Service Standards for Market-Dominant Mail Products, 77942-77950 [2011-32009]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 241 / Thursday, December 15, 2011 / Proposed Rules
services. Recognizing that GPS
interference and test events resulting in
the loss of GPS services have become
more common, the FAA requires
operators conducting IFR operations
under 14 CFR 121.349, 125.203, 129.17
and 135.165 to retain a non-GPS
navigation capability consisting of
either DME/DME, IRU or VOR for en
route and terminal operations, and VOR
and/or ILS for final approach. Since this
system is to be used as a reversionary
capability, single equipage is sufficient.
Instructions for Submission of
Comments
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An electronic copy of this document
may be downloaded through the
Internet at https://www.regulations.gov.
You may review the public docket
containing the proposal, any comments
received, and any final disposition in
person in the Dockets Office (see
ADDRESSES section for address and
phone number) between 9 a.m. and
5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays. An informal docket
may also be examined during normal
business hours at the office of Docket
Operations, M–30; U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE., Room W12–140, West
Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC
20590–0001.
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BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
POSTAL SERVICE
39 CFR Part 121
Service Standards for MarketDominant Mail Products
Postal ServiceTM.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
Availability of Proposal
14:53 Dec 14, 2011
[FR Doc. 2011–31451 Filed 12–14–11; 8:45 am]
AGENCY:
Interested parties are invited to
provide comments on the proposal.
Comments that provide the factual basis
supporting the views and suggestions
presented would be particularly helpful
in developing reasoned decisions on the
proposal.
Communications should identify
docket numbers (FAA Docket No. FAA–
2011–1082 and be submitted in
triplicate to the Docket Management
Facility (see ADDRESSES section for
address and phone number).
All communications received on or
before the specified closing date for
comments will be considered before
taking action on the proposal. The
proposal contained in this action may
be changed in light of comments
received. All comments submitted will
be available for examination in the
public docket both before and after the
closing date for comments. A report
summarizing each substantive public
contact with FAA personnel concerned
with this proposal will be filed in the
docket.
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Issued in Washington, DC, on December 1,
2011.
Phillip Leman,
Acting Manager, Navigation Services.
The Postal Service seeks
public comment on proposed revisions
to the service standards for marketdominant mail products. The most
significant revision would largely
eliminate overnight service for FirstClass Mail.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before February 13, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be mailed to Manager, Industry
Engagement and Outreach, United
States Postal Service, 475 L’Enfant Plaza
SW., Room 4107, Washington, DC
20260–4107, or transmitted by email to
industryfeedback@usps.com. Copies of
all comments will be available for
inspection and photocopying at the
Postal Service Headquarters Library, 475
L’Enfant Plaza SW., 11th Floor North,
Washington, DC 20260, between 9 a.m.
and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, by
appointment (please call (202) 268–5585
to schedule an appointment).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Wendy Hocking, Industry Engagement
and Outreach, at (202) 268–8149; or
Emily Rosenberg, Network Analytics, at
(202) 268–5585.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Advance Notice
III. Comments
IV. Response to Comments
V. Proposed Revisions to Service Standards
A. Service Standards Generally
B. First-Class Mail
C. Periodicals
D. Standard Mail and Package Services
VI. Request for Comments
I. Introduction
On September 21, 2011, the Postal
Service published an advance notice of
proposed rulemaking (the Advance
Notice) in the Federal Register
soliciting public comment on a
conceptual proposal to revise service
standards for market-dominant
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products.1 The comment period for the
Advance Notice closed on October 21,
2011. Having developed the concept
into a concrete proposal, the Postal
Service is now publishing and soliciting
public comment on proposed revisions
to the service standard regulations
contained in 39 CFR part 121. Pursuant
to 39 U.S.C. 3661(b), the Postal Service
has also requested an advisory opinion
from the Postal Regulatory Commission
regarding the proposed revisions.2
II. Advance Notice
In the Advance Notice, the Postal
Service explained that the growing
excess capacity in its mail processing
network has led it to consider
significantly consolidating that network.
The excess capacity stems largely from
falling mail volumes, particularly in
First-Class Mail. Annual First-Class
Mail volume peaked in 2001 at 103.7
billion pieces; it has fallen about 30
billion pieces since then, or 29 percent.
The Postal Service’s mail processing
network was designed principally to
achieve First-Class Mail service
standards, and the decline in First-Class
Mail volume has made it difficult for the
Postal Service to consolidate the
network quickly enough to align with
current volumes.
The Postal Service stated in the
Advance Notice that further changes to
align the mail processing network will
for the most part be unachievable
without a relaxation of certain marketdominant service standards, particularly
for First-Class Mail. The Postal Service
set forth a proposal to eliminate the
overnight service standard for FirstClass Mail, narrow the product’s twoday delivery range, and enlarge its
three-day delivery range. The proposal
also contemplated similar changes to
the Periodicals service standards,
because those service standards are
linked to First-Class Mail service
standards. The Postal Service further
noted that the proposal could entail
minor changes to Standard Mail service
standards, and it stated that all Postal
Service products could experience
changes in specific 3-digit ZIP Code
origin-destination pairs’ transit times.
The Postal Service explained in the
Advance Notice that the proposal could
make possible a significant modification
of the mail processing network, better
1 Proposal to Revise Service Standards for FirstClass Mail, Periodicals, and Standard Mail, 76 FR
58433 (Sept. 21, 2011).
2 Request of the United States Postal Service for
an Advisory Opinion on Changes in the Nature of
Postal Services, Docket No. N2012–1 (Dec. 5, 2011).
Documents pertaining to the Request are available
at the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) Web
site, https://www.prc.gov, under Docket No. N2012–
1.
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aligning the network with current and
future mail volumes, and that the
proposal could lead to significant cost
savings. The Postal Service also
described some of the effects the
proposal could have on mail users. The
Postal Service solicited public comment
on all aspects of the proposal.
III. Comments
The Postal Service received over
4,200 comments in response to the
Advance Notice, from a variety of
sources, including retail customers,
small businesses, periodicals
publishers, parcel shippers, nonprofit
mailers, commercial mail advertisers,
mailer trade associations, postal unions
and associations, state and local
governments, members of Congress, and
others. The majority of commenters
expressed opposition to the proposal.
Some commenters, while not opposed
to the proposal, raised concerns
regarding it. Some commenters
requested more information. A minority
of commenters supported the proposal.
Commenters who opposed the
proposal cited a number of reasons for
their opposition. Some stated that the
current service standards constitute an
essential component of the mail,
without which the mail would lose its
utility to those who rely upon it most,
such as the elderly, those who cannot
access the internet, and those who live
in rural areas. They pointed out that the
proposal could cause delayed receipt of
vital checks and medicines and could
lead to more late fees being levied by
financial institutions. They stated that
the proposal would lead to lower mail
volumes and revenue for the Postal
Service, would hurt many businesses
that rely on the mail, and would damage
the economy generally. Numerous
commenters expressed concern
regarding the impact that the closures of
processing facilities would have on
local communities.
Some commenters questioned
whether the Postal Service’s financial
difficulties are significant enough to
require major changes. Others suggested
that the Postal Service seek to improve
its financial position through other
means, such as pricing and legislative
changes, rather than lengthen service
standards. Some commenters stated that
the proposal violates the statutes
governing the Postal Service, and they
questioned whether the Postal Service
has considered all of the requisite
statutory factors in forming its proposal.
Commenters also requested more
information about the proposal.
Commenters asked for a calculation of
the cost savings and revenue loss that
would result from the proposal. They
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stated that the mailing industry needs
comprehensive information on how the
proposal would alter the service
standards between each 3-digit ZIP
Code origin-destination pair and Critical
Entry Times. They requested an
implementation timeline, including the
sequence in which facilities would be
closed.
Some commenters questioned
whether the Postal Service would be
able to maintain its current on-time
delivery performance, given the longer
distances that mail will be transported
to and from processing facilities. Many
mailers expressed concern regarding
how Business Mail Entry Units (BMEUs)
and Detached Mail Units (DMUs) would
be affected by the proposal; for example,
they asked whether BMEUs would be
maintained at sites where processing
facilities are closed, and whether
‘‘stand-alone’’ BMEUs might be
established in more central locations.
Mailers expressed concern that, after the
consolidation of a significant number of
processing facilities, there could be
congestion at the loading docks of the
remaining facilities.
Mailers sought clarification on how
the Postal Service will transition
customer mailing accounts if acceptance
units are closed or consolidated, and
whether existing permits could continue
to be used at new acceptance units.
Some mailers inquired whether the
Postal Service would create single
permits for customers that mail at
multiple origin offices. More generally,
many commenters asked how the Postal
Service would communicate the
changes associated with the proposal
both to commercial customers and to
the public at large.
IV. Response to Comments
The Postal Service has decided to
continue pursuing the proposal, with
some changes, by issuing proposed
rules.3 The Postal Service acknowledges
that the proposal would cause difficulty
for some customers, and would, to some
degree, reduce the value of the mail to
customers. However, it believes that, on
balance, the proposal is in the long-term
interests of the Postal Service, and that
it will help maintain the viability of the
Postal Service for all customers into the
future. The Postal Service believes that
the proposal conforms to the policies of
Title 39 and, in particular, to the factors
and objectives set forth in subsections
(b)(1) and (c) of 39 U.S.C. 3691 for
3 The proposal, as modified, is described in detail
in Section V.
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designing and revising market-dominant
service standards.4
The primary reality driving the
proposal is the decline in First-Class
Mail volume. As noted above, annual
First-Class Mail volume has declined 29
percent over the last decade. The Postal
Service expects this volume to decline
faster in the next decade—the Postal
Service forecasts annual First-Class Mail
volume to fall from 73.5 billion pieces
in 2011 to 39 billion pieces in 2020, a
decline of 47 percent from the 2011
level. The mail processing network was
designed principally to achieve FirstClass Mail service standards, and if the
network does not undergo significant
consolidation, it will be vastly oversized
for the amount of First-Class Mail
volume it processes. As the Postal
Service has stated, a significant
consolidation of the mail processing
network is not possible without
adjusting market-dominant service
standards.
In regard to commenters’ concern that
the proposal will exacerbate volume
declines, the Postal Service has
conducted market research to determine
how retail and commercial customers
would react to the proposal. Based on
this market research, the Postal Service
estimates that the proposal will lead to
an additional 1.9 percent decline in
First-Class Mail (approximately 1.5
billion pieces), based on 2010 volume.5
In light of the forecast 47 percent
decline in annual First-Class Mail
volume by 2020, the Postal Service
believes that the additional 1.9 percent
decline is, while unfortunate,
acceptable.
The Postal Service has also calculated
the cost savings that will likely accrue
to the Postal Service upon full
implementation of the proposal, by
reviewing all of the operational changes
that would occur if the proposal were to
be implemented, and then quantifying
the costs that would be saved as a result
of those changes. The Postal Service
believes that these cost savings will total
4 A lengthier discussion of how the proposal
conforms to the policies of Title 39 and to the
factors and objectives set forth in subsections (b)(1)
and (c) of 39 U.S.C. 3691 is contained in the Postal
Service’s request to the PRC for an advisory
opinion. See Request of the United States Postal
Service for an Advisory Opinion on Changes in the
Nature of Postal Services, Docket No. N2012–1
(Dec. 5, 2011); see also Direct Testimony of David
Williams on Behalf of the United States Postal
Service (USPS–T–1), Docket No. N2012–1 (Dec. 5,
2011), available at https://www.prc.gov.
5 A full description of the market research is
contained in testimony filed at the PRC. See Direct
Testimony of Greg Whiteman on Behalf of the
United States Postal Service (USPS–T–12), Docket
No. N2012–1 (Dec. 5, 2011), available at https://
www.prc.gov.
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approximately $2.6 billion annually.6
The data produced by the Postal
Service’s market research indicate that
the proposal would lead to an annual
loss of $1.3 billion in revenue, which
translates to $0.5 billion in lost
contribution. Subtracting this
contribution loss from the cost savings
yields a net annual benefit of $2.1
billion to the Postal Service. Given the
multi-billion dollar deficits that the
Postal Service has experienced in each
of the last five years, and given the over
$14 billion dollar loss it expects in
2012,7 capturing cost savings wherever
possible will be vital to the Postal
Service’s financial viability. The Postal
Service believes that the present
proposal’s estimated $2.1 billion in net
annual benefit will, along with other
initiatives and measures, help return the
Postal Service to a fiscally sound
position.
To provide detail on the potential
impact of the proposal on the service
standards between specific 3-digit ZIP
Code origin-destination pairs, the Postal
Service has published an illustrative
Service Standard Directory (SSD) at
https://about.usps.com/news/facilitystudies/. The SSD lists the service
standards that would exist in a potential
realigned network. Because the proposal
could change prior to implementation or
possibly not be implemented, and
because the actual changes that
ultimately occur will depend on the
outcome of numerous Area Mail
Processing studies, the SSD list is only
hypothetical and illustrative. For the
same reasons, the Postal Service does
not presently have an implementation
timeline or a planned sequence in
which facilities would be closed.
The Postal Service believes that, if the
proposal is implemented, the Postal
Service will achieve the same rates of
success in meeting the new service
standards as it currently achieves in
meeting the existing service standards.
In response to mailers’ concerns
regarding BMEUs, the Postal Service
will, wherever practicable, retain
BMEUs in facilities where processing
6 Full descriptions of the cost savings calculations
are contained in testimony filed at the PRC. See
Direct Testimony of Marc Smith on Behalf of the
United States Postal Service (USPS–T–9), and
Direct Testimony of Michael Bradley on Behalf of
the United States Postal Service (USPS–T–10),
Docket No. N2012–1 (Dec. 5, 2011), available at
https://www.prc.gov.
7 Some commenters stated that, if the statutory
burden of an accelerated prefunding schedule for
the Retiree Health Benefits Fund were lifted, the
Postal Service would be in a financially sound
position. In response, the Postal Service notes that,
if it no longer had to make any prefunding
payments to the Retiree Health Benefits Fund, it
would still experience a projected financial loss of
$3 billion in 2012.
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operations are eliminated. Where this is
not practicable, the Postal Service will
set up new acceptance units within
relatively close geographical proximity
to the original facilities. In regard to
mailers’ concerns about congestion at
the loading docks of remaining
facilities, the Postal Service will adjust
local staffing levels and facility capacity
as necessary to avoid congestion. In
addition, Plant-Verified Drop Ship
appointment windows in the Facility
Access and Shipment Tracking system
will be adjusted as necessary to support
shifting volumes across the network. In
regard to mailers’ concerns about
permits, the Postal Service will allow
customers to maintain their existing
permit account numbers from
eliminated sites for use at the remaining
sites. Customers will also be able to
continue using existing indicia.8
As the Postal Service moves forward
with the proposal, it is committed to
communicating its plans in a clear and
simple manner.
V. Proposed Revisions to Service
Standards
The Postal Service’s market-dominant
service standards are contained in 39
CFR part 121. The proposed revised
version of 39 CFR part 121 appears at
the end of this Notice. The following is
a summary of the proposed revisions.
A. Service Standards Generally
Before describing how service
standards will be revised, it is important
to understand how service standards are
structured. Service standards are
comprised of two components: (1) A
delivery day range within which all
mail in a given product is expected to
be delivered; 9 and (2) business rules
that determine, within a product’s
applicable day range, the specific
number of delivery days after
acceptance of a mail piece by which a
customer can expect that piece to be
delivered, based on the 3-Digit ZIP Code
prefixes associated with the piece’s
point of entry into the mail stream and
its delivery address.
Business rules are based on Critical
Entry Times (CETs). The CET is the
latest time on a particular day that a
mail piece can be entered into the postal
network and still have its service
standard calculated based on that day
8 A full description of the impact of the proposal
on the entry of commercial mail is contained in
testimony filed at the PRC. See Direct Testimony of
Pritha N. Mehra on Behalf of the United States
Postal Service (USPS–T–7), Docket No. N2012–1
(Dec. 5, 2011), available at https://www.prc.gov.
9 There are separate delivery day ranges for mail
within the contiguous forty-eight states and mail
that originates or destinates outside the contiguous
forty-eight states.
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(this day is termed ‘‘day-zero’’). In other
words, if a piece is entered before the
CET, its service standard is calculated
from the day of entry, whereas if it is
entered after the CET, its service
standard is calculated from the
following day.10 For example, if the
applicable CET is 5 p.m., and a letter is
entered at 4 p.m. on a Tuesday, its
service standard will be calculated from
Tuesday, whereas if the letter is entered
at 6 p.m. on a Tuesday, its service
standard will be calculated from
Wednesday.
CETs are not contained in 39 CFR part
121, because they vary based on where
mail is entered, the mail’s level of
preparation, and other factors. The CETs
at retail collection points are generally
listed at those points.11 For example,
blue collection boxes list the time of day
when mail is collected from them by the
Postal Service; if a blue collection box
lists three pick-up times on one day, the
CET for that day is the latest listed pickup time.
The Postal Service has noted below
certain new CETs it plans to institute if
it determines to implement the
proposed rules. The CETs could, of
course, be modified in the future, as the
operating environment that the Postal
Service faces changes over time.
B. First-Class Mail
The Postal Service is not proposing to
change the first component of the FirstClass Mail service standards, namely the
delivery day range applicable to FirstClass Mail in general. As is currently the
case, the delivery day range for FirstClass Mail that originates and destinates
in the contiguous forty-eight states will
technically remain one to three days,
and the delivery day range for FirstClass Mail that originates or destinates
in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S.
Virgin Islands, or other U.S. territories
will technically remain one to five days.
The Postal Service is, however,
proposing to change the second
component of the First-Class Mail
service standards, namely the business
rules. The most significant effect of
these changes will be to drastically
reduce the amount of First-Class Mail
that qualifies for an overnight service
standard. Under the current First-Class
Mail overnight business rule, intraSectional Center Facility (SCF) mail is
subject to overnight delivery if it is
10 If the following day is a Sunday or holiday,
then the service standard is calculated from the
next Postal Service delivery day.
11 The CET for outgoing mail left in a residential
customer’s mailbox for pick-up by the customer’s
carrier obviously varies based on the carrier’s
schedule. The same is true for collection boxes that
are part of residential delivery cluster boxes.
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entered before the applicable day-zero
CET.12 Mail is ‘‘intra-SCF’’ if its
destination is within its designated
SCF’s delivery area. The current
overnight business rule also includes
criteria establishing an overnight service
standard for some inter-SCF mail
entered before the CET, depending on
the mail’s destination.
Under the proposed revisions to the
First-Class Mail overnight business rule,
overnight service would be accorded
only to intra-SCF Presort First-Class
Mail that is entered at the SCF prior to
the CET.13 Overnight service would not
be accorded to any mail that is entered
anywhere other than the designated
SCF, it would not be accorded to any
mail whose destination is outside the
delivery area of the SCF (i.e., inter-SCF),
and it would not be accorded to any
mail that does not meet all of the
preparation requirements for Presort
mail. The CET at the SCF would be
8 a.m., with a 12 p.m. exception that
would be available only to intra-SCF
Presort First-Class Mail that is sorted
and containerized to the 5-digit Zip
Code or 5-digit scheme level.14 Pursuant
to these revisions, overnight service
would no longer be available to any
First-Class Mail entered by retail
customers, regardless of when or where
such mail is entered.15
Intra-SCF mail that is entered before
the day-zero CET but does not meet the
criteria for overnight service would be
accorded a two-day service standard.
The First-Class Mail two-day business
rule would be revised accordingly. In
addition, the current First-Class Mail
two-day business rule covers any mail
piece entered before the day-zero CET if
the driving time between the piece’s
origin Processing and Distribution
Center or Facility (P&DC/F) and its
destination Area Distribution Center
(ADC) is twelve hours or less (and the
piece does not qualify for the overnight
12 The rule has an exception that excludes from
overnight service some mail outside of the
contiguous forty-eight states, specifically: Mail
between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands;
and mail originating and destinating in the Alaska
3-digit ZIP Codes 996, 997, 998, and 999, and in the
Alaska 5-digit ZIP Codes 99540 to 99591.
13 The rule will retain the exception that the
current rule has to exclude from overnight service
some mail outside of the contiguous forty-eight
states. However, the exception will be expanded to
also include the Alaska 5-digit ZIP Codes 99592 to
99599. These ZIP Codes are currently unassigned,
but they may be assigned in the future.
14 A ‘‘scheme’’ is a collection of multiple 5-digit
ZIP Codes that are processed on a single sort
program.
15 As is the case currently, First-Class Mail
entered by retail customers would have varying
CETs based on the point of entry. Because mail
entered by retail customers cannot meet the
preparation requirements for Presort mail, such
mail would be ineligible for overnight service.
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standard). This criterion would be
revised to a four hour driving time
between the piece’s origin P&DC/F and
its destination SCF.16
All First-Class Mail that qualifies for
a two-day service standard under the
current two-day business rule, but
would not qualify for a two-day service
standard under the proposed two-day
business rule, will qualify for a threeday standard. The three-, four-, and fiveday business rules for First-Class Mail
will not be revised. Any First-Class Mail
that currently qualifies for a three-,
four-, or five-day service standard will
retain its current service standard under
the proposed rules.17
The Postal Service is not proposing
any changes to the service standards for
First-Class Mail International beyond
the changes described above for
domestic First-Class Mail. The new
domestic transit time for First-Class
Mail International will mirror the new
domestic transit time for domestic FirstClass Mail.
C. Periodicals
The Postal Service is not proposing to
change the delivery day range for
Periodicals mailed within the
contiguous forty-eight states, but it is
proposing to change the delivery day
range for Periodicals that originate or
destinate outside the contiguous fortyeight states. The Postal Service proposes
extending such mail’s maximum
delivery period from the current twenty
days to a proposed twenty-six days, to
more accurately reflect the service that
is received by such mail.18
The Postal Service is also proposing
to change the Periodicals business rules.
There are separate business rules for
end-to-end Periodicals and destinationentry Periodicals.
1. End-to-End Periodicals
Under the current overnight business
rule for end-to-end Periodicals, intra16 The current business rule measures the driving
time based on the destination ADC. After the
proposed consolidation of so many facilities, the
Postal Service believes it will be able to sort FirstClass Mail at the origin to the SCF level, which is
a further level of sortation than the ADC level.
Therefore, mail will generally bypass ADCs and be
transported directly to SCFs. For this reason, the
proposed business rule measures the driving time
based on the destination SCF.
17 There will be limited, exceptional cases where,
as a result of the proposed network changes, the
service standards between certain origin-destination
pairs will change from three days to two days.
18 Outside the contiguous forty-eight states, mail
is often dependent on transportation that does not
run daily (e.g., certain boat and air-taxi services
used by the Postal Service operate only on certain
days of the week). For this reason, the service
accorded to such mail varies widely and is often
much longer than stated in the current service
standards.
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SCF mail is subject to overnight delivery
if it is entered before the applicable dayzero CET and its origin P&DC/F and SCF
are located in the same building.19
Under the proposed overnight business
rule, overnight service would be limited
to pieces that are intra-SCF, Presort, not
mixed with any inter-SCF pieces, and
entered at the SCF prior to the CET.20
The differences between the current and
proposed rules, then, are that the
proposed rule adds requirements that
the mail be Presort, that it not be mixed
with inter-SCF mail, and that it be
entered at the designated SCF.
Further, some of the end-to-end
Periodicals CETs will change. The
current CETs at facilities that do not
employ the Flats Sequencing System
(non-FSS facilities) are 4 p.m. for
mailings that require the Postal Service
to perform a bundle sort, and 5 p.m. for
mailings that do not require the Postal
Service to perform a bundle sort. These
CETs would be changed to 11 a.m. and
2 p.m., respectively. The current CETs
at FSS facilities—8 a.m. for mailings
that require a bundle sort, and 11 a.m.
for mailings that do not require a bundle
sort—will remain unchanged.
The Postal Service is proposing to
insert a new, two-day business rule for
end-to-end Periodicals to cover all intraSCF mail that is entered prior to the
CET and does not meet the requirements
of the proposed overnight business
rule.21 Thus, end-to-end Periodicals
mail pieces that meet the requirements
of the current overnight business rule
but do not meet the requirements of the
proposed overnight business rule will
be accorded a two-day service standard.
Consequently, the current two- to
four-day business rule for end-to-end
Periodicals will be revised to become a
three- to four-day business rule. This
rule will not be revised in any other
way. The current five- to nine-day
business rule for end-to-end Periodicals
will not be revised. The current eightto twenty-day business rule for end-to19 As with the First-Class Mail overnight business
rule, the Periodicals overnight business rule has an
exception that excludes from overnight service mail
between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,
and mail originating and destinating in the Alaska
3-digit ZIP Codes 996, 997, 998, and 999, and in the
Alaska 5-digit ZIP Codes 99540 to 99591.
20 The rule will retain the exception that the
current rule has to exclude from overnight service
some mail outside of the contiguous forty-eight
states. However, the exception will be expanded to
also include the Alaska 5-digit ZIP Codes 99592 to
99599. These ZIP Codes are currently unassigned,
but they may be assigned in the future.
21 The proposed end-to-end Periodicals two-day
business rule will have the same exception that the
proposed end-to-end Periodicals overnight business
rule will have to exclude from overnight service
some mail outside of the contiguous forty-eight
states.
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end-to-end seven- to twenty-day rule
would be revised to ten to twenty-six
days, and the destination-entry seven- to
eight-day rule would be revised to
eleven to twelve days.
end Periodicals will be revised to
become an eleven- to twenty-six-day
business rule. This revision is being
made so that the rule more accurately
reflects the service that is currently
received by pieces destinating outside
the contiguous forty-eight states.22
pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS-1
2. Destination-Entry Periodicals
The CETs for destination-entry
Periodicals will be changed in the same
manner as the CETs for end-to-end
Periodicals are changed. The CETs at
non-FSS facilities will change from
4 p.m. for mailings that require a bundle
sort, and 5 p.m. for mailings that do not
require a bundle sort, to 11 a.m. and
2 p.m., respectively. The CETs at FSS
facilities will not change.
The business rules for destinationentry Periodicals will not be revised in
any significant fashion. The seven-day
business rule will be revised to become
an eleven-day business rule, and the
five- to eight-day business rule will be
revised to become an eight- to elevenday business rule. Both of these changes
are being made so that the rules more
accurately reflect the service that is
currently received by pieces destinating
outside the contiguous forty-eight
states.23
D. Standard Mail and Package Services
The Postal Service is not proposing
any revisions to the service standards
for Standard Mail and Package Services
pieces mailed within the contiguous
forty-eight states. The Postal Service is
proposing to revise the Standard Mail
and Package Services service standards
for pieces that originate or destinate
outside the contiguous forty-eight states,
to more accurately reflect the service
that such pieces receive. The Postal
Service is proposing to extend Standard
Mail’s maximum delivery period from
the current twenty-two days to a
proposed twenty-seven days. In the
Standard Mail business rules, the endto-end nine- to twenty-two-day rule
would be revised to twelve to twentyseven days, and the destination-entry
nine- to twelve-day rule would be
revised to twelve to fourteen days.
The Postal Service is proposing to
extend Package Services’ maximum
delivery period from the current twenty
days to a proposed twenty-six days. In
the Package Services business rules, the
22 This rule applies only to mail originating or
destinating outside the contiguous forty-eight states.
23 In addition, the exception that the current twoday business rule has to exclude from overnight
service some mail outside of the contiguous fortyeight states will be expanded in the proposed twoday business rule to include the Alaska 5-digit ZIP
Codes 99592 to 99599. These ZIP Codes are
currently unassigned, but they may be assigned in
the future.
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VI. Request for Comments
The Postal Service requests comments
on the proposed revisions to 39 CFR
Part 121 and on the proposal generally.
A more extensive discussion of the
proposal and its associated network and
service implications is available in the
materials filed by the Postal Service
with the Postal Regulatory Commission
in Docket No. N2012–1, at https://
www.prc.gov. If the Postal Service
determines to implement the proposal,
it will publish final rules in the Federal
Register.
List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 121
Administrative practice and
procedure, Postal Service.
Accordingly, for the reasons stated,
the Postal Service proposes the
following revision to 39 CFR part 121:
PART 121—SERVICE STANDARDS
FOR MARKET DOMINANT MAIL
PRODUCTS
1. The authority citation for 39 CFR
Part 121 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404,
1001, 3691.
2. Revise Part 121 to read as follows:
121.1 First-Class Mail
121.2 Periodicals
121.3 Standard Mail
121.4 Package Services
Appendix A to Part 121—Tables Depicting
Service Standard Day Ranges
§ 121.1
First-Class Mail.
(a) For all intra-Sectional Center
Facility (SCF) domestic Presort FirstClass Mail® pieces properly accepted at
the designated SCF prior to the
established and published Critical Entry
Time, the service standard is 1-day
(overnight), except for mail between
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
and intra-SCF mail originating and
destinating in the following 3-digit ZIP
Code areas in Alaska or designated
portions thereof: 995 (5-digit ZIP Codes
99540 through 99599), 996, 997, 998
and 999. For all intra-SCF domestic
Presort First Class Mail five-digit or
schemed container mail properly
accepted at the designated SCF prior to
the established and published Critical
Entry Time, the service standard is 1day (overnight), except for mail between
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
and intra-SCF mail originating and
destinating in the following 3-digit ZIP
Code areas in Alaska or designated
PO 00000
Frm 00033
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Sfmt 4702
portions thereof: 995 (5-digit ZIP Codes
99540 through 99599), 996, 997, 998
and 999.
(b) A 2-day service standard is
established for all domestic First-Class
Mail pieces properly accepted before the
day-zero Critical Entry Time at origin if
a 1-day service standard is not required,
and if the origin PDC/F to SCF surface
transportation drive time is 4 hours or
less; or if the origin and delivery
address are separately in the territories
of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands; or if the mail is intra-SCF and
originating from or destinating to one of
the following 3-digit ZIP Code areas in
Alaska or designated portions thereof:
995 (5-digit ZIP Code areas 99540
through 99599), 996, 997, 998, and 999.
(c) A 3-day service standard is
established for all remaining domestic
First-Class Mail pieces properly
accepted before the day-zero Critical
Entry Time at origin, if neither a 1-day
nor a 2-day service standard is required
and:
(1) Both the origin SCF and the
delivery address are within the
contiguous 48 states;
(2) The origin SCF is in the
contiguous 48 states, and the delivery
address is in either of the following: the
995 3-digit ZIP Code area in the state of
Alaska, or the 968 3-digit ZIP Code area
in the state of Hawaii, or in the 006, 007,
or 009 3-digit ZIP Code areas of the
territory of Puerto Rico;
(3) The origin is in the 006, 007 or 009
3-digit ZIP Code areas of the territory of
Puerto Rico and the delivery address is
in the contiguous 48 states;
(4) The origin SCF is in the state of
Hawaii and the delivery address is in
the territory of Guam; the origin is in the
territory of Guam and the delivery
address is in the state of Hawaii;
(5) Both the origin SCF and the
delivery address are within the state of
Alaska; or
(6) The origin and delivery address
are separately in the territories of Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(d) A 4-day service standard is
established for all remaining First-Class
Mail pieces properly accepted before the
day-zero Critical Entry Time at origin, if
either a 1-day, 2-day, or 3-day service
standard is not required, and if:
(1) The origin SCF is in the
contiguous 48 states and the delivery
address is in either of the following: any
portion of the state of Alaska not in the
995 3-digit ZIP Code area; or any
portion of the state of Hawaii not in the
968 3-digit ZIP Code area; or the
territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(2) The delivery address is in the
contiguous 48 states and the origin is in
either of the following: the state of
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Alaska, the state of Hawaii, or the
territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands; or
(3) The origin and delivery address
are in different states or territories,
excluding mail to and from the territory
of Guam and mail between the
territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S.
Virgin Islands.
(e) A 5-day service standard is
established for all remaining domestic
First-Class Mail pieces properly
accepted before the day-zero Critical
Entry Time at origin, if those pieces
originate in the territory of Guam but are
not destined for Guam or the state of
Hawaii, or if those pieces originate other
than in Guam or Hawaii and are
destined for Guam.
(f) The service standard for Outbound
Single-Piece First-Class Mail
InternationalTM pieces properly
accepted before the day-zero Critical
Entry Time at origin is equivalent to the
service standard for domestic First-Class
Mail from the same origin 3-digit ZIP
Code to the 3-digit ZIP Code area in
which that origin’s designated
International Service Center is located.
(g) The service standard for Inbound
Single-Piece First-Class Mail
International is equivalent to the service
standard for domestic First-Class Mail
pieces from the 3-digit ZIP Code area in
which that inbound mail’s designated
International Service Center is located
to the 3-digit ZIP Code of the delivery
address.
pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS-1
§ 121.2
Periodicals.
(a) End-to-End. (1) For all intraSectional Center Facility (SCF) domestic
Presort pieces properly accepted at the
designated SCF prior to the established
and published Critical Entry Time, the
service standard is 1-day (overnight),
except for mail between Puerto Rico and
the U.S. Virgin Islands and intra-SCF
mail originating and destinating in the
following 3-digit ZIP Code areas in
Alaska or designated portions thereof:
995 (5-digit ZIP Codes 99540 through
99599), 996, 997, 998 and 999. For all
intra-Sectional Center Facility (SCF)
domestic Presort five-digit or schemed
container mail properly accepted at the
designated SCF prior to the established
and published Critical Entry Time, the
service standard is 1-day (overnight),
except for mail between Puerto Rico and
the U.S. Virgin Islands and intra-SCF
mail originating and destinating in the
following 3-digit ZIP Code areas in
Alaska or designated portions thereof:
995 (5-digit ZIP Codes 99540 through
99599), 996, 997, 998 and 999.
(2) For all SCF turnaround Periodicals
properly accepted before the established
and published day-zero Critical Entry
Time at origin, where the origin P&DC/
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F and SCF are in the same building, the
service standard is 2 days, except for
mail between the territories of Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and
mail originating or destinating in the
following 3-digit ZIP Code areas within
the state of Alaska or designated
portions thereof: 995 (5-digit ZIP Code
areas 99540 through 99599), 996, 997,
998, and 999.
(3) The Periodicals service standard is
the sum of the applicable (2-to-3-day)
First-Class Mail service standard plus
one day, for each 3-digit ZIP Code
origin-destination pair for which
Periodicals are accepted before the day
zero Critical Entry Time at origin and
merged with First-Class Mail pieces for
surface transportation (as defined by the
Periodicals Origin Split and First-Class
Mail mixed Area Distribution Center/
Automated Area Distribution Center
(ADC/AADC) Domestic Mail Manual
label list L201).
(4) The Periodicals service standard
for mail between the territories of Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands is 3
days.
(5) The Periodicals service standard
for mail between the state of Hawaii and
the territory of Guam is 4 days.
(6) The Periodicals service standard
for intra-Alaska mail that is not
overnight is 3 to 4 days for the following
3-digit ZIP Code areas or designated
portions thereof: 995 (5-digit ZIP Code
areas 99540 through 99599), 996, 997,
998, and 999.
(7) The Periodicals service standard
for each remaining 3-digit ZIP Code
origin-destination pair within the
contiguous 48 states, for which
Periodicals are accepted before the day
zero Critical Entry Time at origin, is the
sum of 4 or 5 days, plus the number of
additional days (from 1 to 4) required
for surface transportation between each
3-digit ZIP Code origin-destination pair.
(8) The Periodicals service standard
for each remaining 3-digit ZIP Code
origin-destination pair, for which
Periodicals are accepted before the day
zero Critical Entry Time at origin, is the
sum of 4 or 5 days, plus the number of
additional days (from 7 to 21) required
for intermodal (highway, boat, air-taxi)
transportation outside of the contiguous
48 states for each 3-digit ZIP Code
origin-destination pair.
(b) Destination Entry. (1) Periodicals
that qualify for a Destination Delivery
Unit (DDU) or Destination Sectional
Center Facility (DSCF) rate, and that are
accepted before the day-zero Critical
Entry Time at the proper DDU or DSCF,
have a 1-day (overnight) service
standard, except for mail dropped at the
SCF in the territory of Puerto Rico and
destined for the territory of the U.S.
PO 00000
Frm 00034
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Sfmt 4702
77947
Virgin Islands, and intra SCF mail in the
following 3-digit ZIP Code areas in the
state of Alaska or designated portions
thereof: 995 (5-digit ZIP Code areas
99540 through 99599), 996, 997, 998
and 999.
(2) Periodicals that qualify for a
Destination Area Distribution Center
(DADC) rate, and that are accepted
before the day zero Critical Entry Time
at the proper DADC, unless the ADC is
located with the contiguous 48 states
and the destination is not, and where
the DADC and DSCF are not the same
building, have a 2-day service standard,
unless the destination is the Alaska 997
3-digit ZIP Code area. Mail that qualifies
for a Destination Sectional Center
Facility (DSCF) rate has a 2-day service
standard, if it is accepted before the dayzero Critical Entry Time, and the mail
is dropped at the SCF in the territory of
Puerto Rico and is destined for the
territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands; or if
the mail is intra-SCF in the following
3-digit ZIP Code areas of the state of
Alaska: 996, 998 and 999. Periodicals
that qualify for a DADC rate, and that
are accepted before the day zero Critical
Entry Time at the Alaska 997 DADC
have a 3-day service standard.
(3) Periodicals that qualify for a
Destination Network Distribution Center
containerized rate, that are accepted
before the day-zero Critical Entry Time
at the proper destination NDC in the
contiguous 48 states, and that are
addressed for delivery in the contiguous
48 states, have a service standard of 1
or 2 days, corresponding to the standard
for mail qualifying for the destination
ADC rate, based on whether the
destination ADC and SCF are the same
building.
(4) Periodicals that qualify for a
Destination Area Distribution Center
(DADC) rate and that are accepted
before the day zero Critical Entry Time
at the proper DADC in the contiguous
48 states for delivery to addresses in the
state of Alaska have a service standard
of 11 days.
(5) Periodicals that qualify for a
Destination Network Distribution Center
containerized rate, that are accepted
before the day-zero Critical Entry Time
at the proper destination NDC in the
contiguous 48 states, and that are
addressed for delivery in the states of
Alaska or Hawaii, or the territories of
Guam, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin
Islands, have a service standard of 8 to
11 days, corresponding to the standard
for mail qualifying for the destination
ADC rate, which is based on the number
of days required for transportation
outside of the contiguous 48 states and
whether the destination ADC and SCF
are the same building.
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§ 121.3
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 241 / Thursday, December 15, 2011 / Proposed Rules
Standard Mail.
(a) End-to-End. (1) The service
standard for Sectional Center Facility
(SCF) turnaround Standard Mail® pieces
accepted at origin before the day zero
Critical Entry Time is 3 days when the
origin Processing & Distribution Center/
Facility (OPD&C/F) and the SCF are the
same building, except for mail between
the territories of Puerto Rico and the
U.S. Virgin Islands.
(2) The service standard for Area
Distribution Center (ADC) turnaround
Standard Mail pieces accepted at origin
before the day zero Critical Entry Time
is 4 days when the OPD&C/F and the
ADC are the same building, unless the
ADC is in the contiguous 48 states and
the delivery address is not, or when the
mail is between the territories of Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(3) The service standard for intraNetwork Distribution Center (NDC)
Standard Mail pieces accepted at origin
before the day zero Critical Entry Time
is 5 days for each remaining 3-digit ZIP
Code origin-destination pair within the
same Network Distribution Center
service area if the origin and destination
are within the contiguous 48 states; the
same standard applies to mail that is
intra-Alaska, intra-Hawaii, or between
the state of Hawaii and the territory of
Guam.
(4) For each remaining 3-digit ZIP
Code origin-destination pair within the
contiguous 48 states, the service
standard for Standard Mail pieces
accepted at origin before the day zero
Critical Entry Time is the sum of 5 or
6 days plus the number of additional
days (from 1 to 4) required for surface
transportation between each 3-digit ZIP
Code origin-destination pair.
(5) For each remaining 3-digit ZIP
Code origin-destination pair, the service
standard for Standard Mail pieces
accepted at origin before the day zero
Critical Entry Time is the sum of 5 or
6 days plus the number of additional
days (from 7 to 21) required for
intermodal (highway, boat, air-taxi)
transportation outside of the contiguous
48 states for each 3-digit ZIP Code
origin-destination pair.
(b) Destination Entry. (1) Standard
Mail pieces that qualify for a
Destination Delivery Unit (DDU) rate
and that are accepted before the day
zero Critical Entry Time at the proper
DDU have a 2-day service standard.
(2) Standard Mail pieces that qualify
for a Destination Sectional Center
Facility (DSCF) rate and that are
accepted before the day zero Critical
Entry Time at the proper DSCF have a
3-day service standard, except for mail
dropped at the SCF in the territory of
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Puerto Rico and destined for the
territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(3) Standard Mail pieces that qualify
for a Destination Sectional Center
Facility (DSCF) rate, and that are
accepted before the day zero Critical
Entry Time at the SCF in the territory
of Puerto Rico, have a 4-day service
standard if destined for the territory of
the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(4) Standard Mail pieces that qualify
for a Destination Network Distribution
Center (DNDC) rate, and that are
accepted before the day zero Critical
Entry Time at the proper DNDC have a
5-day service standard, if both the origin
and the destination are in the
contiguous 48 states.
(5) Standard Mail pieces that qualify
for a Destination Network Distribution
Center (DNDC) rate, and that are
accepted before the day zero Critical
Entry Time at the proper DNDC in the
contiguous 48 states for delivery to
addresses in the states of Alaska or
Hawaii or the territories of Guam,
Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands,
have a service standard of 12–14 days,
depending on the 3-digit origindestination ZIP Code pair. For each
such pair, the applicable day within the
range is based on the number of days
required for transportation outside of
the contiguous 48 states.
§ 121.4
Package Services.
(a) End-to-End. (1) The service
standard for Sectional Center Facility
(SCF) turnaround Package Services mail
accepted at the origin SCF before the
day zero Critical Entry Time is 2 days
when the origin Processing &
Distribution Center/Facility and the SCF
are the same building, except for mail
between the territories of Puerto Rico
and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(2) The service standard for intraNetwork Distribution Center (NDC)
Package Services mail accepted at origin
before the day zero Critical Entry Time
is 3 days, for each remaining (non-intraSCF) 3-digit ZIP Code origin-destination
pair within a Network Distribution
Center service area, where the origin
and destination is within the contiguous
48 states and is not served by an
Auxiliary Service Facility; and for mail
between the territories of Puerto Rico
and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(3) The service standard for intraNetwork Distribution Center (NDC)
Package Services mail accepted at origin
before the day zero Critical Entry Time
is 4 days for each remaining 3-digit ZIP
Code origin-destination pair within a
Network Distribution Center service
area, where the destination delivery
address is served by an Auxiliary
Service Facility; the same standard
PO 00000
Frm 00035
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Sfmt 4702
applies to all remaining intra-Alaska
mail and mail between the state of
Hawaii and the territory of Guam.
(4) For each remaining 3-digit ZIP
Code origin-destination pair within the
contiguous 48 states, the service
standard for Package Services mail
accepted at origin before the day zero
Critical Entry Time is between 5 and 8
days. For each such 3-digit ZIP Code
origin-destination pair, this is the sum
of 4 days, plus the number of additional
days (from 1 to 4) required for surface
transportation between each 3-digit ZIP
Code origin-destination pair, plus an
additional day if the destination
delivery address is served by an
Auxiliary Service Facility.
(5) For each remaining 3-digit ZIP
Code origin-destination pair for which
either the origin or the destination is
outside of the contiguous 48 states, the
service standard for Package Services
mail accepted at origin before the day
zero Critical Entry Time is between 10
and 26 days. For each such 3-digit ZIP
Code origin-destination pair, this
represents the sum of 3 to 4 days, plus
the number of days (ranging from 7 to
22) required for intermodal (highway,
boat, air-taxi) transportation between
each 3-digit ZIP Code origin-destination
pair.
(6) The service standard for Inbound
Surface Parcel Post® pieces (subject to
Universal Postal Union rates) is the
same as the service standard for
domestic Package Services mail from
the 3-digit ZIP Code area in which the
International Network Distribution
Center is located to the 3-digit ZIP Code
in which the delivery address is located.
(b) Destination Entry. (1) Package
Services mail that qualifies for a
Destination Delivery Unit (DDU) rate,
and that is accepted before the day zero
Critical Entry Time at the proper DDU,
has a 1-day (overnight) service standard.
(2) Package Services mail that
qualifies for a Destination Sectional
Center Facility (DSCF) rate, and that is
accepted before the day zero Critical
Entry Time at the proper DSCF, has a
2-day service standard, except for mail
dropped at the SCF in the territory of
Puerto Rico and destined for the
territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(3) Package Services mail that
qualifies for a Destination Network
Distribution Center (DNDC) rate, which
is accepted before the day zero Critical
Entry Time at the proper DNDC or
Destination Auxiliary Service Facility,
and that originates and destinates in the
contiguous 48 states, has a 3-day service
standard. Mail that qualifies for a
Destination Sectional Center Facility
(DSCF) discount, and that is accepted
before the day zero Critical Entry Time
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at the SCF in the territory of Puerto
Rico, has a 3-day service standard if it
is destined for the territory of the U.S.
Virgin Islands.
(4) Package Services mail that
qualifies for a Destination Network
Distribution Center (DNDC) rate, and
that is accepted before the day zero
Critical Entry Time at the proper DNDC
in the contiguous 48 states for delivery
to addresses in the states of Alaska or
Hawaii, or the territories of Guam,
Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands
has a service standard of either 11 or 12
days, depending on the 3-digit ZIP Code
origin-destination pair. For each such
pair, the applicable day within the range
is based on the number of days required
for transportation outside of the
contiguous 48 states.
TABLE 1—END-TO-END SERVICE
STANDARD DAY RANGES FOR MAIL
ORIGINATING
AND
DESTINATING
WITHIN THE CONTIGUOUS 48
STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF CO-
Appendix A to Part 121—Tables
Depicting Service Standard Day Ranges
LUMBIA
The following tables reflect the
service standard day ranges resulting
from the application of the business
rules applicable to the market-dominant
mail products referenced in §§ 121.1
through 121.4:
Contiguous United States
End-toend
range
(days)
Mail class
First-Class Mail .............................
Periodicals ....................................
Standard Mail ...............................
Package Services .........................
1–3
1–9
3–10
2–8
TABLE 2—END-TO-END SERVICE STANDARD DAY RANGES FOR MAIL ORIGINATING AND/OR DESTINATING WITHIN THE
STATES OF ALASKA AND HAWAII, AND THE TERRITORIES OF GUAM, PUERTO RICO AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
Alaska, Hawaii & Guam, Puerto Rico & USVI
End-to-end
To/from states of Alaska
and Hawaii, and the
territories of Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S.
Virgin Islands
To/from contiguous 48
states
Intra state/territory
Mail class
Alaska
Hawaii
&
Guam
Puerto
Rico &
USVI
Alaska
Hawaii
&
Guam
Puerto
Rico &
USVI
Alaska
Hawaii
&
Guam
Puerto
Rico &
USVI
1–3
1–4
*3–5
2–4
1–3
1–4
3–5
2–4
1–2
1–3
3–4
2–3
3–4
13–19
14–20
12–18
3–5
12–22
13–23
11–21
3–4
11–16
12–17
10–15
4–5
21–25
23–26
21–26
4–5
21–26
23–27
20–26
4–5
23–26
24–27
20–24
First-Class Mail ................................................................
Periodicals ........................................................................
Standard Mail ...................................................................
Package Services ............................................................
* Excluding bypass mail.
TABLE 3—DESTINATION ENTRY SERVICE STANDARD DAY RANGES FOR MAIL TO THE CONTIGUOUS 48 STATES AND THE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Contiguous United States
Destination entry (at appropriate facility)
Mail class
DDU
(days)
Periodicals ...............................................................................................................................................
Standard Mail ...........................................................................................................................................
Package Services ....................................................................................................................................
SCF
(days)
1
2
1
ADC
(days)
1
3
2
NDC
(days)
1–2
..............
..............
1–2
5
3
TABLE 4—DESTINATION ENTRY SERVICE STANDARD DAY RANGES FOR MAIL TO THE STATES OF ALASKA AND HAWAII, AND
THE TERRITORIES OF GUAM, PUERTO RICO AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
Alaska, Hawaii & Guam, Puerto Rico & USVI
pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS-1
Destination entry (at appropriate facility)
SCF (days)
Mail class
ADC (days)
DDU
(days)
Alaska
Hawaii
&
Guam
Puerto
Rico &
USVIA
Periodicals ................................................
1
1–2
1
1–2
Standard Mail ...........................................
2
3
3
3–4
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Alaska
1–3 (AK)
11 (JNU)
11 (KTN)
................
NDC (days)
Hawaii &
Guam
Puerto
Rico &
USVIA
Alaska
Hawaii
&
Guam
Puerto
Rico &
USVIA
1 (HI) 2
(GU)
1–2
10–11
10
8–10
................
............
14
13
12
E:\FR\FM\15DEP1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 241 / Thursday, December 15, 2011 / Proposed Rules
TABLE 4—DESTINATION ENTRY SERVICE STANDARD DAY RANGES FOR MAIL TO THE STATES OF ALASKA AND HAWAII, AND
THE TERRITORIES OF GUAM, PUERTO RICO AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS—Continued
Alaska, Hawaii & Guam, Puerto Rico & USVI
Destination entry (at appropriate facility)
SCF (days)
Mail class
ADC (days)
DDU
(days)
Alaska
Hawaii
&
Guam
Puerto
Rico &
USVIA
1
2
2
2–3
Package Services ....................................
NDC (days)
Alaska
Hawaii &
Guam
Puerto
Rico &
USVIA
Alaska
Hawaii
&
Guam
Puerto
Rico &
USVIA
................
................
............
12
11
11
AK = Alaska 3-digit ZIP Codes 995–997; JNU = Juneau AK 3-digit ZIP Code 998; KTN = Ketchikan AK 3-digit ZIP Code 999; HI = Hawaii 3digit ZIP Codes 967 and 968; GU = Guam 3-digit ZIP Code 969.
Stanley F. Mires,
Attorney, Legal Policy & Legislative Advice.
[FR Doc. 2011–32009 Filed 12–14–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710–12–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R04–OAR–2010–1036–201161; FRL–
9507–1]
Approval and Promulgation of
Implementation Plans and
Designations of Areas for Air Quality
Planning Purposes; Georgia; Atlanta;
Determination of Attainment by
Applicable Attainment Date for the
1997 8-Hour Ozone Standards
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
EPA is proposing to
determine pursuant to the Clean Air Act
(CAA), that the Atlanta, Georgia, ozone
nonattainment area (hereafter referred to
as ‘‘the Atlanta Area’’ or ‘‘the Area’’) has
attained the 1997 8-hour ozone national
ambient air quality standards (NAAQS)
by its applicable attainment date of June
15, 2011. A determination of attainment
was made by EPA on June 23, 2011,
based on quality-assured and certified
monitoring data for the 2008–2010
monitoring period. EPA is now
proposing to find that the Atlanta Area
attained the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS
by its applicable attainment date. EPA
is proposing this action because it is
consistent with the CAA and its
implementing regulations.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before January 17, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R04–
OAR–2010–1036, by one of the
following methods:
pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS-1
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
14:53 Dec 14, 2011
Jkt 226001
1. www.regulations.gov: Follow the
on-line instructions for submitting
comments.
2. Email: benjamin.lynorae@epa.gov.
3. Fax: (404) 562–9019.
4. Mail: EPA–R04–OAR–2010–1036,
Regulatory Development Section, Air
Planning Branch, Air, Pesticides and
Toxics Management Division, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street SW.,
Atlanta, Georgia 30303–8960.
5. Hand Delivery or Courier: Ms.
Lynorae Benjamin, Chief, Regulatory
Development Section, Air Planning
Branch, Air, Pesticides and Toxics
Management Division, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street SW.,
Atlanta, Georgia 30303–8960. Such
deliveries are only accepted during the
Regional Office’s normal hours of
operation. The Regional Office’s official
hours of business are Monday through
Friday, 8:30 to 4:30, excluding Federal
holidays.
Instructions: Direct your comments to
Docket ID No. ‘‘EPA–R04–OAR–2010–
1036.’’ EPA’s policy is that all
comments received will be included in
the public docket without change and
may be made available online at
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided, unless
the comment includes information
claimed to be Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Do not submit through
www.regulations.gov or email,
information that you consider to be CBI
or otherwise protected. The
www.regulations.gov Web site is an
‘‘anonymous access’’ system, which
means EPA will not know your identity
or contact information unless you
provide it in the body of your comment.
If you send an email comment directly
to EPA without going through
www.regulations.gov, your email
address will be automatically captured
and included as part of the comment
PO 00000
Frm 00037
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
that is placed in the public docket and
made available on the Internet. If you
submit an electronic comment, EPA
recommends that you include your
name and other contact information in
the body of your comment and with any
disk or CD–ROM you submit. If EPA
cannot read your comment due to
technical difficulties and cannot contact
you for clarification, EPA may not be
able to consider your comment.
Electronic files should avoid the use of
special characters, any form of
encryption, and be free of any defects or
viruses. For additional information
about EPA’s public docket visit the EPA
Docket Center homepage at https://
www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
Docket: All documents in the
electronic docket are listed in the
www.regulations.gov index. Although
listed in the index, some information is
not publicly available, i.e., CBI or other
information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Certain other
material, such as copyrighted material,
is not placed on the Internet and will be
publicly available only in hard copy
form. Publicly available docket
materials are available either
electronically in www.regulations.gov or
in hard copy at the Regulatory
Development Section, Air Planning
Branch, Air, Pesticides and Toxics
Management Division, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street SW.,
Atlanta, Georgia 30303–8960. EPA
requests that if at all possible, you
contact the person listed in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section to
schedule your inspection. The Regional
Office’s official hours of business are
Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 4:30,
excluding Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information regarding this attainment
determination, contact Mr. Sean
Lakeman, Regulatory Development
Section, Air Planning Branch, Air,
Pesticides and Toxics Management
Division, U.S. Environmental Protection
E:\FR\FM\15DEP1.SGM
15DEP1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 241 (Thursday, December 15, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 77942-77950]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-32009]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
POSTAL SERVICE
39 CFR Part 121
Service Standards for Market-Dominant Mail Products
AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Postal Service seeks public comment on proposed revisions
to the service standards for market-dominant mail products. The most
significant revision would largely eliminate overnight service for
First-Class Mail.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 13, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed to Manager, Industry
Engagement and Outreach, United States Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant
Plaza SW., Room 4107, Washington, DC 20260-4107, or transmitted by
email to industryfeedback@usps.com. Copies of all comments will be
available for inspection and photocopying at the Postal Service
Headquarters Library, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW., 11th Floor North,
Washington, DC 20260, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday,
by appointment (please call (202) 268-5585 to schedule an appointment).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wendy Hocking, Industry Engagement and
Outreach, at (202) 268-8149; or Emily Rosenberg, Network Analytics, at
(202) 268-5585.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Advance Notice
III. Comments
IV. Response to Comments
V. Proposed Revisions to Service Standards
A. Service Standards Generally
B. First-Class Mail
C. Periodicals
D. Standard Mail and Package Services
VI. Request for Comments
I. Introduction
On September 21, 2011, the Postal Service published an advance
notice of proposed rulemaking (the Advance Notice) in the Federal
Register soliciting public comment on a conceptual proposal to revise
service standards for market-dominant products.\1\ The comment period
for the Advance Notice closed on October 21, 2011. Having developed the
concept into a concrete proposal, the Postal Service is now publishing
and soliciting public comment on proposed revisions to the service
standard regulations contained in 39 CFR part 121. Pursuant to 39
U.S.C. 3661(b), the Postal Service has also requested an advisory
opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission regarding the proposed
revisions.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Proposal to Revise Service Standards for First-Class Mail,
Periodicals, and Standard Mail, 76 FR 58433 (Sept. 21, 2011).
\2\ Request of the United States Postal Service for an Advisory
Opinion on Changes in the Nature of Postal Services, Docket No.
N2012-1 (Dec. 5, 2011). Documents pertaining to the Request are
available at the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) Web site, https://www.prc.gov, under Docket No. N2012-1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
II. Advance Notice
In the Advance Notice, the Postal Service explained that the
growing excess capacity in its mail processing network has led it to
consider significantly consolidating that network. The excess capacity
stems largely from falling mail volumes, particularly in First-Class
Mail. Annual First-Class Mail volume peaked in 2001 at 103.7 billion
pieces; it has fallen about 30 billion pieces since then, or 29
percent. The Postal Service's mail processing network was designed
principally to achieve First-Class Mail service standards, and the
decline in First-Class Mail volume has made it difficult for the Postal
Service to consolidate the network quickly enough to align with current
volumes.
The Postal Service stated in the Advance Notice that further
changes to align the mail processing network will for the most part be
unachievable without a relaxation of certain market-dominant service
standards, particularly for First-Class Mail. The Postal Service set
forth a proposal to eliminate the overnight service standard for First-
Class Mail, narrow the product's two-day delivery range, and enlarge
its three-day delivery range. The proposal also contemplated similar
changes to the Periodicals service standards, because those service
standards are linked to First-Class Mail service standards. The Postal
Service further noted that the proposal could entail minor changes to
Standard Mail service standards, and it stated that all Postal Service
products could experience changes in specific 3-digit ZIP Code origin-
destination pairs' transit times.
The Postal Service explained in the Advance Notice that the
proposal could make possible a significant modification of the mail
processing network, better
[[Page 77943]]
aligning the network with current and future mail volumes, and that the
proposal could lead to significant cost savings. The Postal Service
also described some of the effects the proposal could have on mail
users. The Postal Service solicited public comment on all aspects of
the proposal.
III. Comments
The Postal Service received over 4,200 comments in response to the
Advance Notice, from a variety of sources, including retail customers,
small businesses, periodicals publishers, parcel shippers, nonprofit
mailers, commercial mail advertisers, mailer trade associations, postal
unions and associations, state and local governments, members of
Congress, and others. The majority of commenters expressed opposition
to the proposal. Some commenters, while not opposed to the proposal,
raised concerns regarding it. Some commenters requested more
information. A minority of commenters supported the proposal.
Commenters who opposed the proposal cited a number of reasons for
their opposition. Some stated that the current service standards
constitute an essential component of the mail, without which the mail
would lose its utility to those who rely upon it most, such as the
elderly, those who cannot access the internet, and those who live in
rural areas. They pointed out that the proposal could cause delayed
receipt of vital checks and medicines and could lead to more late fees
being levied by financial institutions. They stated that the proposal
would lead to lower mail volumes and revenue for the Postal Service,
would hurt many businesses that rely on the mail, and would damage the
economy generally. Numerous commenters expressed concern regarding the
impact that the closures of processing facilities would have on local
communities.
Some commenters questioned whether the Postal Service's financial
difficulties are significant enough to require major changes. Others
suggested that the Postal Service seek to improve its financial
position through other means, such as pricing and legislative changes,
rather than lengthen service standards. Some commenters stated that the
proposal violates the statutes governing the Postal Service, and they
questioned whether the Postal Service has considered all of the
requisite statutory factors in forming its proposal.
Commenters also requested more information about the proposal.
Commenters asked for a calculation of the cost savings and revenue loss
that would result from the proposal. They stated that the mailing
industry needs comprehensive information on how the proposal would
alter the service standards between each 3-digit ZIP Code origin-
destination pair and Critical Entry Times. They requested an
implementation timeline, including the sequence in which facilities
would be closed.
Some commenters questioned whether the Postal Service would be able
to maintain its current on-time delivery performance, given the longer
distances that mail will be transported to and from processing
facilities. Many mailers expressed concern regarding how Business Mail
Entry Units (BMEUs) and Detached Mail Units (DMUs) would be affected by
the proposal; for example, they asked whether BMEUs would be maintained
at sites where processing facilities are closed, and whether ``stand-
alone'' BMEUs might be established in more central locations. Mailers
expressed concern that, after the consolidation of a significant number
of processing facilities, there could be congestion at the loading
docks of the remaining facilities.
Mailers sought clarification on how the Postal Service will
transition customer mailing accounts if acceptance units are closed or
consolidated, and whether existing permits could continue to be used at
new acceptance units. Some mailers inquired whether the Postal Service
would create single permits for customers that mail at multiple origin
offices. More generally, many commenters asked how the Postal Service
would communicate the changes associated with the proposal both to
commercial customers and to the public at large.
IV. Response to Comments
The Postal Service has decided to continue pursuing the proposal,
with some changes, by issuing proposed rules.\3\ The Postal Service
acknowledges that the proposal would cause difficulty for some
customers, and would, to some degree, reduce the value of the mail to
customers. However, it believes that, on balance, the proposal is in
the long-term interests of the Postal Service, and that it will help
maintain the viability of the Postal Service for all customers into the
future. The Postal Service believes that the proposal conforms to the
policies of Title 39 and, in particular, to the factors and objectives
set forth in subsections (b)(1) and (c) of 39 U.S.C. 3691 for designing
and revising market-dominant service standards.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ The proposal, as modified, is described in detail in Section
V.
\4\ A lengthier discussion of how the proposal conforms to the
policies of Title 39 and to the factors and objectives set forth in
subsections (b)(1) and (c) of 39 U.S.C. 3691 is contained in the
Postal Service's request to the PRC for an advisory opinion. See
Request of the United States Postal Service for an Advisory Opinion
on Changes in the Nature of Postal Services, Docket No. N2012-1
(Dec. 5, 2011); see also Direct Testimony of David Williams on
Behalf of the United States Postal Service (USPS-T-1), Docket No.
N2012-1 (Dec. 5, 2011), available at https://www.prc.gov.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The primary reality driving the proposal is the decline in First-
Class Mail volume. As noted above, annual First-Class Mail volume has
declined 29 percent over the last decade. The Postal Service expects
this volume to decline faster in the next decade--the Postal Service
forecasts annual First-Class Mail volume to fall from 73.5 billion
pieces in 2011 to 39 billion pieces in 2020, a decline of 47 percent
from the 2011 level. The mail processing network was designed
principally to achieve First-Class Mail service standards, and if the
network does not undergo significant consolidation, it will be vastly
oversized for the amount of First-Class Mail volume it processes. As
the Postal Service has stated, a significant consolidation of the mail
processing network is not possible without adjusting market-dominant
service standards.
In regard to commenters' concern that the proposal will exacerbate
volume declines, the Postal Service has conducted market research to
determine how retail and commercial customers would react to the
proposal. Based on this market research, the Postal Service estimates
that the proposal will lead to an additional 1.9 percent decline in
First-Class Mail (approximately 1.5 billion pieces), based on 2010
volume.\5\ In light of the forecast 47 percent decline in annual First-
Class Mail volume by 2020, the Postal Service believes that the
additional 1.9 percent decline is, while unfortunate, acceptable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ A full description of the market research is contained in
testimony filed at the PRC. See Direct Testimony of Greg Whiteman on
Behalf of the United States Postal Service (USPS-T-12), Docket No.
N2012-1 (Dec. 5, 2011), available at https://www.prc.gov.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Postal Service has also calculated the cost savings that will
likely accrue to the Postal Service upon full implementation of the
proposal, by reviewing all of the operational changes that would occur
if the proposal were to be implemented, and then quantifying the costs
that would be saved as a result of those changes. The Postal Service
believes that these cost savings will total
[[Page 77944]]
approximately $2.6 billion annually.\6\ The data produced by the Postal
Service's market research indicate that the proposal would lead to an
annual loss of $1.3 billion in revenue, which translates to $0.5
billion in lost contribution. Subtracting this contribution loss from
the cost savings yields a net annual benefit of $2.1 billion to the
Postal Service. Given the multi-billion dollar deficits that the Postal
Service has experienced in each of the last five years, and given the
over $14 billion dollar loss it expects in 2012,\7\ capturing cost
savings wherever possible will be vital to the Postal Service's
financial viability. The Postal Service believes that the present
proposal's estimated $2.1 billion in net annual benefit will, along
with other initiatives and measures, help return the Postal Service to
a fiscally sound position.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Full descriptions of the cost savings calculations are
contained in testimony filed at the PRC. See Direct Testimony of
Marc Smith on Behalf of the United States Postal Service (USPS-T-9),
and Direct Testimony of Michael Bradley on Behalf of the United
States Postal Service (USPS-T-10), Docket No. N2012-1 (Dec. 5,
2011), available at https://www.prc.gov.
\7\ Some commenters stated that, if the statutory burden of an
accelerated prefunding schedule for the Retiree Health Benefits Fund
were lifted, the Postal Service would be in a financially sound
position. In response, the Postal Service notes that, if it no
longer had to make any prefunding payments to the Retiree Health
Benefits Fund, it would still experience a projected financial loss
of $3 billion in 2012.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To provide detail on the potential impact of the proposal on the
service standards between specific 3-digit ZIP Code origin-destination
pairs, the Postal Service has published an illustrative Service
Standard Directory (SSD) at https://about.usps.com/news/facility-studies/. The SSD lists the service standards that would exist in a
potential realigned network. Because the proposal could change prior to
implementation or possibly not be implemented, and because the actual
changes that ultimately occur will depend on the outcome of numerous
Area Mail Processing studies, the SSD list is only hypothetical and
illustrative. For the same reasons, the Postal Service does not
presently have an implementation timeline or a planned sequence in
which facilities would be closed.
The Postal Service believes that, if the proposal is implemented,
the Postal Service will achieve the same rates of success in meeting
the new service standards as it currently achieves in meeting the
existing service standards. In response to mailers' concerns regarding
BMEUs, the Postal Service will, wherever practicable, retain BMEUs in
facilities where processing operations are eliminated. Where this is
not practicable, the Postal Service will set up new acceptance units
within relatively close geographical proximity to the original
facilities. In regard to mailers' concerns about congestion at the
loading docks of remaining facilities, the Postal Service will adjust
local staffing levels and facility capacity as necessary to avoid
congestion. In addition, Plant-Verified Drop Ship appointment windows
in the Facility Access and Shipment Tracking system will be adjusted as
necessary to support shifting volumes across the network. In regard to
mailers' concerns about permits, the Postal Service will allow
customers to maintain their existing permit account numbers from
eliminated sites for use at the remaining sites. Customers will also be
able to continue using existing indicia.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ A full description of the impact of the proposal on the
entry of commercial mail is contained in testimony filed at the PRC.
See Direct Testimony of Pritha N. Mehra on Behalf of the United
States Postal Service (USPS-T-7), Docket No. N2012-1 (Dec. 5, 2011),
available at https://www.prc.gov.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the Postal Service moves forward with the proposal, it is
committed to communicating its plans in a clear and simple manner.
V. Proposed Revisions to Service Standards
The Postal Service's market-dominant service standards are
contained in 39 CFR part 121. The proposed revised version of 39 CFR
part 121 appears at the end of this Notice. The following is a summary
of the proposed revisions.
A. Service Standards Generally
Before describing how service standards will be revised, it is
important to understand how service standards are structured. Service
standards are comprised of two components: (1) A delivery day range
within which all mail in a given product is expected to be delivered;
\9\ and (2) business rules that determine, within a product's
applicable day range, the specific number of delivery days after
acceptance of a mail piece by which a customer can expect that piece to
be delivered, based on the 3-Digit ZIP Code prefixes associated with
the piece's point of entry into the mail stream and its delivery
address.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ There are separate delivery day ranges for mail within the
contiguous forty-eight states and mail that originates or destinates
outside the contiguous forty-eight states.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Business rules are based on Critical Entry Times (CETs). The CET is
the latest time on a particular day that a mail piece can be entered
into the postal network and still have its service standard calculated
based on that day (this day is termed ``day-zero''). In other words, if
a piece is entered before the CET, its service standard is calculated
from the day of entry, whereas if it is entered after the CET, its
service standard is calculated from the following day.\10\ For example,
if the applicable CET is 5 p.m., and a letter is entered at 4 p.m. on a
Tuesday, its service standard will be calculated from Tuesday, whereas
if the letter is entered at 6 p.m. on a Tuesday, its service standard
will be calculated from Wednesday.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ If the following day is a Sunday or holiday, then the
service standard is calculated from the next Postal Service delivery
day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
CETs are not contained in 39 CFR part 121, because they vary based
on where mail is entered, the mail's level of preparation, and other
factors. The CETs at retail collection points are generally listed at
those points.\11\ For example, blue collection boxes list the time of
day when mail is collected from them by the Postal Service; if a blue
collection box lists three pick-up times on one day, the CET for that
day is the latest listed pick-up time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ The CET for outgoing mail left in a residential customer's
mailbox for pick-up by the customer's carrier obviously varies based
on the carrier's schedule. The same is true for collection boxes
that are part of residential delivery cluster boxes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Postal Service has noted below certain new CETs it plans to
institute if it determines to implement the proposed rules. The CETs
could, of course, be modified in the future, as the operating
environment that the Postal Service faces changes over time.
B. First-Class Mail
The Postal Service is not proposing to change the first component
of the First-Class Mail service standards, namely the delivery day
range applicable to First-Class Mail in general. As is currently the
case, the delivery day range for First-Class Mail that originates and
destinates in the contiguous forty-eight states will technically remain
one to three days, and the delivery day range for First-Class Mail that
originates or destinates in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S.
Virgin Islands, or other U.S. territories will technically remain one
to five days.
The Postal Service is, however, proposing to change the second
component of the First-Class Mail service standards, namely the
business rules. The most significant effect of these changes will be to
drastically reduce the amount of First-Class Mail that qualifies for an
overnight service standard. Under the current First-Class Mail
overnight business rule, intra-Sectional Center Facility (SCF) mail is
subject to overnight delivery if it is
[[Page 77945]]
entered before the applicable day-zero CET.\12\ Mail is ``intra-SCF''
if its destination is within its designated SCF's delivery area. The
current overnight business rule also includes criteria establishing an
overnight service standard for some inter-SCF mail entered before the
CET, depending on the mail's destination.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ The rule has an exception that excludes from overnight
service some mail outside of the contiguous forty-eight states,
specifically: Mail between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands;
and mail originating and destinating in the Alaska 3-digit ZIP Codes
996, 997, 998, and 999, and in the Alaska 5-digit ZIP Codes 99540 to
99591.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under the proposed revisions to the First-Class Mail overnight
business rule, overnight service would be accorded only to intra-SCF
Presort First-Class Mail that is entered at the SCF prior to the
CET.\13\ Overnight service would not be accorded to any mail that is
entered anywhere other than the designated SCF, it would not be
accorded to any mail whose destination is outside the delivery area of
the SCF (i.e., inter-SCF), and it would not be accorded to any mail
that does not meet all of the preparation requirements for Presort
mail. The CET at the SCF would be 8 a.m., with a 12 p.m. exception that
would be available only to intra-SCF Presort First-Class Mail that is
sorted and containerized to the 5-digit Zip Code or 5-digit scheme
level.\14\ Pursuant to these revisions, overnight service would no
longer be available to any First-Class Mail entered by retail
customers, regardless of when or where such mail is entered.\15\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\13\ The rule will retain the exception that the current rule
has to exclude from overnight service some mail outside of the
contiguous forty-eight states. However, the exception will be
expanded to also include the Alaska 5-digit ZIP Codes 99592 to
99599. These ZIP Codes are currently unassigned, but they may be
assigned in the future.
\14\ A ``scheme'' is a collection of multiple 5-digit ZIP Codes
that are processed on a single sort program.
\15\ As is the case currently, First-Class Mail entered by
retail customers would have varying CETs based on the point of
entry. Because mail entered by retail customers cannot meet the
preparation requirements for Presort mail, such mail would be
ineligible for overnight service.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intra-SCF mail that is entered before the day-zero CET but does not
meet the criteria for overnight service would be accorded a two-day
service standard. The First-Class Mail two-day business rule would be
revised accordingly. In addition, the current First-Class Mail two-day
business rule covers any mail piece entered before the day-zero CET if
the driving time between the piece's origin Processing and Distribution
Center or Facility (P&DC/F) and its destination Area Distribution
Center (ADC) is twelve hours or less (and the piece does not qualify
for the overnight standard). This criterion would be revised to a four
hour driving time between the piece's origin P&DC/F and its destination
SCF.\16\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\16\ The current business rule measures the driving time based
on the destination ADC. After the proposed consolidation of so many
facilities, the Postal Service believes it will be able to sort
First-Class Mail at the origin to the SCF level, which is a further
level of sortation than the ADC level. Therefore, mail will
generally bypass ADCs and be transported directly to SCFs. For this
reason, the proposed business rule measures the driving time based
on the destination SCF.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
All First-Class Mail that qualifies for a two-day service standard
under the current two-day business rule, but would not qualify for a
two-day service standard under the proposed two-day business rule, will
qualify for a three-day standard. The three-, four-, and five-day
business rules for First-Class Mail will not be revised. Any First-
Class Mail that currently qualifies for a three-, four-, or five-day
service standard will retain its current service standard under the
proposed rules.\17\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\17\ There will be limited, exceptional cases where, as a result
of the proposed network changes, the service standards between
certain origin-destination pairs will change from three days to two
days.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Postal Service is not proposing any changes to the service
standards for First-Class Mail International beyond the changes
described above for domestic First-Class Mail. The new domestic transit
time for First-Class Mail International will mirror the new domestic
transit time for domestic First-Class Mail.
C. Periodicals
The Postal Service is not proposing to change the delivery day
range for Periodicals mailed within the contiguous forty-eight states,
but it is proposing to change the delivery day range for Periodicals
that originate or destinate outside the contiguous forty-eight states.
The Postal Service proposes extending such mail's maximum delivery
period from the current twenty days to a proposed twenty-six days, to
more accurately reflect the service that is received by such mail.\18\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\18\ Outside the contiguous forty-eight states, mail is often
dependent on transportation that does not run daily (e.g., certain
boat and air-taxi services used by the Postal Service operate only
on certain days of the week). For this reason, the service accorded
to such mail varies widely and is often much longer than stated in
the current service standards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Postal Service is also proposing to change the Periodicals
business rules. There are separate business rules for end-to-end
Periodicals and destination-entry Periodicals.
1. End-to-End Periodicals
Under the current overnight business rule for end-to-end
Periodicals, intra-SCF mail is subject to overnight delivery if it is
entered before the applicable day-zero CET and its origin P&DC/F and
SCF are located in the same building.\19\ Under the proposed overnight
business rule, overnight service would be limited to pieces that are
intra-SCF, Presort, not mixed with any inter-SCF pieces, and entered at
the SCF prior to the CET.\20\ The differences between the current and
proposed rules, then, are that the proposed rule adds requirements that
the mail be Presort, that it not be mixed with inter-SCF mail, and that
it be entered at the designated SCF.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\19\ As with the First-Class Mail overnight business rule, the
Periodicals overnight business rule has an exception that excludes
from overnight service mail between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands, and mail originating and destinating in the Alaska 3-digit
ZIP Codes 996, 997, 998, and 999, and in the Alaska 5-digit ZIP
Codes 99540 to 99591.
\20\ The rule will retain the exception that the current rule
has to exclude from overnight service some mail outside of the
contiguous forty-eight states. However, the exception will be
expanded to also include the Alaska 5-digit ZIP Codes 99592 to
99599. These ZIP Codes are currently unassigned, but they may be
assigned in the future.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Further, some of the end-to-end Periodicals CETs will change. The
current CETs at facilities that do not employ the Flats Sequencing
System (non-FSS facilities) are 4 p.m. for mailings that require the
Postal Service to perform a bundle sort, and 5 p.m. for mailings that
do not require the Postal Service to perform a bundle sort. These CETs
would be changed to 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively. The current CETs
at FSS facilities--8 a.m. for mailings that require a bundle sort, and
11 a.m. for mailings that do not require a bundle sort--will remain
unchanged.
The Postal Service is proposing to insert a new, two-day business
rule for end-to-end Periodicals to cover all intra-SCF mail that is
entered prior to the CET and does not meet the requirements of the
proposed overnight business rule.\21\ Thus, end-to-end Periodicals mail
pieces that meet the requirements of the current overnight business
rule but do not meet the requirements of the proposed overnight
business rule will be accorded a two-day service standard.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\21\ The proposed end-to-end Periodicals two-day business rule
will have the same exception that the proposed end-to-end
Periodicals overnight business rule will have to exclude from
overnight service some mail outside of the contiguous forty-eight
states.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Consequently, the current two- to four-day business rule for end-
to-end Periodicals will be revised to become a three- to four-day
business rule. This rule will not be revised in any other way. The
current five- to nine-day business rule for end-to-end Periodicals will
not be revised. The current eight- to twenty-day business rule for end-
to-
[[Page 77946]]
end Periodicals will be revised to become an eleven- to twenty-six-day
business rule. This revision is being made so that the rule more
accurately reflects the service that is currently received by pieces
destinating outside the contiguous forty-eight states.\22\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\22\ This rule applies only to mail originating or destinating
outside the contiguous forty-eight states.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Destination-Entry Periodicals
The CETs for destination-entry Periodicals will be changed in the
same manner as the CETs for end-to-end Periodicals are changed. The
CETs at non-FSS facilities will change from 4 p.m. for mailings that
require a bundle sort, and 5 p.m. for mailings that do not require a
bundle sort, to 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively. The CETs at FSS
facilities will not change.
The business rules for destination-entry Periodicals will not be
revised in any significant fashion. The seven-day business rule will be
revised to become an eleven-day business rule, and the five- to eight-
day business rule will be revised to become an eight- to eleven-day
business rule. Both of these changes are being made so that the rules
more accurately reflect the service that is currently received by
pieces destinating outside the contiguous forty-eight states.\23\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\23\ In addition, the exception that the current two-day
business rule has to exclude from overnight service some mail
outside of the contiguous forty-eight states will be expanded in the
proposed two-day business rule to include the Alaska 5-digit ZIP
Codes 99592 to 99599. These ZIP Codes are currently unassigned, but
they may be assigned in the future.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
D. Standard Mail and Package Services
The Postal Service is not proposing any revisions to the service
standards for Standard Mail and Package Services pieces mailed within
the contiguous forty-eight states. The Postal Service is proposing to
revise the Standard Mail and Package Services service standards for
pieces that originate or destinate outside the contiguous forty-eight
states, to more accurately reflect the service that such pieces
receive. The Postal Service is proposing to extend Standard Mail's
maximum delivery period from the current twenty-two days to a proposed
twenty-seven days. In the Standard Mail business rules, the end-to-end
nine- to twenty-two-day rule would be revised to twelve to twenty-seven
days, and the destination-entry nine- to twelve-day rule would be
revised to twelve to fourteen days.
The Postal Service is proposing to extend Package Services' maximum
delivery period from the current twenty days to a proposed twenty-six
days. In the Package Services business rules, the end-to-end seven- to
twenty-day rule would be revised to ten to twenty-six days, and the
destination-entry seven- to eight-day rule would be revised to eleven
to twelve days.
VI. Request for Comments
The Postal Service requests comments on the proposed revisions to
39 CFR Part 121 and on the proposal generally. A more extensive
discussion of the proposal and its associated network and service
implications is available in the materials filed by the Postal Service
with the Postal Regulatory Commission in Docket No. N2012-1, at https://www.prc.gov. If the Postal Service determines to implement the
proposal, it will publish final rules in the Federal Register.
List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 121
Administrative practice and procedure, Postal Service.
Accordingly, for the reasons stated, the Postal Service proposes
the following revision to 39 CFR part 121:
PART 121--SERVICE STANDARDS FOR MARKET DOMINANT MAIL PRODUCTS
1. The authority citation for 39 CFR Part 121 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 1001, 3691.
2. Revise Part 121 to read as follows:
121.1 First-Class Mail
121.2 Periodicals
121.3 Standard Mail
121.4 Package Services
Appendix A to Part 121--Tables Depicting Service Standard Day Ranges
Sec. 121.1 First-Class Mail.
(a) For all intra-Sectional Center Facility (SCF) domestic Presort
First-Class Mail[supreg] pieces properly accepted at the designated SCF
prior to the established and published Critical Entry Time, the service
standard is 1-day (overnight), except for mail between Puerto Rico and
the U.S. Virgin Islands and intra-SCF mail originating and destinating
in the following 3-digit ZIP Code areas in Alaska or designated
portions thereof: 995 (5-digit ZIP Codes 99540 through 99599), 996,
997, 998 and 999. For all intra-SCF domestic Presort First Class Mail
five-digit or schemed container mail properly accepted at the
designated SCF prior to the established and published Critical Entry
Time, the service standard is 1-day (overnight), except for mail
between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and intra-SCF mail
originating and destinating in the following 3-digit ZIP Code areas in
Alaska or designated portions thereof: 995 (5-digit ZIP Codes 99540
through 99599), 996, 997, 998 and 999.
(b) A 2-day service standard is established for all domestic First-
Class Mail pieces properly accepted before the day-zero Critical Entry
Time at origin if a 1-day service standard is not required, and if the
origin PDC/F to SCF surface transportation drive time is 4 hours or
less; or if the origin and delivery address are separately in the
territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; or if the mail
is intra-SCF and originating from or destinating to one of the
following 3-digit ZIP Code areas in Alaska or designated portions
thereof: 995 (5-digit ZIP Code areas 99540 through 99599), 996, 997,
998, and 999.
(c) A 3-day service standard is established for all remaining
domestic First-Class Mail pieces properly accepted before the day-zero
Critical Entry Time at origin, if neither a 1-day nor a 2-day service
standard is required and:
(1) Both the origin SCF and the delivery address are within the
contiguous 48 states;
(2) The origin SCF is in the contiguous 48 states, and the delivery
address is in either of the following: the 995 3-digit ZIP Code area in
the state of Alaska, or the 968 3-digit ZIP Code area in the state of
Hawaii, or in the 006, 007, or 009 3-digit ZIP Code areas of the
territory of Puerto Rico;
(3) The origin is in the 006, 007 or 009 3-digit ZIP Code areas of
the territory of Puerto Rico and the delivery address is in the
contiguous 48 states;
(4) The origin SCF is in the state of Hawaii and the delivery
address is in the territory of Guam; the origin is in the territory of
Guam and the delivery address is in the state of Hawaii;
(5) Both the origin SCF and the delivery address are within the
state of Alaska; or
(6) The origin and delivery address are separately in the
territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(d) A 4-day service standard is established for all remaining
First-Class Mail pieces properly accepted before the day-zero Critical
Entry Time at origin, if either a 1-day, 2-day, or 3-day service
standard is not required, and if:
(1) The origin SCF is in the contiguous 48 states and the delivery
address is in either of the following: any portion of the state of
Alaska not in the 995 3-digit ZIP Code area; or any portion of the
state of Hawaii not in the 968 3-digit ZIP Code area; or the territory
of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(2) The delivery address is in the contiguous 48 states and the
origin is in either of the following: the state of
[[Page 77947]]
Alaska, the state of Hawaii, or the territory of the U.S. Virgin
Islands; or
(3) The origin and delivery address are in different states or
territories, excluding mail to and from the territory of Guam and mail
between the territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(e) A 5-day service standard is established for all remaining
domestic First-Class Mail pieces properly accepted before the day-zero
Critical Entry Time at origin, if those pieces originate in the
territory of Guam but are not destined for Guam or the state of Hawaii,
or if those pieces originate other than in Guam or Hawaii and are
destined for Guam.
(f) The service standard for Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail
InternationalTM pieces properly accepted before the day-zero
Critical Entry Time at origin is equivalent to the service standard for
domestic First-Class Mail from the same origin 3-digit ZIP Code to the
3-digit ZIP Code area in which that origin's designated International
Service Center is located.
(g) The service standard for Inbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail
International is equivalent to the service standard for domestic First-
Class Mail pieces from the 3-digit ZIP Code area in which that inbound
mail's designated International Service Center is located to the 3-
digit ZIP Code of the delivery address.
Sec. 121.2 Periodicals.
(a) End-to-End. (1) For all intra-Sectional Center Facility (SCF)
domestic Presort pieces properly accepted at the designated SCF prior
to the established and published Critical Entry Time, the service
standard is 1-day (overnight), except for mail between Puerto Rico and
the U.S. Virgin Islands and intra-SCF mail originating and destinating
in the following 3-digit ZIP Code areas in Alaska or designated
portions thereof: 995 (5-digit ZIP Codes 99540 through 99599), 996,
997, 998 and 999. For all intra-Sectional Center Facility (SCF)
domestic Presort five-digit or schemed container mail properly accepted
at the designated SCF prior to the established and published Critical
Entry Time, the service standard is 1-day (overnight), except for mail
between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and intra-SCF mail
originating and destinating in the following 3-digit ZIP Code areas in
Alaska or designated portions thereof: 995 (5-digit ZIP Codes 99540
through 99599), 996, 997, 998 and 999.
(2) For all SCF turnaround Periodicals properly accepted before the
established and published day-zero Critical Entry Time at origin, where
the origin P&DC/F and SCF are in the same building, the service
standard is 2 days, except for mail between the territories of Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and mail originating or destinating
in the following 3-digit ZIP Code areas within the state of Alaska or
designated portions thereof: 995 (5-digit ZIP Code areas 99540 through
99599), 996, 997, 998, and 999.
(3) The Periodicals service standard is the sum of the applicable
(2-to-3-day) First-Class Mail service standard plus one day, for each
3-digit ZIP Code origin-destination pair for which Periodicals are
accepted before the day zero Critical Entry Time at origin and merged
with First-Class Mail pieces for surface transportation (as defined by
the Periodicals Origin Split and First-Class Mail mixed Area
Distribution Center/Automated Area Distribution Center (ADC/AADC)
Domestic Mail Manual label list L201).
(4) The Periodicals service standard for mail between the
territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands is 3 days.
(5) The Periodicals service standard for mail between the state of
Hawaii and the territory of Guam is 4 days.
(6) The Periodicals service standard for intra-Alaska mail that is
not overnight is 3 to 4 days for the following 3-digit ZIP Code areas
or designated portions thereof: 995 (5-digit ZIP Code areas 99540
through 99599), 996, 997, 998, and 999.
(7) The Periodicals service standard for each remaining 3-digit ZIP
Code origin-destination pair within the contiguous 48 states, for which
Periodicals are accepted before the day zero Critical Entry Time at
origin, is the sum of 4 or 5 days, plus the number of additional days
(from 1 to 4) required for surface transportation between each 3-digit
ZIP Code origin-destination pair.
(8) The Periodicals service standard for each remaining 3-digit ZIP
Code origin-destination pair, for which Periodicals are accepted before
the day zero Critical Entry Time at origin, is the sum of 4 or 5 days,
plus the number of additional days (from 7 to 21) required for
intermodal (highway, boat, air-taxi) transportation outside of the
contiguous 48 states for each 3-digit ZIP Code origin-destination pair.
(b) Destination Entry. (1) Periodicals that qualify for a
Destination Delivery Unit (DDU) or Destination Sectional Center
Facility (DSCF) rate, and that are accepted before the day-zero
Critical Entry Time at the proper DDU or DSCF, have a 1-day (overnight)
service standard, except for mail dropped at the SCF in the territory
of Puerto Rico and destined for the territory of the U.S. Virgin
Islands, and intra SCF mail in the following 3-digit ZIP Code areas in
the state of Alaska or designated portions thereof: 995 (5-digit ZIP
Code areas 99540 through 99599), 996, 997, 998 and 999.
(2) Periodicals that qualify for a Destination Area Distribution
Center (DADC) rate, and that are accepted before the day zero Critical
Entry Time at the proper DADC, unless the ADC is located with the
contiguous 48 states and the destination is not, and where the DADC and
DSCF are not the same building, have a 2-day service standard, unless
the destination is the Alaska 997 3-digit ZIP Code area. Mail that
qualifies for a Destination Sectional Center Facility (DSCF) rate has a
2-day service standard, if it is accepted before the day-zero Critical
Entry Time, and the mail is dropped at the SCF in the territory of
Puerto Rico and is destined for the territory of the U.S. Virgin
Islands; or if the mail is intra-SCF in the following 3-digit ZIP Code
areas of the state of Alaska: 996, 998 and 999. Periodicals that
qualify for a DADC rate, and that are accepted before the day zero
Critical Entry Time at the Alaska 997 DADC have a 3-day service
standard.
(3) Periodicals that qualify for a Destination Network Distribution
Center containerized rate, that are accepted before the day-zero
Critical Entry Time at the proper destination NDC in the contiguous 48
states, and that are addressed for delivery in the contiguous 48
states, have a service standard of 1 or 2 days, corresponding to the
standard for mail qualifying for the destination ADC rate, based on
whether the destination ADC and SCF are the same building.
(4) Periodicals that qualify for a Destination Area Distribution
Center (DADC) rate and that are accepted before the day zero Critical
Entry Time at the proper DADC in the contiguous 48 states for delivery
to addresses in the state of Alaska have a service standard of 11 days.
(5) Periodicals that qualify for a Destination Network Distribution
Center containerized rate, that are accepted before the day-zero
Critical Entry Time at the proper destination NDC in the contiguous 48
states, and that are addressed for delivery in the states of Alaska or
Hawaii, or the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin
Islands, have a service standard of 8 to 11 days, corresponding to the
standard for mail qualifying for the destination ADC rate, which is
based on the number of days required for transportation outside of the
contiguous 48 states and whether the destination ADC and SCF are the
same building.
[[Page 77948]]
Sec. 121.3 Standard Mail.
(a) End-to-End. (1) The service standard for Sectional Center
Facility (SCF) turnaround Standard Mail[supreg] pieces accepted at
origin before the day zero Critical Entry Time is 3 days when the
origin Processing & Distribution Center/Facility (OPD&C/F) and the SCF
are the same building, except for mail between the territories of
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(2) The service standard for Area Distribution Center (ADC)
turnaround Standard Mail pieces accepted at origin before the day zero
Critical Entry Time is 4 days when the OPD&C/F and the ADC are the same
building, unless the ADC is in the contiguous 48 states and the
delivery address is not, or when the mail is between the territories of
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(3) The service standard for intra-Network Distribution Center
(NDC) Standard Mail pieces accepted at origin before the day zero
Critical Entry Time is 5 days for each remaining 3-digit ZIP Code
origin-destination pair within the same Network Distribution Center
service area if the origin and destination are within the contiguous 48
states; the same standard applies to mail that is intra-Alaska, intra-
Hawaii, or between the state of Hawaii and the territory of Guam.
(4) For each remaining 3-digit ZIP Code origin-destination pair
within the contiguous 48 states, the service standard for Standard Mail
pieces accepted at origin before the day zero Critical Entry Time is
the sum of 5 or 6 days plus the number of additional days (from 1 to 4)
required for surface transportation between each 3-digit ZIP Code
origin-destination pair.
(5) For each remaining 3-digit ZIP Code origin-destination pair,
the service standard for Standard Mail pieces accepted at origin before
the day zero Critical Entry Time is the sum of 5 or 6 days plus the
number of additional days (from 7 to 21) required for intermodal
(highway, boat, air-taxi) transportation outside of the contiguous 48
states for each 3-digit ZIP Code origin-destination pair.
(b) Destination Entry. (1) Standard Mail pieces that qualify for a
Destination Delivery Unit (DDU) rate and that are accepted before the
day zero Critical Entry Time at the proper DDU have a 2-day service
standard.
(2) Standard Mail pieces that qualify for a Destination Sectional
Center Facility (DSCF) rate and that are accepted before the day zero
Critical Entry Time at the proper DSCF have a 3-day service standard,
except for mail dropped at the SCF in the territory of Puerto Rico and
destined for the territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(3) Standard Mail pieces that qualify for a Destination Sectional
Center Facility (DSCF) rate, and that are accepted before the day zero
Critical Entry Time at the SCF in the territory of Puerto Rico, have a
4-day service standard if destined for the territory of the U.S. Virgin
Islands.
(4) Standard Mail pieces that qualify for a Destination Network
Distribution Center (DNDC) rate, and that are accepted before the day
zero Critical Entry Time at the proper DNDC have a 5-day service
standard, if both the origin and the destination are in the contiguous
48 states.
(5) Standard Mail pieces that qualify for a Destination Network
Distribution Center (DNDC) rate, and that are accepted before the day
zero Critical Entry Time at the proper DNDC in the contiguous 48 states
for delivery to addresses in the states of Alaska or Hawaii or the
territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, have a
service standard of 12-14 days, depending on the 3-digit origin-
destination ZIP Code pair. For each such pair, the applicable day
within the range is based on the number of days required for
transportation outside of the contiguous 48 states.
Sec. 121.4 Package Services.
(a) End-to-End. (1) The service standard for Sectional Center
Facility (SCF) turnaround Package Services mail accepted at the origin
SCF before the day zero Critical Entry Time is 2 days when the origin
Processing & Distribution Center/Facility and the SCF are the same
building, except for mail between the territories of Puerto Rico and
the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(2) The service standard for intra-Network Distribution Center
(NDC) Package Services mail accepted at origin before the day zero
Critical Entry Time is 3 days, for each remaining (non-intra-SCF) 3-
digit ZIP Code origin-destination pair within a Network Distribution
Center service area, where the origin and destination is within the
contiguous 48 states and is not served by an Auxiliary Service
Facility; and for mail between the territories of Puerto Rico and the
U.S. Virgin Islands.
(3) The service standard for intra-Network Distribution Center
(NDC) Package Services mail accepted at origin before the day zero
Critical Entry Time is 4 days for each remaining 3-digit ZIP Code
origin-destination pair within a Network Distribution Center service
area, where the destination delivery address is served by an Auxiliary
Service Facility; the same standard applies to all remaining intra-
Alaska mail and mail between the state of Hawaii and the territory of
Guam.
(4) For each remaining 3-digit ZIP Code origin-destination pair
within the contiguous 48 states, the service standard for Package
Services mail accepted at origin before the day zero Critical Entry
Time is between 5 and 8 days. For each such 3-digit ZIP Code origin-
destination pair, this is the sum of 4 days, plus the number of
additional days (from 1 to 4) required for surface transportation
between each 3-digit ZIP Code origin-destination pair, plus an
additional day if the destination delivery address is served by an
Auxiliary Service Facility.
(5) For each remaining 3-digit ZIP Code origin-destination pair for
which either the origin or the destination is outside of the contiguous
48 states, the service standard for Package Services mail accepted at
origin before the day zero Critical Entry Time is between 10 and 26
days. For each such 3-digit ZIP Code origin-destination pair, this
represents the sum of 3 to 4 days, plus the number of days (ranging
from 7 to 22) required for intermodal (highway, boat, air-taxi)
transportation between each 3-digit ZIP Code origin-destination pair.
(6) The service standard for Inbound Surface Parcel Post[supreg]
pieces (subject to Universal Postal Union rates) is the same as the
service standard for domestic Package Services mail from the 3-digit
ZIP Code area in which the International Network Distribution Center is
located to the 3-digit ZIP Code in which the delivery address is
located.
(b) Destination Entry. (1) Package Services mail that qualifies for
a Destination Delivery Unit (DDU) rate, and that is accepted before the
day zero Critical Entry Time at the proper DDU, has a 1-day (overnight)
service standard.
(2) Package Services mail that qualifies for a Destination
Sectional Center Facility (DSCF) rate, and that is accepted before the
day zero Critical Entry Time at the proper DSCF, has a 2-day service
standard, except for mail dropped at the SCF in the territory of Puerto
Rico and destined for the territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(3) Package Services mail that qualifies for a Destination Network
Distribution Center (DNDC) rate, which is accepted before the day zero
Critical Entry Time at the proper DNDC or Destination Auxiliary Service
Facility, and that originates and destinates in the contiguous 48
states, has a 3-day service standard. Mail that qualifies for a
Destination Sectional Center Facility (DSCF) discount, and that is
accepted before the day zero Critical Entry Time
[[Page 77949]]
at the SCF in the territory of Puerto Rico, has a 3-day service
standard if it is destined for the territory of the U.S. Virgin
Islands.
(4) Package Services mail that qualifies for a Destination Network
Distribution Center (DNDC) rate, and that is accepted before the day
zero Critical Entry Time at the proper DNDC in the contiguous 48 states
for delivery to addresses in the states of Alaska or Hawaii, or the
territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands has a
service standard of either 11 or 12 days, depending on the 3-digit ZIP
Code origin-destination pair. For each such pair, the applicable day
within the range is based on the number of days required for
transportation outside of the contiguous 48 states.
Appendix A to Part 121--Tables Depicting Service Standard Day Ranges
The following tables reflect the service standard day ranges
resulting from the application of the business rules applicable to the
market-dominant mail products referenced in Sec. Sec. 121.1 through
121.4:
Table 1--End-to-End Service Standard Day Ranges for Mail Originating and
Destinating Within the Contiguous 48 States and the District of Columbia
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contiguous United States
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
End-to-
Mail class end range
(days)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
First-Class Mail............................................. 1-3
Periodicals.................................................. 1-9
Standard Mail................................................ 3-10
Package Services............................................. 2-8
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 2--End-to-End Service Standard Day Ranges for Mail Originating and/or Destinating Within the States of
Alaska and Hawaii, and the Territories of Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alaska, Hawaii & Guam, Puerto Rico & USVI
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End-to-end
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intra state/territory To/from contiguous 48 To/from states of Alaska
--------------------------- states and Hawaii, and the
--------------------------- territories of Guam,
Mail class Puerto Rico and the U.S.
Puerto Virgin Islands
Alaska Hawaii Rico & Hawaii Puerto --------------------------
& Guam USVI Alaska & Guam Rico & Puerto
USVI Alaska Hawaii Rico &
& Guam USVI
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First-Class Mail............... 1-3 1-3 1-2 3-4 3-5 3-4 4-5 4-5 4-5
Periodicals.................... 1-4 1-4 1-3 13-19 12-22 11-16 21-25 21-26 23-26
Standard Mail.................. *3-5 3-5 3-4 14-20 13-23 12-17 23-26 23-27 24-27
Package Services............... 2-4 2-4 2-3 12-18 11-21 10-15 21-26 20-26 20-24
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Excluding bypass mail.
Table 3--Destination Entry Service Standard Day Ranges for Mail to the
Contiguous 48 States and the District of Columbia
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contiguous United States
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Destination entry (at appropriate
facility)
Mail class ---------------------------------------
DDU SCF ADC NDC
(days) (days) (days) (days)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Periodicals..................... 1 1 1-2 1-2
Standard Mail................... 2 3 ........ 5
Package Services................ 1 2 ........ 3
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 4--Destination Entry Service Standard Day Ranges for Mail to the States of Alaska and Hawaii, and the Territories of Guam, Puerto Rico and the
U.S. Virgin Islands
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alaska, Hawaii & Guam, Puerto Rico & USVI
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Destination entry (at appropriate facility)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCF (days) ADC (days) NDC (days)
Mail class ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DDU Puerto Puerto Puerto
(days) Alaska Hawaii Rico & Alaska Hawaii & Rico & Alaska Hawaii Rico &
& Guam USVIA Guam USVIA & Guam USVIA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Periodicals............................................... 1 1-2 1 1-2 1-3 (AK) 1 (HI) 2 1-2 10-11 10 8-10
11 (JNU) (GU)
11 (KTN)
Standard Mail............................................. 2 3 3 3-4 ......... ......... ....... 14 13 12
[[Page 77950]]
Package Services.......................................... 1 2 2 2-3 ......... ......... ....... 12 11 11
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AK = Alaska 3-digit ZIP Codes 995-997; JNU = Juneau AK 3-digit ZIP Code 998; KTN = Ketchikan AK 3-digit ZIP Code 999; HI = Hawaii 3-digit ZIP Codes 967
and 968; GU = Guam 3-digit ZIP Code 969.
Stanley F. Mires,
Attorney, Legal Policy & Legislative Advice.
[FR Doc. 2011-32009 Filed 12-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P
