Wednesday, January 12, 2011

National Mail Service Updates

This information is updated daily.
Information on this site is provided for mailers with plant-verified drop shipments going to postal facilities that are closed or have mail entry limits because of natural disasters or severe weather conditions.
This site provides optional destinating mail entry information where available.
Contact BSN HQ Communications Manager if you need additional information or would like to report a service impact in your area.
See also: International Service Updates
Business customers needing support or having questions should contact their local Business Service Network and/or visit RIBBS on USPS.com.

Current Update:

Connecticut

Due to severe weather conditions, the following Postal facilities have suspended operations:
Barry Square Station, Hartford 06114
Short Beach Station, Branford 06405
Devon Station, Milford 06460
Baybrook Station, West Haven 06516

Southeast Region

Freezing temperatures continue to hamper mail delivery service in many parts of the South and Southeast areas. Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and parts of North Carolina continue to experience temperatures below freezing. Power outages have caused delayed Postal facility openings and temporary suspension of mail services. Mailers should check with their local offices to learn when operations return to normal.

Massachusetts

Due to severe weather and hazardous road conditions, mail deliveries have been curtailed. USPS has reports of power outages in the 023, 020 ZIP Code areas. Postal facilities affected in these areas include:
Bridgewater 02324
West Bridgewater 02379
East Bridgewater 02333
Halifax 02338
Randolph 02368
Scituate 02066
Green Harbor 02041
Hanover 02339
North Abington 02351
Nantucket 02554 (Transportation limited, no mail delivery)

Rhode Island

The severe winter storm has caused mail service delays and delayed openings of postal facilities. Areas affected include:
Rehoboth 02769
Seekonk 02771
Woonsocket 02895

Montana

USPS has temporarily suspended operations at the Miles City Post Office, located at 106 N. 7th Street, Miles City, MT, 59301-9998. Postal operations and customer service have been moved to the Ace Steadman Hardware Retail Center and the former County Market site at 715 S. Haynes Avenue, Miles City, MT. The Miles City Post Office is operating retail services and PO Box mail pickup at this location. Mail sorting and carrier delivery operations are in the old County Market building.
The customer service hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, and 9 a.m. to 12 noon, Saturday. Business Mail Acceptance hours remain at 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday-Friday.

Pennsylvania

Due to an accident at the Presto Post Office, 5234 Thoms Run Road, Presto, PA, 15142, the facility will be closed for several weeks. All mail operations are being conducted out of the Bridgeville Post Office, 700 Washington Ave., Bridgeville, PA, 15017.

Tennessee

Mail service is resuming at a mobile van at Henning, TN. The Post Office there, located at 415 N. Main St., Henning, TN, 38041 is a crime scene. The van will be open 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m.-noon on Saturdays. Authorities continue to search for the killer or killers of two Postal Service workers in Henning.

International Mail Service

Greenland

As a result of a labor dispute, no flights are operating in Greenland or between Denmark and Greenland. The stoppage began Jan. 10 and will continue through Jan. 15.

USA

Heavy snowstorms and severe weather conditions have severely affected the Southeast, Midwest and parts of the Northeast regions of the United States. The severe weather started on Jan. 10 and disrupted inbound and outbound mail flows — including collection and delivery — in the affected areas. Several airports have been closed and hundreds of flights cancelled. At least a foot of snow is forecast to fall by Thursday in cities such as New York, NY, Boston, MA, Providence, RI, and Hartford, CT. Philadelphia, PA, may get up to 6 inches of snow, with smaller amounts forecast for Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. If the forecast is correct, flights may be delayed or cancelled at such major airline hubs as New York (JFK and LaGuardia), Newark, NJ, as well as the Philadelphia and Boston airports.
USPS advises there will be an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) outage on Jan. 23, from 2 p.m.-midnight, EST. The outage will affect all in- and outbound EDI messaging. All files will be held in queue to be processed and released once the outage is over.

Australia

Australia Post has declared a state of emergency due to rains and flooding that have affected the entire State of Queensland. Evacuations of townships continue and a number of roads and highways have been cut off, leading to delays in deliveries and pick-ups. All road and rail services to and from Brisbane are suspended. There is no indication when conditions will improve.

Honduras

The designated postal operator of Honduras advises Empresa de Correos de Honduras (HONDUCOR) has informed DHL to transport and hand over mail to other postal administrations in accordance with UPU standards and procedures on a temporary basis. All the mail transported by DHL will be dispatched from Honduras with the code of the office of exchange and accompanying documents, in accordance with UPU standards.

Pakistan

An estimated 14 million people have been affected by the floods in Pakistan, which began towards the end of last month in the wake of particularly heavy monsoon rains, and which have destroyed homes, farmland and major infrastructure in large parts of the country, especially the north-west province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to the information received from Pakistan Post, the country's postal infra­structures have suffered catastrophic damage. This flood is one of the worst natural disasters in Pakistan's history, and more than a thousand post offices have been damaged. Pakistan Post's top priority is to establish mobile post offices in the areas affected.

Yemen

The U.S. Postal Service has temporarily suspended acceptance of inbound international mail originating in Yemen, and continues to monitor the situation as part of its mission to protect the Postal Service, its employees and its customers. The Postal Service is prepared to make further adjustments to its international mail transportation network based on the recommendations of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and other federal law enforcement agencies.

See the entire site here

Sunday, January 2, 2011

USPS Priority Mail Regional Shipping


Low-Cost Shipping Solutions for Packages with a Short Trip

Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes are a low-cost shipping alternative for commercial and online customers currently using either Priority Mail or Merchandise Return Service. This service combines the speed and convenience of shipping with zone pricing to reduce costs. Regional Rate Boxes are best utilized for small, dense packages being shipped short distances that need to arrive in 2-3 days.

Priority Mail Regional Rate Box™ Service

General Information How will I be able to use Priority Mail Regional Rate Box™ Service? What are the box types for Priority Mail Regional Rate Box? Pricing

General Information  
  • What is Priority Mail Regional Rate Box™?

    Priority Mail Regional Rate Box is a new economical offering for small dense packages that is available for Priority Mail® commercial and Priority Mail Merchandise Return Service parcels. This service will be starting on January 2, 2011.  Two box sizes Regional Rate Box A and Regional Rate Box B are available with two loading options. Prices for the product are based on box used and zone.  USPS®-produced packaging required.
  • How can customers order the Priority Mail Regional Rate Box™?

    The Priority Mail Regional Rate Box may be ordered online by providing the appropriate designated alpha identifier of either “A” or “B” at www.usps.com/shop or by calling Expedited Packaging Supplies at 1-800-610-8734.  The box identifier distinguishes which box is being ordered.
  • Is the Priority Mail Regional Rate Box™ available at retail?

    No. The Priority Mail Regional Rate Box is not available for customers at retail Post Office™ locations.  Customers using Business Reply Mail® or Parcel Return Service (PRS) are also not eligible to use this product.


How will I be able to use Priority Mail Regional Rate Box™ Service?
  • What are the qualifications for the use of Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes™?

    Customers must use a USPS®-produced Priority Mail Regional Rate Box and be a commercial customer or online shipper (i.e. Click-N-Ship®, Endicia.com, Stamps.com, etc). 
  • How is postage calculated for a Priority Mail Regional Rate Box™?

    Postage is calculated based on the use of either the Priority Mail Regional Rate Box A or B and the appropriate zone.
  • What extra services are available for a Priority Mail Regional Rate Box™?

    All extra services that are available for Priority Mail® may be used with a Priority Mail Regional Rate Box.
  • Do Commercial Base and Commercial Plus Pricing customers need to qualify for the annual volume threshold for Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes™?

    No. Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes are available for both Priority Mail Commercial Base and Commercial Plus Pricing customers and they do not require an annual volume threshold (permit imprint requirement of 200 pieces or 50 pounds still apply).
  • Can I apply my volume counts for Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes™ to my Priority Mail Commercial Plus Pricing threshold?

    Yes.  The new annual volume threshold is 75,000.
 What are the box types for Priority Mail Regional Rate Box?
There are two Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes that have a designated alpha identifier of either “A” and “B”.  The two boxes include two loading options and indicate the maximum weight:
  • Box A (top loading or side loading) has a 15-pound maximum weight limit.
  • Box B (top loading or side loading) has a 20-pound maximum weight limit.


 Pricing
  • What is the price of a Priority Mail Regional Rate Box™ if it exceeds the maximum weight of the box or if used by a retail customer?

    Priority Mail retail single-piece prices will be assessed based on weight and zone.
  • Are the Priority Mail Regional Rate Box™ prices available to existing Priority Mail® commercial or online customers?

    Yes. Priority Mail Regional Rate Box prices are available to the following customers:
    • Those using Shipping Assistant.
    • Click-N-Ship® customers.
    • Registered end-users of USPS®-approved PC Postage® products.
    • Using permit imprint.
    • Using USPS-approved IBI postage meters.
    • Priority Mail Merchandise Return Service (MRS) customers with a permit imprint.


Priority Mail Regional Rate Box - A1
Priority Mail Regional Rate Box - A1
Format: Pack of 25
Item No: RRB-A1
Inside Dimensions: 10” x 7” x 4 3/4” Outside Dimensions: 10 1/8” x 7 1/8” x 5” Maximum Weight: 15 lbs


Priority Mail Regional Rate Box - A2
Priority Mail Regional Rate Box - A2
Format: Pack of 25
Item No: RRB-A2
Inside Dimensions: 10 15/16” x 2 3/8” x 12 13/ 16” Outside Dimensions: 11 1/16” x 2 1/2” x 13 1/16” Maximum Weight: 15 lbs
 Priority Mail Regional Rate Box - B1
Priority Mail Regional Rate Box - B1
Format: Pack of 25
Item No: RRB-B1
Inside Dimensions: 12” x 10 1/4” x 5” Outside Dimensions: 12 1/4” x 10 1/2” x 5 1/2” Maximum Weight: 20 lbs
Priority Mail Regional Rate Box - B2
Priority Mail Regional Rate Box - B2
Format: Pack of 25
Item No: RRB-B2
Inside Dimensions: 14 3/8” x 2 2/8” x 15 7/8” Outside Dimensions: 14 1/2” x 3” x 16 1/4” Maximum weight: 20 lbs



Priority Mail Regional Rate Box Commercial Base Prices
Pricing (Commercial Base Prices) (Zone lookup)
Boxes
L 1 2
Zone 3
Zone 4
Zone 5
Zone 6
Zone 7
Zone 8
A
4.97
5.08
5.58
7.15
7.83
8.36
9.37
B
5.81
6.88
8.06
10.51
12.29
13.12
14.62

- For domestic use only
- For Priority Mail Commercial Base and Commercial Plus customers
- Priority Mail Regional Rate Box prices are based on which box is used and zone to which sent
      - Priority Mail Regional Rate Box A has a 15-pound weight limit
      - Priority Mail Regional Rate Box B has a 20-pound weight limit
      - Side-loaded and top-loaded options are available for both Box A and Box B

Supplies
Get free Priority Mail Regional Rate Box shipping supplies online at The Postal Store. Shop supplies >

Restrictions
The USPS-produced Priority Mail Regional Rate Box must be used to qualify for Regional Rate Box prices. Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes must not exceed the maximum weight requirements of 15 lbs for Box A or 20 lbs or Box B. If the box exceeds the maximum weight limit for the box type or is taken to a USPS Post Office for acceptance, Priority Mail weight and zone prices will apply. See Priority Mail Pricing.

Find quick answers about Priority Mail Regional Rate Box in our FAQs.
See Priority Mail Regional Rate Box Frequently Asked Questions >

Extra Services
Extra services like Delivery Confirmation, Signature Confirmation, insurance, and other services are available for all Priority Mail Regional Rate Box shipping.

 With that being said...Here are the savings/costs associated with the new Regional Rate Boxes. Prices in RED indicate a higher cost than shipping with Weighted Priority.





You can find additional information at the USPS Website.


Update Jan. 3, 2010

Just talked to our regional supervisor about the blurb in the Regional Box Information stating:

Restrictions
The USPS-produced Priority Mail Regional Rate Box must be used to qualify for Regional Rate Box prices. Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes must not exceed the maximum weight requirements of 15 lbs for Box A or 20 lbs or Box B. If the box exceeds the maximum weight limit for the box type or is taken to a USPS Post Office for acceptance, Priority Mail weight and zone prices will apply.

She said that what that is saying is that you must print your postage via the Internet. You can then take your package to you carrier with Carrier Pick-up or deliver to the post office, even the front counter and can still get the Regional Pricing. What you can NOT do is pay for it at a counter and get the Regional Pricing savings. She said they are working on clearing up that statement...

Hope it helps!