Effective November 14, 2002, DMM M032, M033, M130, M210, M220, M610, and M820 are revised to allow mailers to use letter trays rather than sacks when preparing and palletizing certain sizes of Standard Mail flat-size pieces. This option applies to Standard Mail flat-size pieces claimed at automation rates, as well as flat-size pieces claimed at Enhanced Carrier Route rates. No more than 10 percent of a mailing job prepared under this option may be claimed at Presorted rates.

Purpose for Option

The length, height, and thickness of some Standard Mail flat-size pieces make packaging and sacking cumbersome for production systems used by many mailers and inefficient for automated mail processing systems used by the Postal Service. Small and thin flat-size pieces such as compact discs (CDs), especially when secured into packages and then sacked, are often subject to damage if the packages containing those pieces break apart in the sacks during transit. Similarly, extremely thick pieces — which can also be difficult to secure into proper presort destination packages — are prone to break apart in sacks.

Broken packages and damaged pieces occur with certain small automation rate flat-size pieces. Pieces meeting the physical dimensions and characteristics of both letter-size mail and automation flat-size mail, such as CDs or pieces exceeding letter-size dimensions only in thickness (i.e., more than 1/4-inch thick), can be damaged if prepared in sacks and the packages break during handling.

These small flat-size pieces generally fit within the dimension criteria for the flat sorting machine (FSM) 1000 or the newer automated flat sorting machine (AFSM) 100.

Packages of pieces that do not maintain their integrity during transportation to Postal Service plants and during certain mail processing operations can lower Postal Service productivity and increase handling costs.

The Postal Service must redirect the broken packages, or, in some cases, the loose mail in sacks, to manual operations for additional processing. If packages lose their integrity while being processed on small parcel and bundle sorters (SPBSs), machine slowdowns and stoppages occur, and these packages must also be manually processed. This option should reduce the number of packages that might be subject to breakage.

Tray Labeling

As part of this preparation option, all current labeling standards for letter trays must be met for Standard Mail flat-size pieces placed in letter trays. These standards include the following:

Tray labels must meet the standards in DMM M032.2.0 for paper stock, size, and color as well as all specifications for the label barcode and, for automation rate mail only, the zebra code. Sack labels and sack label barcodes may not be used on letter trays.

The content line (Line 2) for the label must show “FLTS” as well as the other information appropriate for the content identifier number (CIN) shown in DMM Exhibit M032.1.3a. For example, the Line 2 information for CIN 572 for 5-digit automation rate Standard Mail flat-size pieces (normally packaged and placed in 5-digit sacks) remains “STD FLTS 5D BC.”

The required barcode for the letter tray labels must contain the three elements specified in DMM M032.2.4, including the appropriate two-digit USPS processing code. This processing code must be used for Standard Mail flat-size pieces prepared in letter trays, regardless of the rate claimed for those pieces.

Tray Dimensions

Based on the wide range of sizes qualifying as automation rate flat-size mail — particularly at the lower end of the dimensions permitted for FSM 1000 automation compatibility — many of these pieces can easily fit within the interior bottom dimensions of a managed mail (MM) letter tray or, more frequently, an extended managed mail (EMM) letter tray as shown in the table on this page and in DMM M033.1.3.

The preparation of Standard Mail flat-size pieces in letter trays, like sacks, must follow the sortation requirements and minimum required quantities in a container in order to minimize the impact on the number of containers handled by the Postal Service as well as to maintain presort and rate integrity. Each tray must be prepared under the same standards used for sacking and, in general, must contain at least 125 pieces or 15 pounds of pieces. Mailers must use as few trays as possible without jeopardizing rate eligibility.

Current Authorized Mailers

To determine the feasibility of allowing flat-size Standard Mail in letter trays, particularly EMM trays, the Postal Service has, on a case-by-case basis, authorized mailers to prepare automation rate Standard Mail flat-size pieces in letter trays. The authorizations have generally been for six-month periods and have been granted by the serving rates and classification service centers (RCSCs).

The preliminary use of this preparation method has given the Postal Service an opportunity to study how this change affects mail processing operations and how it provides any potential cost savings and service improvements to mailers.

In view of the long-term planning that most mailers use when setting up production lines and developing software programming to support their production lines, the Postal Service will allow mailers who currently are authorized to prepare Standard Mail flat-size pieces in letter trays to continue following the terms of their authorization letter issued by the serving RCSC. Those terms reflect the optional preparation standards presented in this DMM revision except for the tray labeling standards in revised DMM M032.2.4b.

The new labeling standards require not only the 5-digit ZIP Code destination of the tray (or the 3-digit ZIP Code prefix followed by two zeros) and the applicable 3-digit CIN but also the applicable two-digit Postal Service processing code “01” or “07” after the ZIP Code and the CIN. The “01” code is generally used to indicate machinable and automation-compatible mail. The “07” code is generally used to indicate manual and nonmachinable mail.

Many currently authorized mailers are applying only the first eight digits (the destination ZIP Code and the CIN), not the full 10 digits required for the larger label used on letter trays. The 8-digit barcode, which was designed for the smaller sack label, creates additional handling for Postal Service plants that have deployed Tray Management Systems. The intelligent material handling equipment that makes up these systems relies on correct 10-digit barcodes for optimal automated tray processing. The Postal Service must therefore require the 10-digit barcode on all letter trays used for Standard Mail flat-size pieces.

Once a mailer’s authorization expires, that mailer is expected to meet all the standards in this notice, including proper use of the 10-digit tray label barcode. If authorized mailers have concerns about the status of their authorizations, they should contact the supporting RCSC. Currently authorized mailers should begin planning to make any needed software changes to meet the standards for barcoded tray labels before the expiration of their authorizations.