The U.S. Postal Service published a final rule in the Federal Register yesterday that changes preparation requirements for bundles of Periodicals, Standard mail and Package Services flat-size mail or irregular parcels on pallets.
The rule takes effect May 11 and gives the conditions under which mailers must prepare an area distribution center, bulk mail center/auxiliary service facility or sectional center facility pallet with 250 or more pounds of bundles.
The USPS said the new standards will increase the volume of mail on pallets. It has said bundles of flat-size mail pieces or irregular parcels on pallets are easier and cheaper to handle than bundles in sacks.
Under this final rule, after preparing all other pallets at the 500-pound required minimum, if there are 250 or more pounds of bundles labeled to destinations within the ZIP code range for an area distribution center, a mailer who prepares bundles of Periodicals flat-size mail or irregular parcels on pallets must prepare the ADC pallet.
If there are 250 or more pounds of bundles labeled to destinations within the ZIP code range for a bulk mail center/auxiliary service facility, a mailer who prepares bundles of Standard mail and Package Services flat-size mail or irregular parcels on pallets must prepare the BMC/ASF pallet. If a mailing contains no ADC or BMC/ASF pallets and there are 250 or more pounds for an SCF, the mailer must prepare the SCF pallet.
The USPS said it received two comments, one from a publisher and one from a mailing association. Both supported the proposal.
Melissa Campanelli covers postal news, CRM and database marketing for DM News and DMNews.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/newsletters
