Quick Service Guide 705e

Special Standards

Bound Printed Matter Bundles on Pallets

May, 11 2009
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Eligilbility Overview

Bundles of flats or nonmachinable parcels must be sorted and prepared under the standards for the price claimed. See Quick Service Guide 360 for Bound Printed Matter Flats or Quick Service Guide 460 for Bound Printed Matter Nonmachinable and Machinable Parcels. Destination entry under 366 for flats or 466 for parcels is optional. Individual pieces weighing 10 pounds or more are not eligible for preparation on pallets unless prepared as machinable parcels or prepared in sacks under 465.5.0 for presorted or 465.6.0 for carrier route parcels.

General Bundle

Bundle preparation must meet the applicable general standards in 365 for flats and 465 for parcels. Mixed ADC bundles must not be placed on pallets.

Bundle Size

Prepare Carrier Route Bound Printed Matter (BPM) bundles and label under 365.6.0 for flats and 465.6.0 for parcels. Prepare and label Presorted BPM bundles in the sequence and to the destinations required for sacks in 365.5.0 for flats and 465.5.0 for parcels. Prepare a bundle when there are 10 or more pieces or 10 or more pounds, whichever comes first, for the same presort destination within an individual mailing (Carrier Route or Presorted). Bundles are not subject to a specific thickness limit. It is, however, recommended that bundles not exceed 8 inches in height.

Each physical bundle must contain at least 2 addressed pieces. The maximum bundle size is 20 pounds, except as provided in 705.8.9.5. When there are at least 10 pieces but fewer than 10 pounds for a presort destination, the pieces must be prepared in a single physical bundle. When there are 10 or more pounds for a destination, pieces must be prepared in bundles weighing from 10 to 20 pounds each except that the last bundle may weigh less than 10 pounds or contain fewer than 10 pieces (but never fewer than 2 pieces) and mailers should balance the mail in bundles as follows:

The total number of physical bundles prepared for a presort destination must not exceed the number of 10-pound increments to that destination. For example, if there are 95 pounds of mail to a 3-digit ZIP Code presort destination, bundles could be prepared as four 20-pound bundles and one 5-pound bundle, or nine 10-pound bundles and one 5-pound bundle.

Securing Individual Bundles

Bundles on pallets must be secure and stable and able to withstand normal transit and handling without

breakage or injury to USPS employees. To prevent broken bundles, material used to secure bundles

should be of adequate strength, be sealed securely (e.g., by heat or adhesive), and fit tightly around

the bundles. Prepare bundles as follows:

Pallet Preparation and Documentation

Bundling and Palletizing Sequence (705.8.10.4)

Bundling and Palletizing Sequence for Nonmachinable Parcels (705.8.10.5)
General: Although mailers may prepare single mailings on pallets (e.g., only Carrier Route or only Presorted), we have shown co-palletized mailings (commingled rate levels) because this is the most common mailer practice. Bundle Preparation: See page 1 for physical bundle size and securing standards.
5-Digit Scheme1 Required at 250 pounds. Labels: For Line 1, use L606, Column B. For Line 2, use "PSVC IRREG 5D SCH." If pallet contains only carrier route bundles, use "PSVC NON MACH 5D SCH CR-RTS."	5-Digit1 Required at 500 pounds. Optional at 250 pounds. Labels: For Line 1, use city, state and 5-digit ZIP Code on mail. For Line 2, use "PSVC IRREG 5D." If pallet contains only carrier route bundles, use "PSVC NON MACH 5D CRRTS."	3-Digit1 Optional at 250 pounds. Labels: For Line 1, use L002, Column A. For Line 2, use "PSVC NON MACH 3D."	SCF1 Required at 500 pounds. Optional at 250 pounds. Labels: For Line 1, use L002, Column C. For Line 2, use "PSVC NON MACH SCF."	ASF1, 2 Required at 500 pounds. Optional at 250 pounds. Labels: For Line 1, use L602. For Line 2, use "PSVC NON MACH ASF."	BMC2 Required at 500 pounds. Optional at 250 pounds. Labels: For Line 1, use L601 . For Line 2, use "PSVC NON MACH BMC."
1. Processing and Distribution managers may authorize pallets of less than 250 pounds for their service area for mailings entered within their service area only. For these destinations, one residual (overflow) pallet of less than 250 pounds may be prepared for the service area of the entry office without special approval. 2. After preparing all required pallets (and any optional pallets), when 250 or more pounds of bundles remain for a BMC/ASF, the BMC/ASF pallet must be prepared. If there are no BMC/ASF pallets in the mailing and 250 or more pounds of bundles remain for an SCF, the SCF pallet must be prepared.

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