San Diego Postal Newsletter - March 2009
Bug Ben with your postal questions, he is hard to stump.
We dug up Ben Franklin, the 1st Postmaster of the USPS, to help us out with some of the grave issues facing the postal industry today.
Dear Ben:
Lately I have received some mail that looks like it is personal mail and it turns out to be an advertisement for one thing or another. It used to be you could tell by the address block when there were lots of asterisks and letters and numbers, it was advertising. What gives? - Buffaloed in Bonita
Dear Buffaloed:
It appears that some of your smarter mailers may have begun to use and take advantage of the Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMB). The IMB allows standard mail to look cleaner and therefore more personal than business. The IMB carries the endorsement information that you mentioned plus additional information that makes the USPS mail sorting process even more automated. It provides the ability to track the mail and to get address changes back electronically. Barcodes are used on trays, bins and pallets that link to the information that is on the letters. Vertically integrated! What will they think of next… -Ben Franklin
Dear Ben:
I have been hearing different things from different people about new requirements for tabbing Self Mailers and booklet style mail pieces. I have heard that perforated tabs are no longer allowed, no top or bottom tabs, tabs will have to be larger and that Self-Mailer’s can no longer have a non attached sheet. I have also heard that this will be implemented in conjunction with the May Price Increase. Well, is it or isn’t it? - Crazed in Coronado
Dear Crazed
No, but stand by. Let me explain what and why. A couple years ago, many mailers shifted a lot of what used to be “Flat” mail to “Booklet” style mail pieces due to the price restructuring know as “Shape Based Pricing”. These booklets also know in the industry as “Slim Jims” often were the cause of significant jamming problems on mail processing equipment. The Post Office commissioned a long term study and concluded that changes to the tabbing requirements were warranted. Unfortunately, Self-Mailers were sucked into this group. Long story short, Self-Mailers have been removed from the proposed changes due to significant outcry from the mailing community. Most of the proposed changes for Booklets will likely be implemented in the near future. The Postal Service meanwhile will study the Self-Mailer issue to see if changes are really needed. It is this old man’s opinion that no significant changes will be required for Self-Mailers and that additional tabbing combinations will become available. If your mail pieces are Booklets, be prepared to change your ways of tabbing. Here is a link to the proposed changes.
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