 and add new 313.11, 313.12, and 313.13 to read as follows:]
313.11 General
The Postal Service is generally charged with providing prompt, economical, and efficient services that are responsive to the needs of the communities served. District officials and Postmasters should determine adequate locations and schedules for collection points, including collection boxes in each community. Use all criteria outlined in this manual in determining appropriate locations and collection schedules. Balance collection locations and schedules according to the specific nature of customer and community needs (e.g., commercial centers, shopping centers, senior citizen housing, and public facilities), preparation of collection mail, and dispatches for timely processing of mail at the processing plant.
Mail is collected in residential and business areas at times scheduled to connect with mail dispatches.
To meet these objectives, collection schedules and locations should be established or modified by the local Postmaster in accordance with the following standards:
313.12 Collection Location Standards
Collection location standards are as follows:
a. Continually review collection operations. Make adjustments as justified by changing conditions such as the safety and security of employees, customers, and the public, as well as opportunities to implement more efficient and economical operations.
b. For operational and security reasons, do not locate collection boxes at airports, ports, and public facilities inside of secure areas.
c. Boxes should be sited in high-traffic locations where they are highly visible to the public to minimize vandalism and theft, in lighted areas, with minimal screening by shrubbery and exposed to appropriate lighting and security cameras at night and off-peak times. Grocery stores, banks, and shopping centers are examples of optimal locations for collection boxes.
313.13 Collection Schedule Standards
Collection schedule standards are as follows:
a. Arrange schedules based on efficient route planning and dispatches to the processing plant. Arrange collection schedules so that collections are made no later than approximately 20 minutes after the posted time, taking local conditions and traffic into consideration. Mail should never be collected before the posted collection time. Collections on a dedicated collection route should not be scheduled to start earlier than noon. All collection points must have a collection box schedule decal (see 316), whether collected by city carrier, rural carrier, contract delivery service carrier, collector, clerk, postal vehicle service (PVS), or HCR driver.
b. Where collection boxes are grouped in multiple units at one street location, collections must be scheduled at the same time within the group.
c. All collection boxes assigned to delivery routes should be collected by the carrier during the time the carrier passes the box in the act of delivery except on foot routes. If the carrier passes the box on his or her return to the office in the afternoon, it may be more efficient for the carrier to collect the box on the return.
d. The criterion for a box to qualify for a potential 5:00 p.m. collection or later are:
n The box must generate an average of 100 pieces or more daily and should be a Business area collection box; or,
n It is a box outside of a Postal unit that has a 5:00 p.m. or later dispatch to the Area processing plant.
e. Collection boxes that generate 25 or more pieces a day should normally be picked up by the carrier delivering mail provided it is not a foot route. For more information on collection routes, consult Handbook M-39, Management of Delivery Services, section 234.3, for potential action. Collection boxes averaging less than 25 pieces a day can be relocated within the neighborhood or community to a potentially higher volume location or removed. Boxes should be provided adjacent to senior citizen housing, municipal and judicial buildings, and other public facilities. These are examples of the types of boxes that may be left in place even if fewer than 25 pieces per day are generated.
[Revise the title of 313.2, delete the text of 313.2, and add new 313.21, 313.22, 313.23, and 313.24 to read as follows:]
313.2 Specific Schedule and Location Standards
313.21 At Postal Facilities
Every CAG A–K Postal Service-operated retail facility and Village Post Office (VPO) should provide an external collection box for customer use. The minimum size acceptable is a Standard size box. If accessible by a vehicle, this box should be snorkel-equipped for maximum customer convenience. At CAG L offices where a letter box is not supplied, a slot in the outer Post Office door or other mail receptacle may be provided. Collection boxes or other alternatives for customers to deposit mail should also be provided at Postal stores and all contract retail facilities.
The standards are as follows:
a. For Non-city Delivery Postal Facilities: The District manager may utilize highway contract route (HCR) carriers, rural carriers, clerks, and/or other carriers for collections from the box in front of non-city delivery Post Offices. Pick up times should be as late as possible to enhance customer service, no earlier than 15 minutes before the retail counter closes. If the facility is on a transportation route, consideration should be given to HCR collection.
b. For City Delivery Postal Facilities: Collection boxes located outside of city delivery Postal-operated retail facilities should be collected at or after 5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday. Postal-operated retail facilities may provide justification for an earlier than 5:00 p.m. pick-up time by exception as outlined in section 313.3 (e.g., AMP has affected transportation times). Collection boxes located outside of processing plants must be collected at or after 6:30 p.m., Monday–Friday, in conjunction with the operating plan of the subject plant’s 010 operation. Collection boxes located at city delivery Post Offices should be collected by the personnel assigned to provide service at that facility rather than through dedicated collection runs, except at times when the personnel at that facility are not working. The final collection at a retail-only facility covered by these policies must occur either within one hour of the final dispatch of value or within 15 minutes of the time the window closes. City delivery offices with associated city carriers located within the facility must perform their final collection within one hour of the final dispatch of value. When an office has extended retail hours beyond the dispatch of value, a collection must be conducted no later than the dispatch of value to ensure all mails are processed daily in a timely manner.
313.22 Residential Collection Boxes
In residential areas (see 311a), collections from residential collection boxes must not be made before the scheduled time and should be made approximately no later than 20 minutes after the posted time, if possible. Locally available data, such as Customer Insight Measurement (CIM) data, should be used to determine customer preferences for business box location. Actual customer demand should also be considered when determining box location; density studies are a good source for this information.
The residential collection schedules are as follows:
a. Residential Collection Schedules Monday Through Saturday — Carriers should collect mail from residential boxes during their normal delivery of mail to the residential neighborhood. Residential area collection boxes should have a posted pickup time approximately 20 minutes prior to the expected arrival time of the carrier serving the route. If the foot or motorized carrier normally passes these boxes on return to the delivery unit, the pickup should be scheduled at the later time so as to allow the latest possible collection. Collection times should be scheduled as late in the day as possible consistent with efficiency; however, there are no specific collection time requirements for residential area collection boxes.
b. Sunday and National Holidays — Scheduled collection service from residential collection boxes is generally not provided on Sundays or national holidays. If needed to avoid overflow conditions, to secure the mail, or to advance collections for the next processing day, mail may be picked up without an entry on the collection schedule decal.
313.23 Business Area Collection Boxes
In business areas (see 311b), install boxes where the greatest mail volume is generated and where boxes are convenient to the greatest number of businesses. Business area boxes generating lower volumes should be reviewed periodically for relocation within the business area to a higher volume location. Locally available data, such as Customer Insight Measurement (CIM), should be used to determine customer preferences for business box location. Actual customer demand should also be considered when determining box location; density studies are a good source for this. A Saturday collection is optional for business area collection boxes provided they are not collected after 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and mail is not delivered in the area. If mail is delivered in the area on Saturday, the carrier should collect the box as he or she passes while performing delivery duties.
313.24 Business Area 5:00 p.m. or Later Boxes
A business area box that generates a daily average of 100 or more pieces Monday through Friday may be scheduled for a 5:00 p.m. or later collection. Collection times are as follows:
a. Last Pickup Between 5:00 p.m. and 6:29 p.m. (Monday–Friday)
These boxes should display 5:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m., or 6:00 p.m. schedule decals, as appropriate. Locate these boxes as follows:
n Where needed in business areas; or,
n In front of Post Offices’ main offices, classified stations, and branches, except for locations where the Area manager, Delivery Program Support (DPS) has determined that a 5:00 p.m. or later collection is not viable, due to unusual operational, logistics, or other community service reasons.
b. Last Pickup Between 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Monday–Friday)
These boxes should display 6:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 7:30 p.m., or 8:00 p.m. schedule decals, as appropriate.
These boxes will be located at offices where processing of outgoing is performed.
c. Saturday
For boxes that average 100 pieces or more Monday-Friday but average fewer than 100 pieces in a Saturday density analysis (see 314.3), a Saturday collection is not mandatory if mail is not delivered. If mail is delivered in the area on Saturday, the carrier should collect the box as he or she passes while performing delivery duties. Boxes that average 100 pieces or more in a Saturday-density analysis require Saturday collection no earlier than 1:00 p.m. unless an exception has been granted in accordance with 313.3 for these boxes. In the case where a Saturday Area Mail Processing Plan has been established, the last daily collection time should be established in conjunction with the last dispatch of value in order to meet the operating plan of the subject plant’s 010 operation.
d. Sunday and National Holidays
Except at larger postal facilities, most collection boxes will not have scheduled collections on Sundays or national holidays. Local management determines if collections are necessary from specific collection boxes to avoid potential overflow conditions, to secure the mail, or as needed to prepare mail for later processing. Collection schedule decals should indicate holiday collections when scheduled collections are made from the box on holidays. Where conducted, these collections should be as late in the day as possible to ensure that the mail will connect with dispatches of value to meet established standards.
Some national holidays are widely observed, and customer demand diminishes significantly on the day before the holiday. In such instances, usually on the eves before Christmas and New Year’s Day, where senior management determines that expected customer flows will be minimal, senior management may authorize early retail closings and/or early collections. Authorization for such operational changes will be communicated from Headquarters to the Areas and from the Areas to the Districts . When such operational changes are authorized, Postmasters, with the concurrence of the appropriate District, will review collection operations to determine where advancing early collections are warranted. Postmasters will then implement any such early collections. Information advising the public of any early retail closings and/or early collections must be communicated to the public via press release. Additionally, each District and Post Office must take reasonable steps to ensure that such information is timely published through local news releases, radio and television notices, and postings in affected Post Offices, stations, and branches. Additionally, local Postmasters are authorized, but are not required, to inform customers that a collection box will receive an early collection via a posting on the affected collection box. The Postmaster must use his or her judgment to determine whether such posting is practical or warranted based on local conditions, installation location, past customer requests, and past experience.
[Revise the title of 313.3, delete the text of 313.3, and add new 313.31, 313.32, and 313.33 to read as follows:]
313.3 Exceptions to Mandated Service
313.31 General
Only the Area manager, Delivery Programs Support (DPS) may authorize exceptions to collection standards. Any exceptions must be based on factors such as staffing, logistics, safety, security, volume declines or increases, operational limitations, or other circumstances that justify an exception.
313.32 Exception Documentation
All exceptions requested and granted must be documented in writing by the Postmaster and/or District personnel involved and are valid for 365 days or until completion of the next density test. Copies of all written exception requests and approvals must be maintained at the office of the Area manager, DPS. Documentation for all exceptions granted must be provided to the manager, City Delivery, at Headquarters upon request.
313.33 Exception for Removal
The Area manager, Delivery Programs Support, must authorize all collection box removals.
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314.1 General
[Revise the text of 314.1 to read as follows:]
All collection points are required to be entered in the Collection Point Management System (CPMS) by the responsible District where Internet access is available. No scheduled collection may be excluded from CPMS.
The information recorded in CPMS must be accurate and complete and must be reviewed at least annually by the District for accuracy. All exceptions must be in accordance with 313.3. CPMS is utilized to electronically verify collections. Any collection points recorded in these systems and receiving electronic scan data do not require the manual test as specified in 314.2.
Collection points are defined locations where a customer drops off mail for collection by the Postal Service. These can include mailchutes, receiving boxes, firm pickups, Self-Service Kiosk (SSKs) drops, lobby drops, and mail collection racks. Collection boxes are a subset of collection points.
[Revise the title and text of 314.2 to read as follows:]
314.2 Manual Collection Tests
In any delivery office lacking Internet access and any such office not using electronic collection management tools, the collection points process must be tested quarterly. This test is completed using plastic collection test card D-1148 and PS Form 3702, Test Mailing Record (Collection and Special Test Mailings), in accordance with Handbook M-39, Management of Delivery Services, part 133.
314.3 Volume Density Tests
[Revise the text of 314.3 to read as follows:]
Estimates of collection box volumes should only be used for preliminary information, where no changes are considered, or to determine which boxes will have a density test performed. All determinations made under POM 315.3 (relocation/removal of boxes) should use the following density-test process:
a. Use an actual count for letters or record a linear measurement of letters contained in the box.
b. Convert the linear measurement to pieces at 227 pieces per foot (or current conversion figure).
c. Add actual piece counts for flats and small parcels.
Density tests should be for a continuous 2-week period. At a minimum, density tests must be performed annually.
If the potential action under consideration involves Saturday collection alone, only collect data from four consecutive Saturdays.
Where multiple boxes are collected, mail volume from all boxes must be totaled. Collectors are required to record all density test mail volumes in the scanner. Collections density volume will be stored in Postal systems for use as needed.
For offices without Internet access, use locally available tools (e.g., Excel) to generate density-test worksheets. Retain data locally until a subsequent density test is conducted. Provide feedback to the District collections coordinator as needed.
315 Collection Boxes
315.1 Appearance
[Revise the last sentence of 315.1 and add new text to read as follows:]
***Boxes must be painted in accordance with and have only the decals prescribed by Brand and Policy at Headquarters. Collection boxes are to be maintained in good condition.
[Revise the title and text of 315.2 to read as follows:]
315.2 Number, Location Type, and Box Type
Install a sufficient number and type of collection boxes (see parts 313.1, 322.22, and 323.3) within the delivery area to handle mail volume.
[Revise the title of and add new text for 315.3. Delete 315.31 through 315.35 in its entirety.]
315.3 Relocation Before Removal
Collection boxes averaging less than 25 pieces a day should be relocated within the neighborhood or community to a potentially higher volume location. A two-week density test and analysis must occur at least annually.
Boxes adjacent to senior citizen housing, municipal and judicial buildings, and other public facilities are examples of the types of boxes that may be left in place even if fewer than 25 pieces per day are generated. Before removing a collection point, it must be considered for relocation within the neighborhood.
If after exhausting/reviewing potential relocation options, it is ultimately decided that the collection point should be removed, approval must be granted by the exception authority listed in 313.3. Before a collection box can be removed or relocated, a notice to that effect for customers must be placed on the box 30 days prior to the removal or relocation showing the location(s) and collection schedule(s) for other collection points in the vicinity.
[Revise the title and text of 315.4 to read as follows:]
315.4 Immediate Removal
If, after a collection box has been vandalized or tampered with, the location is determined to be unsecure by the Area manager, Delivery Programs Support, the box may be removed immediately without notice.
316 Collection Schedule Decals
[Revise the text of 316 to read as follows:]
A correct and legible collection schedule decal, Decal 55B, displaying all scheduled collections, must be affixed at each collection point. This decal must also indicate the location of the nearest collection point with a 5:00 p.m. (or later) scheduled collection.
For collection schedule changes that eliminate a 5:00 p.m. or later collection on weekdays or that eliminate a Saturday collection, post a notice on the box at least 30 days before any changes to inform affected customers, showing the location of the nearest collection point with a 5:00 p.m. or later collection and a Saturday collection. Retain a copy of the posted notice in the local files. Before any such action is taken on a collection box with a scheduled pick-up of 5:00 p.m. or later, be sure a two-week density test was completed and it justifies the change.
[Revise the title of 317 to read as follows:]
317 Collection Box Types
317.1 General
[Revise the text of 317.1 to read as follows:]
These types of collection boxes are currently in service with the U.S. Postal Service and are owned and maintained only by the Postal Service. As previously stated, all box types are required to have a collection schedule as well as the current DDD-1 label. Other required decals may be found in Maintenance bulletins issued by the Maintenance Technical Support Center. The boxes must be without rust, use the proper paint color and be graffiti-free. An anti-graffiti coating is now applied to all boxes when refurbishment is done.
[Revise the title and text of 317.2 and add new 317.3, 317.4, and 317.5 to read as follows:]
317.2 Standard
The most common blue collection box found on the street is a standard box. Collection is made by the collector opening a door in the lower front of the box and using a special Arrow key. Key series are assigned by the Material Distribution Center (for help call 800-2332-0317, option 4, option 4) and will vary in neighboring Post Office areas. Generally, a white flat tub is kept in the box, and is simply exchanged by the collector after scanning the interior barcode applied there.
317.3 Large
These boxes were designed to be installed in front of medium to large Post Offices. They contain a larger mail container than a standard box, and thus hold over twice as much mail. These boxes are generally installed with a snorkel attachment to allow for drive-up service directly from the customer’s vehicle. Guidelines for snorkel boxes may be found in Maintenance bulletins issued by the Maintenance Technical Support Center.
317.4 Jumbo
These boxes are designed to be used in locations of high outgoing mail generation. They are the largest box in service by the Postal Service. These boxes use a special high-security lock. The collector must have an empty Item 1046, Hamper, and he or she simply swaps the empty hamper for the full 1046 hamper located within the jumbo collection box. If necessary, the boxes may be equipped with up to two snorkel attachments.
317.5 Motorist Mailchute (Snorkel) Boxes
A motorist mailchute snorkel box is a collection box that is affixed with a snorkel attachment that permits motorists to deposit mail in a collection box without exiting their vehicles. Adhere to any state or local traffic regulations concerning placement of these boxes. Snorkel boxes are available in the following sizes:
a. Snorkel — Standard blue box with a snorkel attachment for driver’s deposit of mail.
b. Large Snorkel — Larger capacity blue box with a snorkel for driver’s deposit of mail. The box holds two tall bins for deposit of mail.
c. Jumbo Snorkel — Extremely large capacity blue container with a snorkel for driver’s deposit of mail. The box holds Item 1046, a large hamper, for easy mail removal.
[Add new 318 to read as follows:]
318 Priority Mail Express Collection Boxes
318.1 Identification
Appropriately label these boxes as Priority Mail Express.
318.2 Location
Separate, designated boxes may be provided at all offices that accept Priority Mail Express. The requirements for the location of individual Priority Mail Express boxes will be determined by the District manager or his/her designee.
318.3 Number of Boxes
The District manager or designee must decide where there is a need for Priority Mail Express (locations inside buildings and external street locations) in addition to determining the need for local or area-wide collection service.
[Revise the title of 32 to read as follows:]
32 Mail Deposit and Collection
[Revise the title of 321, delete the text of 321, and add new 321.1, 321.2, and 321.3 to read as follows:]
321 Ordinary Deposit of Mail
321.1 Post Office Lobby
Letter drops are provided in lobbies of all Post Offices for the deposit of ordinary mail (see exception in 313.3). If the facility is provided with a Self-Service Kiosk (SSK), the lobby will also be provided with an SSK drop for the acceptance of small packages. This may be a wall drum or a free-standing receptacle.
321.2 Rural and Contract Delivery Service Boxes
Mail on which postage is paid may be deposited for collection in mailboxes located on rural and Contract Delivery Service (CDS) routes in rural style, Postmaster General-approved mailboxes. The customer should raise the flag to indicate that outgoing mail has been deposited.
321.3 Vertical Improved Mail and Firm Mailrooms
At vertical improved mail (VIM) and firm mailrooms, mail may be deposited in bundle mail drops where provided. Otherwise, mail may be left with the carrier on duty when the VIM call window is open.
[Revise the title of 322 to read as follows:]
322 Mailchutes and Receiving Boxes
322.1 General
[Revise the text of 322.1 to read as follows:]
Mailchutes and receiving boxes are not collection boxes and are not subject to the policies spelled out in other sections of this chapter. Mailchutes and receiving boxes are nonetheless viable collection points that may be utilized by the public in the deposit of mail, which carriers are then obligated to collect.
[Revise the title of 322.2 to read as follows:]
322.2 Use
[Revise the title and text of 322.21 to read as follows:]
322.21 Determination of Installation
Mailchutes and receiving boxes may be placed, at the expense of the owner, in public buildings, railroad stations, hotels, and business or office buildings of not less than four stories and apartment houses of not less than 40 residential apartments. Buildings with receiving boxes must be open to the general public, without restrictions, during the hours specified by local postal management for mail collections. Building management must be prepared to allow for access during extended periods when weather is inclement, or collection times may be restricted to normal business hours. Keytainers must be installed when lobby hours are inadequate to provide required access.
[Revise the title and text of 322.22 to read as follows:]
322.22 Purpose
Mailchutes and receiving boxes are intended for the deposit of First-Class Mail. Standard Mail may not be deposited in mailchutes and receiving boxes.
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[Revise the title and text of 322.3 and delete 322.31 through 322.344 in its entirety.]
322.3 Installation, Specification, and Maintenance
Requests for the installation of mailchutes and receiving boxes must be approved by the Postmaster, and he or she must be furnished the contract and specifications for any proposed chute and box. The specifications for mailchutes and maintenance procedures are covered in Publication 16, Mail Chutes, Receiving Boxes, and Auxiliary Collection Boxes: Regulations and Specifications. All maintenance is done by and at the expense of the owner.
Cooperative mailing racks may be installed by building managers in the lobbies of office buildings. All mail rack locations and equipment must be approved by the local Postmaster. The Postal Service does not provide nor maintain such equipment.
[Add new 322.4 and 322.5 to read as follows:]
322.4 Schedules
All mailchutes, receiving boxes, and mailing racks are collection points and therefore must be included in the national electronic collection point management database. Schedules must be included for each of these collection points and should be posted on or near the collection point. It is expected that all mailchutes, receiving boxes, and mailing racks will be picked up by the regular carrier during the delivery of mail to the building. Any collection of these collection points on collection runs is at the discretion of local postal management and is based on consistent collection volume and building accessibility. Twenty-four hour accessibility or the use of keytainers is recommended.
322.5 Bulk Mailings
Mailings under permit indicia or in bulk must be deposited at times and places designated by the Postmaster. These mailings are prohibited from deposit in collection boxes, mailchutes, receiving boxes, or other mail collection receptacles or points because permit or bulk mailings must be verified to ensure proper acceptance.
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We will incorporate this revision into the next online update of the Postal Operations Manual, which is available on the Postal Service PolicyNet website:
n Go to http://blue.usps.gov.
n In the left-hand column under “Essential Links”, click PolicyNet.
n Click Manuals.
The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet website is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.
— City Delivery,
Delivery Operations, 11-26-15
