3-1.3 Scheduling

Appointments can be scheduled in one of the following two ways:

1. Telephone requests. A Postal Service employee may schedule an appointment when the mailer has called with a request to deliver a drop shipment at a specific destination. A FAST Scheduler ID is required with telephone appointments for all DNDC, DADC, and DSCF drop ship appointments.

When making an appointment request by telephone, the mailer must confirm that the vehicle size is compatible with the destination facility’s dock.

A mailer cannot schedule recurring appointments by telephone. The Postal Service recommends that mailers using the eInduction option do not make telephone appointments.

2. Electronic requests. Via the Postal Service Business Customer Gateway, registered mailers log into FAST and enter appointment request information (see 4-2 or the FAST Customer User Guide, which is available on the FAST Web site at https://fast.usps.gov/fast — under “Important Information,” click on Resources, then click on the Go button for “Reference Documents,” and then scroll down to the guide.
3. Creating appointments electronically is the recommended method for mailers creating recurring appointments or using the eInduction option.

Exceptions to the scheduling standard include the following:

1. Shipments containing 100-percent perishable commodities.
2. Local mailers.

See “Drop Shipments Not Requiring Appointments” in 3-8 for further clarifications on the exceptions.