Service Standards for Market-Dominant Mail Products, 90241-90249 [2024-26434]
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90241
Proposed Rules
Federal Register
Vol. 89, No. 221
Friday, November 15, 2024
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains notices to the public of the proposed
issuance of rules and regulations. The
purpose of these notices is to give interested
persons an opportunity to participate in the
rule making prior to the adoption of the final
rules.
POSTAL SERVICE
39 CFR Part 121
Service Standards for MarketDominant Mail Products
Postal ServiceTM.
Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The United States Postal
Service seeks public comment on
proposed revisions to the service
standards for certain market-dominant
mail products. The Postal Service
proposes to restructure the service
standards, such that service standards
for domestic First-Class Mail would
retain the current day range of 1–5 days
(as well as the current 0–1 days for
USPS Connect® Local), while being
calculated, with certain exceptions, as
the sum of delivery days accruing across
three successive operational legs
reflecting end-to-end service from an
originating 5-digit ZIP Code to a
destinating 5-digit ZIP Code. The
proposed rule would also partially
adjust the service standards for end-toend Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail,
and Package Services so that they would
all be primarily based on the standards
for First-Class Mail, consistent with the
Postal Service’s implementation of a
more integrated network, thus
continuing our efforts to eliminate our
legacy network that, due to its poor
design, has multiple, redundant
network flows. In particular, the
proposed service standards align with
operational initiatives that the Postal
Service plans to implement on a
nationwide basis to fundamentally
transform our processing and
transportation networks to achieve
greater operational precision and
efficiency, significantly reduce costs,
and enhance service pursuant to the
Delivering for America strategic plan
(‘‘Plan’’). The Postal Service is required
by law to provide prompt, reliable, and
efficient universal postal services in a
financially self-sufficient manner,
through an integrated network for the
delivery of mail and packages at least
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six days a week. However, the Postal
Service currently is not achieving the
requirements of the statute, as we lack
a network that enables the integrated
movement of mail and packages in a
precise, efficient, and cost-effective
manner. The Postal Service network has
not been appropriately adjusted to
account for volume and mail mix
changes, including the substantial
decline in Single-Piece First-Class Mail
and increase in package volume, leading
to significant inefficiencies. These
initiatives will comprehensively
transform these operations to fix the
problems that exist today and create a
network that enables the integrated
movement of mail and packages in a
precise and cost-effective manner far
into the future. These initiatives would
lead to a net positive impact for FirstClass Mail from a service standard
perspective, and generally faster service
for end-to-end USPS Marketing Mail,
Periodicals, and Package Services. They
will also lead to substantial cost savings
(estimated at between $3.6 to $3.7
billion annually), which is critical given
the Postal Service’s current poor
financial condition, which can be
addressed only through comprehensive
changes to reduce costs and increase
efficiency (in conjunction with the other
elements of the Plan). Further details of
the proposed changes appear below.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before December 31, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written
comments to the Director, Product
Classification, U.S. Postal Service, 475
L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446,
Washington, DC 20260–3436. Email
comments, containing the name and
address of the commenter, may be sent
to: PCFederalRegister@usps.gov, with a
subject line of ‘‘Service Standards for
Market-Dominant Mail Products.’’
Faxed comments are not accepted. All
submitted comments and attachments
are part of the public record and subject
to disclosure. Do not enclose any
material in your comments that you
consider to be confidential or
inappropriate for public disclosure. You
may inspect and photocopy all written
comments, by appointment only, at
USPS® Headquarters Library, 475
L’Enfant Plaza SW, 11th Floor North,
Washington, DC 20260. These records
are available for review Monday through
Friday, 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. by calling
202–268–2906.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Martha Johnson, Senior Public Relations
Representative, at martha.s.johnson@
usps.gov or (202) 268–2000.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The Postal Service proposes to amend
39 CFR part 121 to revise the current
service standards for certain marketdominant products. These revisions
achieve the objectives set forth in 39
U.S.C. 3691(b), taking into account the
factors of 39 U.S.C. 3691(c). Overall,
they further the Postal Service’s
obligations under 39 U.S.C. 101 and
other provisions of Title 39 of the U.S.
Code to provide universal postal
services in a prompt, reliable, and
efficient manner. The Postal Service is
required by law to provide universal
postal services in a financially selfsufficient manner, through an integrated
network for the delivery of mail and
packages at least six days a week. The
Postal Service currently is not
financially self-sufficient, and also lacks
a network that is conducive to the
logical, efficient, cost-effective, and
reliable movement of mail and packages
in an integrated manner from origin to
destination in the modern postal
environment, taking into account the
current and projected volume and
product mix. By implementing these
operational initiatives and the proposed
standards with which they are aligned,
the Postal Service would be able to
better balance and achieve these
statutory policies and achieve the goals
of the Plan to create a high-performing,
financially sustainable organization.
The current standards for First-Class
Mail lead to high costs and
inefficiencies in the transportation and
processing network, and are not
conducive to providing reliable and
consistent service. The Postal Service is
adjusting the service standards to
improve our capability to deliver mail
reliably and predictably for Postal
Service customers, while enhancing the
ability to increase operational efficiency
and effectiveness consistent with best
business practices. These standards
would allow the Postal Service to better
meet customer needs for prompt and
reliable service, while supporting the
maintenance of reasonable postage rates.
Before describing how service
standards would be revised, it is
important to understand how service
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standards are structured in Postal
Service regulations. Service standards
contain two components: (1) a delivery
day range within which mail in a given
product is expected to be delivered; 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 ZIP Code
prefixes associated with the piece’s
point of entry into the mail stream and
its delivery address. As noted above, the
Postal Service proposes to restructure
the service standards for domestic FirstClass Mail, with certain exceptions, as
the sum of delivery days accruing across
three successive operational legs
reflecting end-to-end service from an
originating 5-digit ZIP Code to a
destinating 5-digit ZIP Code. Leg 1
begins with collection and ends with
acceptance at the applicable originating
processing facility. Leg 2 begins with
acceptance at the originating processing
facility and ends with acceptance at the
applicable destinating processing
facility. Leg 3 begins with acceptance at
the destinating processing facility and
ends with delivery.
With respect to Leg 1, the Postal
Service intends to redesign regional
transportation (routes between
processing facilities, Post Offices, and
delivery units) through the Regional
Transportation Optimization (RTO)
initiative to address the significant
inefficiencies that exist in local and
regional transportation networks and to
ensure service reliability and cost
efficiency. With respect to Leg 2, the
Postal Service intends to systematically
redesign and invest in our outmoded
processing facilities to create a network
of Regional Processing and Distribution
Centers or Campuses (RPDCs) and Local
Processing Centers (LPCs), which
deploy standardized and logically
sequenced operating plans and
schedules for the movement of mail and
packages, more sortation equipment,
optimized transportation routes, and
improved operating tactics to increase
throughput, gain productivity, and
increase asset utilization across the
country.
The Postal Service is proposing to
revise service standards for end-to-end
market-dominant products to align with
our operational initiatives; these
standards would be more operationally
precise and specific for customers,
enable the Postal Service to maintain or
upgrade service standards for a majority
of volume, and enhance the ability to
reliably achieve standards. In particular,
the Postal Service plans to reimagine
how service standards are established
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by breaking that service into segments
so that customers have clear,
understandable, and logical information
about the service provided to them from
a 5-digit to 5-digit ZIP Code perspective.
For First-Class Mail, the existing day
ranges would be preserved, meaning all
mail would continue to be delivered
within the existing day range of 1–5
days (as well as the current range of 0–
1 days for USPS Connect® Local). For
some end-to-end products within the
contiguous 48 states (Periodicals, USPS
Marketing Mail, and Package Services),
the maximums for those day ranges
would be shortened. (Unless specified
otherwise, references in this document
to the ‘‘contiguous states’’ or the
‘‘contiguous 48 states’’ include the
District of Columbia.) No destination
entry product standards would be
changed, except to reflect the new
RPDC/LPC network. Overall, most mail
and packages in the contiguous 48 states
would either receive the same service
standard or an accelerated standard so
that they are delivered faster than today,
while some mail and packages under
the new standards would have a service
expectation that is longer than the
current expectation but still within the
current day-ranges.
Specifically, current First-Class Mail
standards are predicated solely on
plant-to-plant (3-digit ZIP Code to 3digit ZIP Code) driving distances. The
proposed rule would transition to 5digit to 5-digit ZIP Code service
standards that maintain the existing
delivery day ranges while, for interRPDC volume, accurately and logically
reflecting the three operational legs
applicable to the movement of mail and
packages: collection to origin processing
facility (Leg 1), origin processing facility
to destination processing facility (Leg 2),
and destination processing facility to
delivery (Leg 3). Distinct rules would
apply to intra-RPDC volume (that is,
First-Class Mail volume that originates
and destinates in the same RDPC
region), as well as certain intra-LPC
volume.
Because the current standards are
predicated on plant-to-plant driving
distances, they do not consider the
regional and local transportation
operations necessary to transport mail
and packages from where they are
collected to the processing network: that
is, within a particular 3-digit ZIP Code,
a mailpiece that originates at a Post
Office that is 300 miles from the
processing facility in which the
mailpiece is dispatched to the network
has the same standard as a mailpiece
that originates 20 miles from that
processing facility (if they are going to
the same destination 3-digit ZIP Code).
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To meet the constraints imposed by this
current approach to service standards,
the Postal Service must structure our
transportation network to ensure that all
originating mail gets to the processing
network on the day it is collected from
customers, no matter how far away from
the processing network it is entered.
This leads to significant inefficiencies in
our regional transportation practices,
because the Postal Service must conduct
separate trips to drop-off destinating
volume from the processing network to
collection/delivery facilities in the
morning (AM drop-off) and pick-up
originating volume from the collection/
delivery facilities to the processing
network in the afternoon (PM
collections), or alternatively pay
Highway Contract Route (HCR)
contractors to layover for multiple hours
between the AM and PM legs of their
routes.
While this practice of separating dropoff and pick-up activities may have
made sense in a different era where the
volume of single-piece letter mail was
much greater, it engenders costs and
inefficiencies impossible to justify in
today’s environment. Overall, the
current practice results in inefficient
transportation—characterized by
excessive trips, poor utilization of truck
capacity, and excess carbon emissions.
In addition, the current practice reduces
the efficiency and reliability of our Leg
2 operations (processing and network
transportation), because the need to wait
for the volume from outlying collection/
delivery facilities to arrive at the
processing plant on the PM
transportation creates a volume arrival
profile which reduces efficiencies,
requires the scheduled dispatch to the
network to be later, and increases the
likelihood either for the scheduled
dispatch to leave late in order to wait for
all of the mail and packages to arrive at
the plant and be processed, or for mail
and packages to not make the scheduled
dispatch at all because it does not make
it to the plant on time to be processed
on that day given the compressed
processing window. This impacts not
only the efficiency and velocity of
originating operations, but can also have
substantial negative downstream effects
that reduce our service performance for
all volume.
With respect to Leg 1, the Postal
Service proposes the nationwide
implementation of RTO, for mail
originating in the contiguous states, to
correct for these inefficiencies. Pursuant
to RTO, the Postal Service will have the
ability to structure transportation routes
that go to facilities that are farther from
the processing network so that trucks
would pick up originating volume on
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the same routes that are also used to
drop off destinating volume. The RTO
initiative rationalizes the regional
transportation network by eliminating
routes and increasing truck utilization
and thereby reduces transportation costs
and the amount of carbon emissions. It
also improves the efficiency and
velocity of the processing network by
producing volume arrival profiles that
are spread more evenly throughout the
day, enabling a more effective use of
network resources and allowing the
Postal Service to dispatch volume that
is entered closer to processing plants
(which is a majority of volume) earlier
than is the case today. The Postal
Service will designate 5-digit ZIP Codes
for RTO when a retail/collection facility
within that 5-digit ZIP Code is more
than 50 miles from the RPDC campus.
Exceptions to this 50-mile rule may be
implemented under certain
circumstances based on operational or
business considerations.
The proposed standards will more
logically and accurately reflect our
operations within Leg 1 and enable the
implementation of the RTO initiative,
thereby giving the Postal Service the
ability to optimize our regional and
local transportation. Specifically, and as
part of the proposed shift from the 3digit to 3-digit ZIP Code standards to a
more refined service calculation based
on 5-digit ZIP Codes, the service
standards will explicitly accommodate
the fact that mail and packages entered
the prior day would under RTO be
picked up on the next day’s
transportation route for certain ZIP
Codes. Mailpieces entered in ZIP Codes
subject to RTO would therefore have
one day assigned for Leg 1 in the service
standards; zero days will apply in Leg
1 to pieces originating in other 5-digit
ZIP Codes not subject to RTO.
Implementing this change is the only
way to correct for the significant
deficiencies of the current network,
while also ensuring that the standards
set forth achievable, reliable, and
understandable service expectations for
customers.
With respect to Leg 2, the proposed
standards reflect the increased
efficiency, velocity, and reach of our
processing and network transportation
due to the operational benefits of the
RPDC/LPC redesign and RTO. As noted
above, the network of RPDCs and LPCs
will deploy standardized and logically
sequenced operating plans and
schedules, more sortation equipment,
optimized transportation routes, and
improved operating tactics to increase
throughput, gain productivity, and
increase asset utilization across the
country. In addition, RTO enables more
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efficient and accelerated originating
processing operations, therefore
allowing volumes to enter the network
earlier. As a result of these benefits, the
Postal Service is proposing to expand by
four hours each of the existing service
standard bands within Leg 2 for FirstClass Mail so that such mail can travel
farther to plants that are a greater
distance from the originating plant
within the Leg 2 bands.
Finally, while the Postal Service is
recognizing Leg 3 in our First-Class Mail
standards, no additional days are being
added for this leg, which is the same as
the current standards.
These proposed adjustments to the
service standards would lead to a net
positive impact for First-Class Mail from
a service standard perspective, and
generally faster service for end-to-end
USPS Marketing Mail, Periodicals, and
Package Services. The proposed service
standards reflect the fact that the
operational changes will enable volume
to be accelerated through Leg 2, due to
the benefits of the new network design
and RTO; as a result, the Leg 2 bands
for First-Class Mail will be expanded by
four hours compared to the current
standards. All volume would benefit
from greater service reliability. Some
mail and packages (constituting a
minority of volume) in the contiguous
states would experience a service
standard that is longer than the current
service standard (although still within
the current day ranges), primarily
because the Postal Service would assign
one day within Leg 1 for all volume
originating in a 5-digit ZIP Code that is
subject to the RTO, as described below.
In addition, as a result of the overall
changes, a small volume of mail and
packages to and/or from locations
outside the contiguous states would
experience a service standard that is
longer than the current service
standards, while other volume outside
the contiguous states would experience
a service standard that is shorter than
the current service standards. The
relative upgrades and downgrades
demonstrate the Postal Service’s efforts
to maintain high quality service and
mitigate any customer impacts to the
extent possible, while also
implementing operational changes
necessary to achieve the critical—and
significant—cost savings that are
necessary for financial sustainability.
The proposed service standards are a
critical aspect of the Plan’s overall goals
to create a financially sustainable and
reliable Postal Service capable of
achieving our universal service mission
for all customers for years to come. In
this regard, and considering the Postal
Service’s statutory obligations, the
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proposed changes would enable the
Postal Service to achieve a better
balance of cost-effectiveness and
reliability, by enabling the Postal
Service to undertake critically necessary
operational initiatives and more
realistically aligning the service
standards with our operational
capabilities. The proposed rule would
result in much more precise and
efficient network operations that better
match current and projected mail mix
and volumes, and the Postal Service
anticipates that the changes will result
in significant cost savings, in addition to
enhancing service reliability and
predictability. This keeps costs at
reasonable levels and helps to ensure
affordable rates. Overall, the operational
changes and associated service
standards will revitalize and rationalize
our network in a way that enables us to
be a modern and high-performing
organization.
Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3661(b), on
October 4, 2024, the Postal Service
requested an advisory opinion from the
Postal Regulatory Commission relating
to these proposed revisions to 39 CFR
part 121; the Commission is considering
the request in Docket No. N2024–1.
Further explanation and justification of
the operational initiatives and the
proposed service standards, and how
they are consistent with 39 U.S.C. 3691
and other provisions of law, can be
found in the materials that the Postal
Service has filed in that docket.
Finally, while the proposed changes
must also be pursued with a sense of
urgency, given both our financial
condition and the fundamental fact that
we cannot be an efficient, highperforming organization until we fix the
inefficiencies of our current network, it
is important to note that the Postal
Service would not implement the
proposed service standard changes any
sooner than 90 days after the filing of
the advisory opinion request noted
above. As such, these proposed changes
would not be implemented until the
next calendar year and would therefore
not impact our preparedness for peak
season 2024 (and also did not impact
our efforts to deliver Election Mail in a
timely fashion for the 2024 General
Election).
II. Proposed Revisions to Service
Standards
The Postal Service’s market-dominant
service standards are contained in 39
CFR part 121. The specific proposed
revisions to 39 CFR part 121 appear at
the end of this document. The following
is a summary of the proposed revisions.
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A. First-Class Mail
Under the proposed rule, the process
for collections would not change, nor
would access to Postal Service retail
services. Instead, RTO would eliminate
the interdependency between the time
mail is collected from our customers
and network transportation schedules
and plant processing schedules;
eliminating this interdependency
between local retail and collection
operations, and our network logistics
and processing operations, is critically
important to enabling us to create a
precise, efficient, and cost-effective
network, as discussed in more detail
above. ZIP Codes would be designated
for RTO when a retail/collection facility
within that 5-digit ZIP Code is more
than 50 miles from the RPDC (though
exceptions may apply). In situations
where the RPDC is a campus, the 50mile rule will be based on the location
of the specific facility that performs
cancellation operations. The proposed
rule generally would add no day for Leg
1 for ZIP Codes within 50 miles from
the RPDC campus and would add one
day to the service standard for ZIP
Codes that are more than 50 miles from
the originating RPDC. This would allow
for more efficient and flexible
transportation schedules and improve
the arrival profile for mail processing
operations, enabling the Postal Service
to more timely dispatch the volume that
is collected closer to the RPDC to the
Leg 2 transportation network.
This logic would generally apply to
all end-to-end volume across marketdominant products. Because Leg 1 is the
portion of operations from collection to
the originating plant, this rule would
not apply to any products entered at an
RPDC, Presort First-Class Mail, or any
destination-entered volume. For
operational efficiency, the Postal
Service is considering how to adjust
when and where Presort First-Class Mail
volume may be entered to ensure that it
is not subject to RTO. This may result
in specification of locations where
Presort First-Class Mail can be entered,
or changing the critical entry time (CET)
for Presort First-Class Mail to ensure
there is sufficient time for volume to
enter the network. 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’’); all of
the service standards are contingent
upon proper acceptance before the
applicable CET.
RTO would provide flexibility in
regional transportation scheduling, as
the standards would accommodate the
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fact that mail and packages could under
RTO be picked up the next day from the
Post Office on the same trip that also
dropped off mail at that Post Office for
delivery that day. Explicitly accounting
for this operational practice in the
service standards enables the Postal
Service to achieve the benefits of RTO,
while also providing customers with
more precise and reliable service
expectations. Additionally, by no longer
requiring all mail to wait for the
volumes collected from the furthest
away Post Offices, the Postal Service
would be able to accelerate the mail that
is within the 50-mile radius of an RPDC
through mail processing, allowing for it
to be dispatched to the network earlier,
thus enabling the expansion of the Leg
2 service standard bands. As such, the
addition of a day for Leg 1 would not
necessarily equate to the addition of a
day for the service standard overall for
a given mailpiece. Rather, the service
standard for a particular mailpiece
would depend on the specific origin and
destination and the cumulative number
of days that are applicable across the
operational segments (with no FirstClass Mail having a service standard
that exceeds five days).
Under the proposed rule for FirstClass Mail, there are several
fundamental changes to the calculation
of service standards at Leg 2 to align
with the end-state RPDC network. First,
the measured transit path would be
updated. The current network path used
for measurement is Origin Processing
and Distribution Center or Facility
(OPDC/F) to Area Distribution Center
(ADC) to Sectional Center Facility
(SCF). The proposed rule would instead
measure the distance between the
Originating RPDC and the Destination
RPDC and then the distance between the
Destination RPDC to the Destination
LPC.
Second, because of the improved
arrival profiles facilitated by RTO and
the improved efficiencies in the RPDC
network, under the proposed rule, each
of the existing service standard bands
would expand by four hours for FirstClass Mail. For example, under the
current standards, First-Class Mail
traveling three hours or less receives a
2-day standard. Under the proposed
changes, First-Class Mail traveling up to
seven hours (i.e., the current three
hours, plus four more hours) would
receive a 2-day standard. The bands
applicable to the assignment of 3-day
and 4-day standards within Leg 2 will
also expand by four hours each.
Finally, even for pairs of originating
and destinating 5-digit ZIP Codes where
the application of the Leg 1 and Leg 2
rules noted above would otherwise
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result in a 6-day standard, the standard
would nonetheless be capped at five
days for such pairs.
This segment-by-segment approach
applies to inter-RDPC volume (i.e.,
volume that is moving across the
network). Specific rules will apply to
mail and packages originating and
destinating within the same RPDC
region (intra-RDPC volume).
Specifically, the proposed service
standards would expand the geographic
scope of such ‘‘turnaround’’ volume,
which is volume originating and
destinating within a facility’s service
area. Currently, certain intra-SCF
volume receives a 2-day standard.
Under the proposed rule, certain intraLPC and all intra-RPDC First-Class Mail
volume would be subject to a new
turnaround rule, which would provide
for a 2- or 3-day standard, depending on
the location of the originating mail
volume. Specifically, processing
facilities that cancel Single-Piece FirstClass Mail on automated equipment
would have a 2-day standard for
turnaround Single-Piece First-Class Mail
originating from 5-digit ZIP Codes
within 50 miles of the cancellation
location. By contrast, if certain
originating volume is from a 5-digit ZIP
Code beyond 50 miles of the
cancellation location, the turnaround
standard for Single-Piece First-Class
Mail would be three days. The decision
on which LPCs would maintain
cancellation operations for Single-Piece
First-Class Mail, and thus process local
turnaround mail without transporting it
to an RPDC, would be based on
operational factors, such as distance
from the RPDC to the LPC, and the
volume of turnaround mail processed at
the LPC. In situations in which the LPC
retains cancellation operations, the 50mile rule noted above will be based on
the distance from the LPC. In other
situations, the RPDC will have
cancellation operations, meaning the 50mile rule will be based on the distance
from the RPDC.
Currently, a 1-day service standard is
applied to intra-SCF domestic Presort
First-Class Mail pieces properly
accepted at the SCF before the day-zero
CET. To account for the redesigned
network, a 1-day service standard would
instead apply to eligible intra-LPC
Presort First-Class Mail pieces properly
accepted at the LPC before the day-zero
CET. On the other hand, for eligible
Presort First-Class Mail within the
contiguous 48 states that is not eligible
for the intra-LPC 1-day standard, but
that nevertheless originates and
destinates within the same RPDC, a 2day service standard would apply.
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RTO would not apply to originating
locations outside of the contiguous 48
states; also, the service standards for
domestic First-Class Mail originating
and/or destinating in such locations
would not necessarily depend on the
segment-by-segment network path. As a
result, service standards for domestic
First-Class Mail originating and/or
destinating in such locations would
generally not change; an exception, for
example, would be application of RTO
to domestic Single-Piece First-Class
Mail that (1) originates in the
contiguous 48 states, (2) is collected in
and dispatched from a 5-digit ZIP Code
that is over 50 miles in driving distance
from the originating RPDC, and (3)
destinates in the city of Anchorage,
Alaska (5-digit ZIP Codes 99501 through
99539), the 968 3-digit ZIP Code area in
Hawaii, or the 006, 007, or 009 3-digit
ZIP Code areas in Puerto Rico.
Nevertheless, notwithstanding
application of RTO generally for
domestic First-Class Mail that meets
these conditions, a maximum 5-day
service standard would be applied.
A same-day service standard will
continue to apply to USPS Connect®
Local Mail pieces accepted at
participating Destination Delivery Units
(DDUs) before the applicable day-zero
CET; for USPS Connect® Local Mail,
Sorting & Delivery Centers are also
considered DDUs. A 1-day service
standard will continue to apply to all
other pieces accepted as USPS Connect®
Local Mail, including pieces accepted
via carrier pick-up.
The proposed rule would also have
certain effects on standards for
international mail. As a result of the
proposed application of 5-digit to 5-digit
ZIP Code pairs, the service standard for
outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail
International pieces properly accepted
before the day-zero CET would be
equivalent to the service standard for
domestic First-Class Mail pieces
originating from the same 5-digit ZIP
Code area and destined to the 5-digit
ZIP Code area in which the designated
International Service Center is located.
Similarly, the service standard for
Inbound Letter Post pieces properly
accepted before the day-zero CET would
be equivalent to the service standard for
domestic First-Class Mail pieces
destined to the same 5-digit ZIP Code
area and originating from the 5-digit ZIP
Code area in which the applicable
International Service Center is located.
Because Inbound Parcel Post (at
Universal Postal Union (UPU) rates)
includes Inbound Surface Parcel Post (at
UPU rates), and because that product is
now competitively classified, the
proposed rule would remove it from
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these market-dominant service
standards.
B. Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail,
and Package Services
Service standards for end-to-end
Periodicals and USPS Marketing Mail
originating and destinating in the
contiguous 48 states would generally
flow from the Single-Piece First-Class
Mail standards using the same measured
travel path (disregarding standards for
USPS Connect® Local Mail and for
intra-LPC ‘‘turnaround’’ service). For
Periodicals, the general rule in relation
to First-Class Mail would remain the
same—i.e., a 3–6-day range would be
applied to Periodicals, with the
standard generally equaling the sum of
the applicable First-Class Mail service
standard (disregarding standards for
USPS Connect® Local Mail and for
intra-LPC ‘‘turnaround’’ service) plus
one day. For USPS Marketing Mail, the
rule would add two days to the
applicable First-Class Mail service
standard (disregarding standards for
USPS Connect® Local Mail and for
intra-LPC ‘‘turnaround’’ service). This
means that the outer-bound for USPS
Marketing Mail in the contiguous states
would be seven days, rather than ten
days under the current standards. For
end-to-end Package Services within the
contiguous 48 states, the rule would add
two days to the First-Class Mail
standards, after 5–9 hours of Leg 2
driving time is added to the applicable
First-Class Mail service band; overall,
this would reduce the outer-bound of
the service standards for Package
Services in the contiguous states to
seven days, rather than the current eight
days.
With respect to Destination Entry
Periodicals, Destination Entry USPS
Marketing Mail, and Destination Entry
Package Services, the service standards
generally would not change, except to
reflect the new network. That is, to
correspond with the operational
network and infrastructure changes that
the Postal Service is implementing, the
LPCs would replace the ADCs and the
SCFs in the service standards. Likewise,
the RPDCs would replace the Network
Distribution Centers (NDCs) in the
service standards. These changes would
allow some Destination Entry
Periodicals to receive an accelerated
service standard, in part because it will
no longer matter in this respect whether
Destination ADCs (DADCs) and
Destination SCFs (DSCFs) are colocated, given that they are both being
replaced by Destination LPCs (DLPCs).
Under the proposed rule, for
Destination Entry Periodicals
originating and/or destinating in
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locations outside of the contiguous 48
states, service standards would largely
remain unchanged, aside from facility
nomenclature updates reflecting the
network redesign, with certain
exceptions. A small volume of mail to
and/or from locations outside the
contiguous states would experience a
service standard that is longer than the
current service standards, while some
other volume outside the contiguous
states would experience a service
standard that is shorter than the current
service standards. Currently, for
example, a 3-day service standard is
applied to Periodicals pieces that
qualify for a DSCF rate and are properly
accepted before the day-zero CET at the
designated DSCF, if they are entered at
the DSCF in Puerto Rico and destined
to the U.S. Virgin Islands, or destined to
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; on the
other hand, currently a 4-day service
standard is applied to Periodicals pieces
that qualify for a DADC rate and are
properly accepted before the day-zero
CET at the designated DADC, if they are
entered at the DADC in Puerto Rico and
destined to the U.S. Virgin Islands, or if
they are destined to the following 3digit ZIP Code areas in Alaska (or
designated portions thereof): 995 (5- ZIP
Codes 99540 through 99599), 996, 997,
998, and 999. Since LPCs would replace
ADCs, and since DLPC service standards
would largely track those currently
applied to DSCF volume, for such mail,
the shorter of the two service standards
(i.e., 3-day) would apply to Periodicals
pieces that qualify for a DLPC rate and
are properly accepted before the dayzero CET at the designated DLPC, if they
are entered at the DLPC in Puerto Rico
and destined to the U.S. Virgin Islands,
or destined to 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.
Furthermore, a 3-day service standard
is currently applied to Periodicals
pieces that qualify for a DSCF rate and
are properly accepted before the dayzero CET at the designated DSCF, if they
are entered at the DSCF in Hawaii and
are destined to American Samoa; on the
other hand, currently a 4-day standard
applies to Periodicals pieces that qualify
for a DADC rate, are properly accepted
before the day-zero CET at the
designated DADC, and are destined to
American Samoa. For reasons of
operational feasibility, under the
proposed rule, a 4-day service standard
would be applied to Periodicals pieces
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that qualify for a DLPC rate and are
properly accepted before the day-zero
CET at the designated DLPC, if they are
destined to American Samoa.
Finally, as the service standards
themselves have been simplified, the
tables depicting day-ranges for noncontiguous states and territories at the
end of Part 121 (Tables 2 and 4) likewise
have been streamlined. Table 2 reflects
the general standards for end-to-end
day-ranges for the non-contiguous states
and territories, including exceptions for
some intermodal transportation. Table 4
reflects the general standards for
destination entry day-ranges for the
non-contiguous states and territories,
including consolidated day-ranges
resulting from LPCs and RPDCs
superseding SCFs, ADCs, and NDCs.
III. Request for Comments
The Postal Service requests comments
on all aspects of the proposal. In
particular, the Postal Service solicits
comments on the effects that the
proposal could have on senders and
recipients of the affected marketdominant mail classes. Mail users are
encouraged to comment on the nature
and extent of costs or savings they might
experience as a result of the changes
described in this document, as well as
any additional possible costs or benefits
they foresee, such as increased
reliability and predictability. The
provision of empirical data supporting
any cost-benefit analysis also would be
useful. Further, the Postal Service
requests mail users’ views regarding the
application of the policies and
requirements of Title 39 of the U.S.
Code, particularly sections 101, 403,
404, and 3691, to the proposal. The
Postal Service intends to consider
comments received in response to this
document as it determines whether to
amend the service standard regulations
and the manner in which any such
amendments would be implemented.
The Postal Service has also requested an
advisory opinion from the Postal
Regulatory Commission pursuant to 39
U.S.C. 3661(b).
Although exempt from the document
and comment requirements of the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C.
553(b), (c)) regarding proposed
rulemaking by 39 U.S.C. 410(a), the
Postal Service invites public 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. N2024–1, at https://
www.prc.gov. If the Postal Service
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determines to implement the proposal,
it will publish a final rule in the Federal
Register. In any event, these service
standard changes would not be
implemented prior to 2025.
List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 121
Administrative practice and
procedure, Postal Service.
Accordingly, for the reasons stated in
the preamble, the Postal Service
proposes to amend 39 CFR part 121 as
follows:
PART 121—SERVICE STANDARDS
FOR MARKET-DOMINANT MAIL
PRODUCTS
1. The authority citation for part 121
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404,
1001, 3691.
■
2. Add § 121.0 to read as follows:
§ 121.0 Market-dominant product service
standards.
Service standards in this part are
contingent upon proper acceptance
before the applicable day-zero Critical
Entry Time (CET). Applying the service
standards appearing in this part,
effective service standards for
combinations of 5-digit originating ZIP
Codes and 5-digit destinating ZIP Codes
can be found in a lookup table at
www.usps.com.
■ 3. Revise § 121.1 to read as follows:
§ 121.1
First-Class Mail.
(a) Service Standards Based on
Delivery Legs Within the Contiguous 48
States Except as specified in paragraph
(b), service standards for domestic FirstClass Mail, whose origin and
destination are within the contiguous 48
states, are calculated as the sum of
service expectation days between 5-digit
ZIP Code pairs, accruing across three
successive legs as follows:
(1) Leg 1. Unless an exception applies
due to operational or business
considerations, for this leg (i) one
service expectation day is added to
First-Class Mail (excluding eligible
Presort First-Class Mail) originating in a
5-digit ZIP Code when a facility from
which mail is dispatched for the
originating 5-digit ZIP Code is over 50
miles in driving distance from the
originating Regional Processing and
Distribution Center or Campus (RPDC),
and (ii) zero service expectation days
are added for all other First-Class Mail,
including Single-Piece First-Class Mail
when no facility from which mail is
dispatched for the originating 5-digit
ZIP Code is over 50 miles in driving
distance from the originating RPDC, and
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including eligible Presort First-Class
Mail.
(2) Leg 2. (i) Two service expectation
days are added to First-Class Mail if the
combined drive time between the
originating RPDC, the destinating RPDC,
and the destinating Local Processing
Center (LPC) is 7 hours or less;
(ii) Three service expectation days are
added to First-Class Mail if the
combined drive time between the
originating RPDC, the destinating RPDC,
and the destinating LPC is more than 7
hours and not more than 24 hours;
(iii) Four service expectation days are
added to First-Class Mail pieces if the
combined drive time between the
originating RPDC, the destinating RPDC,
and the destinating LPC is more than 24
hours and not more than 45 hours; and
(iv) Five service expectation days are
added to all remaining First-Class Mail
pieces, except that four days are added
to any such First-Class Mail for which
a day is added under Leg 1.
(3) Leg 3. No service expectation days
are added in Leg 3.
(b) Exceptions to Service Standards
Based on Delivery Legs Within the
Contiguous 48 States. (1) A same-day
service standard applies to USPS
Connect® Local Mail pieces accepted at
participating Destination Delivery Units,
and a one-day service standard applies
to all other pieces accepted as USPS
Connect® Local Mail.
(2) A one-day service standard applies
to eligible intra-LPC Presort First-Class
Mail pieces accepted at the LPC.
(3) For First-Class Mail that is not
USPS Connect® Local Mail, with respect
to ‘‘turnaround’’ service for pieces
originating and destinating within the
same RPDC service area or within the
same LPC service area for certain
qualifying LPCs (designated by the
Postal Service based on operational
considerations such as an LPC’s
distance from its servicing RPDC and
volume processed at the LPC):
(i) A two-day service standard applies
to:
(A) Eligible Presort First-Class Mail
that is not eligible for a one day service
standard under paragraph (2) and that
originates and destinates in the same
RPDC service area; and
(B) Single-Piece First-Class Mail
originating in a 5-digit ZIP Code when
no facility from which mail is
dispatched for the originating 5-digit
ZIP Code is over 50 miles in driving
distance of the originating RPDC or
qualifying LPC and destinates within
the same RPDC’s or qualifying LPC’s
service area.
(ii) A three-day service standard
applies to Single-Piece First-Class Mail
originating in a 5-digit ZIP Code when
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a facility from which mail is dispatched
for the originating 5-digit ZIP Code is
over 50 miles in driving distance of the
originating RPDC or qualifying LPC and
destinates within the same RPDC’s or
qualifying LPC’s service area.
(c) Service Standards for Domestic
First-Class Mail Originating and/or
Destinating in Locations Outside of the
Contiguous 48 States. (1) A same-day
service standard applies to USPS
Connect® Local Mail pieces accepted at
participating Destination Delivery Units.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph
(3), a one-day service standard applies
to:
(i) Eligible intra-LPC Presort FirstClass Mail pieces accepted at the LPC,
whose origin and destination are
outside the contiguous 48 states; and
(ii) All other pieces accepted as USPS
Connect® Local Mail.
(3) A two-day service standard applies
to:
(i) Eligible Presort First-Class Mail
that originates in Puerto Rico and
destinates in the U.S. Virgin Islands, or
vice versa;
(ii) Eligible intra-LPC Presort FirstClass Mail with an origin or destination
that is in American Samoa or one of 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; and
(iii) Other intra-LPC First-Class Mail
pieces whose origin and destination are
outside the contiguous 48 states,
including any other intra-LPC Presort
pieces that are not eligible for a one-day
service standard.
(4) A four-day service standard
applies to First-Class Mail pieces if the
same-day, one-day, or two-day service
standards do not apply and:
(i) The origin is in the 006, 007, or 009
3-digit ZIP Code areas in Puerto Rico,
and the destination is in the contiguous
48 states;
(ii) The origin is in Hawaii, and the
destination is in Guam, or vice versa;
(iii) The origin is in Hawaii, and the
destination is in American Samoa, or
vice versa;
(iv) Both the origin and destination
are within Alaska; or
(v) Such mail originates in a 5-digit
ZIP Code where no facility from which
mail is dispatched for that 5-digit ZIP
Code is over 50 miles of driving
distance from its originating RPDC, and
the origin is in the contiguous 48 states
and the destination is in the city of
Anchorage, Alaska (5-digit ZIP Codes
99501 through 99539), the 968 3-digit
ZIP Code area in Hawaii, or the 006,
007, or 009 3-digit ZIP Code areas in
Puerto Rico.
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(5) A five-day service standard applies
to all remaining domestic First-Class
Mail pieces originating and/or
destinating outside the contiguous 48
states.
(d) Service Standards for
International First-Class Mail. (1) The
service standard for Outbound SinglePiece First-Class Mail International®
pieces is equivalent to the service
standard for domestic Single-Piece FirstClass Mail pieces originating from the
same 5-digit ZIP Code area and destined
to the 5-digit ZIP Code area in which the
designated International Service Center,
or its functional equivalent, is located.
(2) The service standard for Inbound
Letter Post pieces from the first USPS
scan is equivalent to the service
standard for domestic Single-Piece FirstClass Mail pieces destined to the same
5-digit ZIP Code area and originating
from the 5-digit ZIP Code area in which
the applicable International Service
Center, or its functional equivalent, is
located.
■ 4. Revise § 121.2 to read as follows:
§ 121.2
Periodicals.
(a) End-to-End. (1) Except as provided
in paragraph (2), a 3- to 6-day service
standard applies to end-to-end
Periodicals pieces, with the standard
generally equaling the sum of one day
plus the applicable Single-Piece FirstClass Mail (FCM) service standard
(disregarding standards for USPS
Connect® Local FCM and for intra-Local
Processing Center ‘‘turnaround’’
service).
(2) For certain end-to-end Periodicals
pieces originating and/or destinating
outside the contiguous 48 states, a 10to 27-day service standard applies, with
the standard generally equaling the sum
of 3 to 6 days plus the number of
additional days (from 7 to 21) for which
certain intermodal (e.g., highway, boat,
air-taxi) transportation is utilized.
(b) Destination Entry. (1) Destination
Delivery Unit (DDU) Entered Mail. A 1day (overnight) service standard applies
to Periodicals pieces that qualify for a
DDU rate.
(2) Destination Local Processing
Center (DLPC) Entered Mail. (i) A 1-day
(overnight) service standard applies to
Periodicals pieces that qualify for a
DLPC (or analogous legacy) rate, except
for mail entered in Puerto Rico and
destined to the U.S. Virgin Islands, mail
destined to American Samoa, and mail
destined to 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;
(ii) A 3-day service standard applies
to Periodicals pieces that qualify for a
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90247
DLPC (or analogous legacy) rate, if they
are entered in Puerto Rico and destined
to the U.S. Virgin Islands, or if they are
destined to 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.
(iii) A 4-day service standard applies
to Periodicals pieces that qualify for a
DLPC (or analogous legacy) rate if they
are destined to American Samoa.
(3) Destination Regional Processing
and Distribution Center or Campus
(DRPDC) Entered Mail. (i) A 2-day
service standard applies to Periodicals
pieces that qualify for a DRPDC (or
analogous legacy) rate, are entered in
the contiguous 48 states, and are
destined within the contiguous 48
states;
(ii) An 8- to 10-day service standard
applies to Periodicals pieces that qualify
for a DRPDC (or analogous legacy) rate,
are entered in the contiguous 48 states,
and are destined outside the contiguous
48 states, with the specific standard
being based on the number of days
required for transportation outside the
contiguous 48 states.
■ 5. Revise § 121.3 to read as follows:
§ 121.3
USPS Marketing Mail.
(a) End-to-End. (1) Except as provided
in paragraph (2), a 4- to 7-day service
standard applies to end-to-end USPS
Marketing Mail pieces, with the
standard generally equaling the sum of
2 days plus the applicable Single-Piece
First-Class Mail (FCM) service standard
(disregarding standards for USPS
Connect® Local FCM and for intra-Local
Processing Center (LPC) ‘‘turnaround’’
service).
(2) For certain end-to-end USPS
Marketing Mail pieces originating and/
or destinating outside the contiguous 48
states, an 11- to 28-day service standard
applies, with the standard generally
equaling the sum of 4 to 7 days plus the
number of additional days (from 7 to 21)
for which certain intermodal (e.g.,
highway, boat, air-taxi) transportation is
utilized.
(b) Destination Entry. (1) USPS
Marketing Mail pieces that qualify for a
Destination Delivery Unit (DDU) rate
have a 2-day service standard.
(2) USPS Marketing Mail pieces that
qualify for a Destination Local
Processing Center (DLPC) (or analogous
legacy) rate have a 3-day service
standard when accepted on Sunday
through Thursday and a 4-day service
standard when accepted on Friday or
Saturday, except for mail dropped at the
LPC in the territory of Puerto Rico and
destined to the territory of the U.S.
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Virgin Islands, or mail destined to
American Samoa.
(3) USPS Marketing Mail pieces that
qualify for a DLPC (or analogous legacy)
rate and that are entered in the territory
of Puerto Rico and destined to the
territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands, or
that are destined to American Samoa,
have a 4-day service standard when
accepted on Sunday through Thursday
and a 5-day service standard when
accepted on Friday or Saturday.
(4) USPS Marketing Mail pieces that
qualify for a Destination Regional
Processing and Distribution Center or
Campus (DRPDC) (or analogous legacy)
rate have a 5-day service standard, if
both the origin and the destination are
in the contiguous 48 states.
(5) USPS Marketing Mail pieces that
qualify for a DRPDC (or analogous
legacy) rate, and that are entered in the
contiguous 48 states for delivery to
addresses in the states of Alaska or
Hawaii or the territories of Guam,
American Samoa, 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 the contiguous 48
states.
■ 6. Revise § 121.4 to read as follows:
§ 121.4
Package Services.
(a) End-to-End. (1) Except as provided
in paragraph (2), a 4- to 7-day service
standard applies to end-to-end Package
Services pieces, with the standard
generally equaling the sum of 2 days
plus the applicable Single-Piece FirstClass Mail (FCM) service standard
(disregarding standards for USPS
Connect® Local FCM and for intra-Local
Processing Center ‘‘turnaround’’ service)
after adding 5–9 hours to the applicable
driving time bands of Leg 2 for FCM, as
applied to specific 5-digit origindestination pairs in the table cited in
section 121.0.
(2) For certain end-to-end Package
Services pieces originating and/or
destinating outside the contiguous 48
states, an 11- to 29-day service standard
applies, with the standard generally
equaling the sum of 4 to 7 days plus the
number of additional days (from 7 to 22)
for which certain intermodal (e.g.,
highway, boat, air-taxi) transportation is
utilized.
(b) Destination Entry. (1) Package
Services mail that qualifies for a
Destination Delivery Unit (DDU) rate
has a 1-day (overnight) service standard.
(2) Package Services mail that
qualifies for a Destination Local
Processing Center (DLPC) (or analogous
legacy) rate has a 2-day service
standard, except for mail that is
destined to either American Samoa or
the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(3) Package Services mail that
qualifies for a DLPC rate, and that is
destined to either American Samoa or
the U.S. Virgin Islands, has a 3-day
service standard.
(4) Package Services mail that
qualifies for a Destination Regional
Processing and Distribution Center or
Campus (DRPDC) (or analogous legacy)
rate, and that originates and destinates
in the contiguous 48 states, has a 3-day
service standard.
(5) Package Services mail that
qualifies for a DRPDC (or analogous
legacy) rate, and that is entered in the
contiguous 48 states for delivery to
addresses in the states of Alaska or
Hawaii, or the territories of Guam,
American Samoa, 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 the
contiguous 48 states.
■ 7. Revise appendix A to part 121 to
read as follows:
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 §§ 121.0 through 121.4 (for
purposes of Part 121, references to the
contiguous states or the contiguous 48 states
also include the District of Columbia):
Table 1. End-to-end service standard day
ranges for mail originating and destinating
within the contiguous 48 states and the
District of Columbia.
TABLE 1—END-TO-END SERVICE
WITHIN CONTIGUOUS STATES
End-to-end
range
(days)
Mail class
First-Class Mail ...................................
Periodicals ...........................................
USPS Marketing Mail ..........................
Package Services ...............................
0–5
3–6
4–7
4–7
Table 2. End-to-end service standard day
ranges for mail originating and/or destinating
in non-contiguous states and territories.
TABLE 2—END-TO-END SERVICE TO AND/OR FROM NON-CONTIGUOUS STATES AND TERRITORIES
End-to-end range (days)
Mail class
Intra-state/territory
First-Class Mail .........................................................................................................................................................
Periodicals .................................................................................................................................................................
USPS Marketing Mail ................................................................................................................................................
Package Services .....................................................................................................................................................
Inter-state/territory
0–5
3–6
4–7
* 4–7
2–5
3–27
4–28
4–29
* Excluding bypass mail.
Table 3. Destination-entry service standard
day ranges for mail to the contiguous 48
states and the District of Columbia.
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TABLE 3—DESTINATION ENTRY SERVICE TO CONTIGUOUS STATES
Contiguous states
Destination entry (at appropriate facility) range
(days)
Mail class
* DDU
Periodicals .....................................................................................................................................................................
USPS Marketing Mail ....................................................................................................................................................
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* DLPC
1
2
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3–4
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TABLE 3—DESTINATION ENTRY SERVICE TO CONTIGUOUS STATES—Continued
Contiguous states
Destination entry (at appropriate facility) range
(days)
Mail class
I
1 I
* DDU
Package Services .........................................................................................................................................................
* DLPC
I
2 I
* DRPDC
3
* DDU = Destination Delivery Unit; DLPC = Destination Local Processing Center; DRPDC = Destination Regional Processing and Distribution Center or Campus.
Table 4. Destination entry service standard
day ranges for mail to non-contiguous states
and territories.
TABLE 4—DESTINATION ENTRY SERVICE TO NON-CONTIGUOUS STATES AND TERRITORIES
Destination entry (at appropriate facility)
* DLPC range (days)
Mail class
* DDU range
(days)
Periodicals .........................................................................
USPS Marketing Mail ........................................................
Package Services .............................................................
Alaska
1
2
1
** Hawaii,
Guam,
NMI, & AS
1–3
3–4
2
* DRPDC range (days)
** PR &
USVI
1–4
3–5
2–3
1–3
3–5
2–3
Alaska
10–11
14
12
Hawaii,
Guam, NMI,
& AS
PR &
USVI
10
13
11
8–10
12
11
* DDU = Destination Delivery Unit; DLPC = Destination Local Processing Center; DRPDC = Destination Regional Processing and Distribution Center or Campus.
** AS = American Samoa; NMI = Northern Mariana Islands; PR = Puerto Rico; USVI = United States Virgin Islands.
Christopher Doyle,
Attorney, Ethics & Legal Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2024–26434 Filed 11–14–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710–12–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R03–OAR–2022–0987; FRL–10551–
01–R3]
Air Plan Approval; District of
Columbia, Maryland, Virginia;
Determination of Attainment by the
Attainment Date and Clean Data
Determination for the Washington, DCMD-VA Nonattainment Area for the
2015 Ozone National Ambient Air
Quality Standards
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is proposing to determine
that the Washington, DC-MD-VA
nonattainment area (the Washington
Area or the Area) has attained the 2015
8-hour ozone national ambient air
quality standards (2015 ozone NAAQS)
by the applicable attainment date of
August 3, 2024. Accompanying this
proposed determination of attainment
by the attainment date is a re-proposed
clean data determination (CDD) under
the EPA’s Clean Data Policy. If finalized,
this action will address the EPA’s
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
15:49 Nov 14, 2024
Jkt 265001
obligation under Clean Air Act (CAA)
sections 179(c) and 181(b)(2) to
determine whether the Washington Area
attained the 2015 ozone NAAQS by the
August 3, 2024 attainment date and, as
set forth in the EPA’s Clean Data Policy,
suspend the obligation of the District of
Columbia (DC), the State of Maryland
(MD), and the Commonwealth of
Virginia (VA) to submit certain
attainment planning requirements for as
long as the Area continues to attain the
2015 ozone NAAQS. As part of this
rulemaking, the EPA also proposes to
take final agency action on an
exceptional events request submitted by
the District of Columbia on March 20,
2024, and concurred on by the EPA on
July 17, 2024. The proposed attainment
determination and CDD are based upon
the EPA’s concurrence on the
exceptional events demonstration. This
action is being taken under the CAA.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before December 16,
2024.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R03–
OAR–2022–0987 at
www.regulations.gov, or via email to
talley.david@epa.gov. For comments
submitted at Regulations.gov, follow the
online instructions for submitting
comments. Once submitted, comments
cannot be edited or removed from
Regulations.gov. For either manner of
submission, the EPA may publish any
comment received to its public docket.
Do not submit electronically any
information you consider to be
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
confidential business information (CBI)
or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Multimedia
submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be
accompanied by a written comment.
The written comment is considered the
official comment and should include
discussion of all points you wish to
make. The EPA will generally not
consider comments or comment
contents located outside of the primary
submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or
other file sharing system). For
additional submission methods, please
contact the person identified in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
For the full EPA public comment policy,
information about CBI or multimedia
submissions, and general guidance on
making effective comments, please visit
www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epadockets.
Ian
Neiswinter, Planning & Implementation
Branch (3AD30), Air & Radiation
Division, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Region III, 1600 John F
Kennedy Boulevard, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania 19103. The telephone
number is (215) 814–2011. Mr.
Neiswinter can also be reached via
electronic mail at neiswinter.ian@
epa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
This
proposed determination is based upon
quality-assured, quality-controlled, and
certified ambient air monitoring data
from 2021 to 2023 available in the EPA’s
Air Quality System (AQS) database.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
E:\FR\FM\15NOP1.SGM
15NOP1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 221 (Friday, November 15, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 90241-90249]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-26434]
========================================================================
Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 221 / Friday, November 15, 2024 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 90241]]
POSTAL SERVICE
39 CFR Part 121
Service Standards for Market-Dominant Mail Products
AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The United States Postal Service seeks public comment on
proposed revisions to the service standards for certain market-dominant
mail products. The Postal Service proposes to restructure the service
standards, such that service standards for domestic First-Class Mail
would retain the current day range of 1-5 days (as well as the current
0-1 days for USPS Connect[supreg] Local), while being calculated, with
certain exceptions, as the sum of delivery days accruing across three
successive operational legs reflecting end-to-end service from an
originating 5-digit ZIP Code to a destinating 5-digit ZIP Code. The
proposed rule would also partially adjust the service standards for
end-to-end Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail, and Package Services so
that they would all be primarily based on the standards for First-Class
Mail, consistent with the Postal Service's implementation of a more
integrated network, thus continuing our efforts to eliminate our legacy
network that, due to its poor design, has multiple, redundant network
flows. In particular, the proposed service standards align with
operational initiatives that the Postal Service plans to implement on a
nationwide basis to fundamentally transform our processing and
transportation networks to achieve greater operational precision and
efficiency, significantly reduce costs, and enhance service pursuant to
the Delivering for America strategic plan (``Plan''). The Postal
Service is required by law to provide prompt, reliable, and efficient
universal postal services in a financially self-sufficient manner,
through an integrated network for the delivery of mail and packages at
least six days a week. However, the Postal Service currently is not
achieving the requirements of the statute, as we lack a network that
enables the integrated movement of mail and packages in a precise,
efficient, and cost-effective manner. The Postal Service network has
not been appropriately adjusted to account for volume and mail mix
changes, including the substantial decline in Single-Piece First-Class
Mail and increase in package volume, leading to significant
inefficiencies. These initiatives will comprehensively transform these
operations to fix the problems that exist today and create a network
that enables the integrated movement of mail and packages in a precise
and cost-effective manner far into the future. These initiatives would
lead to a net positive impact for First-Class Mail from a service
standard perspective, and generally faster service for end-to-end USPS
Marketing Mail, Periodicals, and Package Services. They will also lead
to substantial cost savings (estimated at between $3.6 to $3.7 billion
annually), which is critical given the Postal Service's current poor
financial condition, which can be addressed only through comprehensive
changes to reduce costs and increase efficiency (in conjunction with
the other elements of the Plan). Further details of the proposed
changes appear below.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 31, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written comments to the Director, Product
Classification, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446,
Washington, DC 20260-3436. Email comments, containing the name and
address of the commenter, may be sent to: [email protected],
with a subject line of ``Service Standards for Market-Dominant Mail
Products.'' Faxed comments are not accepted. All submitted comments and
attachments are part of the public record and subject to disclosure. Do
not enclose any material in your comments that you consider to be
confidential or inappropriate for public disclosure. You may inspect
and photocopy all written comments, by appointment only, at
USPS[supreg] Headquarters Library, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, 11th Floor
North, Washington, DC 20260. These records are available for review
Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. by calling 202-268-2906.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Martha Johnson, Senior Public
Relations Representative, at [email protected] or (202) 268-
2000.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The Postal Service proposes to amend 39 CFR part 121 to revise the
current service standards for certain market-dominant products. These
revisions achieve the objectives set forth in 39 U.S.C. 3691(b), taking
into account the factors of 39 U.S.C. 3691(c). Overall, they further
the Postal Service's obligations under 39 U.S.C. 101 and other
provisions of Title 39 of the U.S. Code to provide universal postal
services in a prompt, reliable, and efficient manner. The Postal
Service is required by law to provide universal postal services in a
financially self-sufficient manner, through an integrated network for
the delivery of mail and packages at least six days a week. The Postal
Service currently is not financially self-sufficient, and also lacks a
network that is conducive to the logical, efficient, cost-effective,
and reliable movement of mail and packages in an integrated manner from
origin to destination in the modern postal environment, taking into
account the current and projected volume and product mix. By
implementing these operational initiatives and the proposed standards
with which they are aligned, the Postal Service would be able to better
balance and achieve these statutory policies and achieve the goals of
the Plan to create a high-performing, financially sustainable
organization.
The current standards for First-Class Mail lead to high costs and
inefficiencies in the transportation and processing network, and are
not conducive to providing reliable and consistent service. The Postal
Service is adjusting the service standards to improve our capability to
deliver mail reliably and predictably for Postal Service customers,
while enhancing the ability to increase operational efficiency and
effectiveness consistent with best business practices. These standards
would allow the Postal Service to better meet customer needs for prompt
and reliable service, while supporting the maintenance of reasonable
postage rates.
Before describing how service standards would be revised, it is
important to understand how service
[[Page 90242]]
standards are structured in Postal Service regulations. Service
standards contain two components: (1) a delivery day range within which
mail in a given product is expected to be delivered; 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
ZIP Code prefixes associated with the piece's point of entry into the
mail stream and its delivery address. As noted above, the Postal
Service proposes to restructure the service standards for domestic
First-Class Mail, with certain exceptions, as the sum of delivery days
accruing across three successive operational legs reflecting end-to-end
service from an originating 5-digit ZIP Code to a destinating 5-digit
ZIP Code. Leg 1 begins with collection and ends with acceptance at the
applicable originating processing facility. Leg 2 begins with
acceptance at the originating processing facility and ends with
acceptance at the applicable destinating processing facility. Leg 3
begins with acceptance at the destinating processing facility and ends
with delivery.
With respect to Leg 1, the Postal Service intends to redesign
regional transportation (routes between processing facilities, Post
Offices, and delivery units) through the Regional Transportation
Optimization (RTO) initiative to address the significant inefficiencies
that exist in local and regional transportation networks and to ensure
service reliability and cost efficiency. With respect to Leg 2, the
Postal Service intends to systematically redesign and invest in our
outmoded processing facilities to create a network of Regional
Processing and Distribution Centers or Campuses (RPDCs) and Local
Processing Centers (LPCs), which deploy standardized and logically
sequenced operating plans and schedules for the movement of mail and
packages, more sortation equipment, optimized transportation routes,
and improved operating tactics to increase throughput, gain
productivity, and increase asset utilization across the country.
The Postal Service is proposing to revise service standards for
end-to-end market-dominant products to align with our operational
initiatives; these standards would be more operationally precise and
specific for customers, enable the Postal Service to maintain or
upgrade service standards for a majority of volume, and enhance the
ability to reliably achieve standards. In particular, the Postal
Service plans to reimagine how service standards are established by
breaking that service into segments so that customers have clear,
understandable, and logical information about the service provided to
them from a 5-digit to 5-digit ZIP Code perspective.
For First-Class Mail, the existing day ranges would be preserved,
meaning all mail would continue to be delivered within the existing day
range of 1-5 days (as well as the current range of 0-1 days for USPS
Connect[supreg] Local). For some end-to-end products within the
contiguous 48 states (Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail, and Package
Services), the maximums for those day ranges would be shortened.
(Unless specified otherwise, references in this document to the
``contiguous states'' or the ``contiguous 48 states'' include the
District of Columbia.) No destination entry product standards would be
changed, except to reflect the new RPDC/LPC network. Overall, most mail
and packages in the contiguous 48 states would either receive the same
service standard or an accelerated standard so that they are delivered
faster than today, while some mail and packages under the new standards
would have a service expectation that is longer than the current
expectation but still within the current day-ranges.
Specifically, current First-Class Mail standards are predicated
solely on plant-to-plant (3-digit ZIP Code to 3-digit ZIP Code) driving
distances. The proposed rule would transition to 5-digit to 5-digit ZIP
Code service standards that maintain the existing delivery day ranges
while, for inter-RPDC volume, accurately and logically reflecting the
three operational legs applicable to the movement of mail and packages:
collection to origin processing facility (Leg 1), origin processing
facility to destination processing facility (Leg 2), and destination
processing facility to delivery (Leg 3). Distinct rules would apply to
intra-RPDC volume (that is, First-Class Mail volume that originates and
destinates in the same RDPC region), as well as certain intra-LPC
volume.
Because the current standards are predicated on plant-to-plant
driving distances, they do not consider the regional and local
transportation operations necessary to transport mail and packages from
where they are collected to the processing network: that is, within a
particular 3-digit ZIP Code, a mailpiece that originates at a Post
Office that is 300 miles from the processing facility in which the
mailpiece is dispatched to the network has the same standard as a
mailpiece that originates 20 miles from that processing facility (if
they are going to the same destination 3-digit ZIP Code). To meet the
constraints imposed by this current approach to service standards, the
Postal Service must structure our transportation network to ensure that
all originating mail gets to the processing network on the day it is
collected from customers, no matter how far away from the processing
network it is entered. This leads to significant inefficiencies in our
regional transportation practices, because the Postal Service must
conduct separate trips to drop-off destinating volume from the
processing network to collection/delivery facilities in the morning (AM
drop-off) and pick-up originating volume from the collection/delivery
facilities to the processing network in the afternoon (PM collections),
or alternatively pay Highway Contract Route (HCR) contractors to
layover for multiple hours between the AM and PM legs of their routes.
While this practice of separating drop-off and pick-up activities
may have made sense in a different era where the volume of single-piece
letter mail was much greater, it engenders costs and inefficiencies
impossible to justify in today's environment. Overall, the current
practice results in inefficient transportation--characterized by
excessive trips, poor utilization of truck capacity, and excess carbon
emissions. In addition, the current practice reduces the efficiency and
reliability of our Leg 2 operations (processing and network
transportation), because the need to wait for the volume from outlying
collection/delivery facilities to arrive at the processing plant on the
PM transportation creates a volume arrival profile which reduces
efficiencies, requires the scheduled dispatch to the network to be
later, and increases the likelihood either for the scheduled dispatch
to leave late in order to wait for all of the mail and packages to
arrive at the plant and be processed, or for mail and packages to not
make the scheduled dispatch at all because it does not make it to the
plant on time to be processed on that day given the compressed
processing window. This impacts not only the efficiency and velocity of
originating operations, but can also have substantial negative
downstream effects that reduce our service performance for all volume.
With respect to Leg 1, the Postal Service proposes the nationwide
implementation of RTO, for mail originating in the contiguous states,
to correct for these inefficiencies. Pursuant to RTO, the Postal
Service will have the ability to structure transportation routes that
go to facilities that are farther from the processing network so that
trucks would pick up originating volume on
[[Page 90243]]
the same routes that are also used to drop off destinating volume. The
RTO initiative rationalizes the regional transportation network by
eliminating routes and increasing truck utilization and thereby reduces
transportation costs and the amount of carbon emissions. It also
improves the efficiency and velocity of the processing network by
producing volume arrival profiles that are spread more evenly
throughout the day, enabling a more effective use of network resources
and allowing the Postal Service to dispatch volume that is entered
closer to processing plants (which is a majority of volume) earlier
than is the case today. The Postal Service will designate 5-digit ZIP
Codes for RTO when a retail/collection facility within that 5-digit ZIP
Code is more than 50 miles from the RPDC campus. Exceptions to this 50-
mile rule may be implemented under certain circumstances based on
operational or business considerations.
The proposed standards will more logically and accurately reflect
our operations within Leg 1 and enable the implementation of the RTO
initiative, thereby giving the Postal Service the ability to optimize
our regional and local transportation. Specifically, and as part of the
proposed shift from the 3-digit to 3-digit ZIP Code standards to a more
refined service calculation based on 5-digit ZIP Codes, the service
standards will explicitly accommodate the fact that mail and packages
entered the prior day would under RTO be picked up on the next day's
transportation route for certain ZIP Codes. Mailpieces entered in ZIP
Codes subject to RTO would therefore have one day assigned for Leg 1 in
the service standards; zero days will apply in Leg 1 to pieces
originating in other 5-digit ZIP Codes not subject to RTO. Implementing
this change is the only way to correct for the significant deficiencies
of the current network, while also ensuring that the standards set
forth achievable, reliable, and understandable service expectations for
customers.
With respect to Leg 2, the proposed standards reflect the increased
efficiency, velocity, and reach of our processing and network
transportation due to the operational benefits of the RPDC/LPC redesign
and RTO. As noted above, the network of RPDCs and LPCs will deploy
standardized and logically sequenced operating plans and schedules,
more sortation equipment, optimized transportation routes, and improved
operating tactics to increase throughput, gain productivity, and
increase asset utilization across the country. In addition, RTO enables
more efficient and accelerated originating processing operations,
therefore allowing volumes to enter the network earlier. As a result of
these benefits, the Postal Service is proposing to expand by four hours
each of the existing service standard bands within Leg 2 for First-
Class Mail so that such mail can travel farther to plants that are a
greater distance from the originating plant within the Leg 2 bands.
Finally, while the Postal Service is recognizing Leg 3 in our
First-Class Mail standards, no additional days are being added for this
leg, which is the same as the current standards.
These proposed adjustments to the service standards would lead to a
net positive impact for First-Class Mail from a service standard
perspective, and generally faster service for end-to-end USPS Marketing
Mail, Periodicals, and Package Services. The proposed service standards
reflect the fact that the operational changes will enable volume to be
accelerated through Leg 2, due to the benefits of the new network
design and RTO; as a result, the Leg 2 bands for First-Class Mail will
be expanded by four hours compared to the current standards. All volume
would benefit from greater service reliability. Some mail and packages
(constituting a minority of volume) in the contiguous states would
experience a service standard that is longer than the current service
standard (although still within the current day ranges), primarily
because the Postal Service would assign one day within Leg 1 for all
volume originating in a 5-digit ZIP Code that is subject to the RTO, as
described below. In addition, as a result of the overall changes, a
small volume of mail and packages to and/or from locations outside the
contiguous states would experience a service standard that is longer
than the current service standards, while other volume outside the
contiguous states would experience a service standard that is shorter
than the current service standards. The relative upgrades and
downgrades demonstrate the Postal Service's efforts to maintain high
quality service and mitigate any customer impacts to the extent
possible, while also implementing operational changes necessary to
achieve the critical--and significant--cost savings that are necessary
for financial sustainability.
The proposed service standards are a critical aspect of the Plan's
overall goals to create a financially sustainable and reliable Postal
Service capable of achieving our universal service mission for all
customers for years to come. In this regard, and considering the Postal
Service's statutory obligations, the proposed changes would enable the
Postal Service to achieve a better balance of cost-effectiveness and
reliability, by enabling the Postal Service to undertake critically
necessary operational initiatives and more realistically aligning the
service standards with our operational capabilities. The proposed rule
would result in much more precise and efficient network operations that
better match current and projected mail mix and volumes, and the Postal
Service anticipates that the changes will result in significant cost
savings, in addition to enhancing service reliability and
predictability. This keeps costs at reasonable levels and helps to
ensure affordable rates. Overall, the operational changes and
associated service standards will revitalize and rationalize our
network in a way that enables us to be a modern and high-performing
organization.
Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3661(b), on October 4, 2024, the Postal
Service requested an advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory
Commission relating to these proposed revisions to 39 CFR part 121; the
Commission is considering the request in Docket No. N2024-1. Further
explanation and justification of the operational initiatives and the
proposed service standards, and how they are consistent with 39 U.S.C.
3691 and other provisions of law, can be found in the materials that
the Postal Service has filed in that docket.
Finally, while the proposed changes must also be pursued with a
sense of urgency, given both our financial condition and the
fundamental fact that we cannot be an efficient, high-performing
organization until we fix the inefficiencies of our current network, it
is important to note that the Postal Service would not implement the
proposed service standard changes any sooner than 90 days after the
filing of the advisory opinion request noted above. As such, these
proposed changes would not be implemented until the next calendar year
and would therefore not impact our preparedness for peak season 2024
(and also did not impact our efforts to deliver Election Mail in a
timely fashion for the 2024 General Election).
II. Proposed Revisions to Service Standards
The Postal Service's market-dominant service standards are
contained in 39 CFR part 121. The specific proposed revisions to 39 CFR
part 121 appear at the end of this document. The following is a summary
of the proposed revisions.
[[Page 90244]]
A. First-Class Mail
Under the proposed rule, the process for collections would not
change, nor would access to Postal Service retail services. Instead,
RTO would eliminate the interdependency between the time mail is
collected from our customers and network transportation schedules and
plant processing schedules; eliminating this interdependency between
local retail and collection operations, and our network logistics and
processing operations, is critically important to enabling us to create
a precise, efficient, and cost-effective network, as discussed in more
detail above. ZIP Codes would be designated for RTO when a retail/
collection facility within that 5-digit ZIP Code is more than 50 miles
from the RPDC (though exceptions may apply). In situations where the
RPDC is a campus, the 50-mile rule will be based on the location of the
specific facility that performs cancellation operations. The proposed
rule generally would add no day for Leg 1 for ZIP Codes within 50 miles
from the RPDC campus and would add one day to the service standard for
ZIP Codes that are more than 50 miles from the originating RPDC. This
would allow for more efficient and flexible transportation schedules
and improve the arrival profile for mail processing operations,
enabling the Postal Service to more timely dispatch the volume that is
collected closer to the RPDC to the Leg 2 transportation network.
This logic would generally apply to all end-to-end volume across
market-dominant products. Because Leg 1 is the portion of operations
from collection to the originating plant, this rule would not apply to
any products entered at an RPDC, Presort First-Class Mail, or any
destination-entered volume. For operational efficiency, the Postal
Service is considering how to adjust when and where Presort First-Class
Mail volume may be entered to ensure that it is not subject to RTO.
This may result in specification of locations where Presort First-Class
Mail can be entered, or changing the critical entry time (CET) for
Presort First-Class Mail to ensure there is sufficient time for volume
to enter the network. 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''); all of the service standards are contingent upon proper
acceptance before the applicable CET.
RTO would provide flexibility in regional transportation
scheduling, as the standards would accommodate the fact that mail and
packages could under RTO be picked up the next day from the Post Office
on the same trip that also dropped off mail at that Post Office for
delivery that day. Explicitly accounting for this operational practice
in the service standards enables the Postal Service to achieve the
benefits of RTO, while also providing customers with more precise and
reliable service expectations. Additionally, by no longer requiring all
mail to wait for the volumes collected from the furthest away Post
Offices, the Postal Service would be able to accelerate the mail that
is within the 50-mile radius of an RPDC through mail processing,
allowing for it to be dispatched to the network earlier, thus enabling
the expansion of the Leg 2 service standard bands. As such, the
addition of a day for Leg 1 would not necessarily equate to the
addition of a day for the service standard overall for a given
mailpiece. Rather, the service standard for a particular mailpiece
would depend on the specific origin and destination and the cumulative
number of days that are applicable across the operational segments
(with no First-Class Mail having a service standard that exceeds five
days).
Under the proposed rule for First-Class Mail, there are several
fundamental changes to the calculation of service standards at Leg 2 to
align with the end-state RPDC network. First, the measured transit path
would be updated. The current network path used for measurement is
Origin Processing and Distribution Center or Facility (OPDC/F) to Area
Distribution Center (ADC) to Sectional Center Facility (SCF). The
proposed rule would instead measure the distance between the
Originating RPDC and the Destination RPDC and then the distance between
the Destination RPDC to the Destination LPC.
Second, because of the improved arrival profiles facilitated by RTO
and the improved efficiencies in the RPDC network, under the proposed
rule, each of the existing service standard bands would expand by four
hours for First-Class Mail. For example, under the current standards,
First-Class Mail traveling three hours or less receives a 2-day
standard. Under the proposed changes, First-Class Mail traveling up to
seven hours (i.e., the current three hours, plus four more hours) would
receive a 2-day standard. The bands applicable to the assignment of 3-
day and 4-day standards within Leg 2 will also expand by four hours
each.
Finally, even for pairs of originating and destinating 5-digit ZIP
Codes where the application of the Leg 1 and Leg 2 rules noted above
would otherwise result in a 6-day standard, the standard would
nonetheless be capped at five days for such pairs.
This segment-by-segment approach applies to inter-RDPC volume
(i.e., volume that is moving across the network). Specific rules will
apply to mail and packages originating and destinating within the same
RPDC region (intra-RDPC volume). Specifically, the proposed service
standards would expand the geographic scope of such ``turnaround''
volume, which is volume originating and destinating within a facility's
service area. Currently, certain intra-SCF volume receives a 2-day
standard. Under the proposed rule, certain intra-LPC and all intra-RPDC
First-Class Mail volume would be subject to a new turnaround rule,
which would provide for a 2- or 3-day standard, depending on the
location of the originating mail volume. Specifically, processing
facilities that cancel Single-Piece First-Class Mail on automated
equipment would have a 2-day standard for turnaround Single-Piece
First-Class Mail originating from 5-digit ZIP Codes within 50 miles of
the cancellation location. By contrast, if certain originating volume
is from a 5-digit ZIP Code beyond 50 miles of the cancellation
location, the turnaround standard for Single-Piece First-Class Mail
would be three days. The decision on which LPCs would maintain
cancellation operations for Single-Piece First-Class Mail, and thus
process local turnaround mail without transporting it to an RPDC, would
be based on operational factors, such as distance from the RPDC to the
LPC, and the volume of turnaround mail processed at the LPC. In
situations in which the LPC retains cancellation operations, the 50-
mile rule noted above will be based on the distance from the LPC. In
other situations, the RPDC will have cancellation operations, meaning
the 50-mile rule will be based on the distance from the RPDC.
Currently, a 1-day service standard is applied to intra-SCF
domestic Presort First-Class Mail pieces properly accepted at the SCF
before the day-zero CET. To account for the redesigned network, a 1-day
service standard would instead apply to eligible intra-LPC Presort
First-Class Mail pieces properly accepted at the LPC before the day-
zero CET. On the other hand, for eligible Presort First-Class Mail
within the contiguous 48 states that is not eligible for the intra-LPC
1-day standard, but that nevertheless originates and destinates within
the same RPDC, a 2-day service standard would apply.
[[Page 90245]]
RTO would not apply to originating locations outside of the
contiguous 48 states; also, the service standards for domestic First-
Class Mail originating and/or destinating in such locations would not
necessarily depend on the segment-by-segment network path. As a result,
service standards for domestic First-Class Mail originating and/or
destinating in such locations would generally not change; an exception,
for example, would be application of RTO to domestic Single-Piece
First-Class Mail that (1) originates in the contiguous 48 states, (2)
is collected in and dispatched from a 5-digit ZIP Code that is over 50
miles in driving distance from the originating RPDC, and (3) destinates
in the city of Anchorage, Alaska (5-digit ZIP Codes 99501 through
99539), the 968 3-digit ZIP Code area in Hawaii, or the 006, 007, or
009 3-digit ZIP Code areas in Puerto Rico. Nevertheless,
notwithstanding application of RTO generally for domestic First-Class
Mail that meets these conditions, a maximum 5-day service standard
would be applied.
A same-day service standard will continue to apply to USPS
Connect[supreg] Local Mail pieces accepted at participating Destination
Delivery Units (DDUs) before the applicable day-zero CET; for USPS
Connect[supreg] Local Mail, Sorting & Delivery Centers are also
considered DDUs. A 1-day service standard will continue to apply to all
other pieces accepted as USPS Connect[supreg] Local Mail, including
pieces accepted via carrier pick-up.
The proposed rule would also have certain effects on standards for
international mail. As a result of the proposed application of 5-digit
to 5-digit ZIP Code pairs, the service standard for outbound Single-
Piece First-Class Mail International pieces properly accepted before
the day-zero CET would be equivalent to the service standard for
domestic First-Class Mail pieces originating from the same 5-digit ZIP
Code area and destined to the 5-digit ZIP Code area in which the
designated International Service Center is located. Similarly, the
service standard for Inbound Letter Post pieces properly accepted
before the day-zero CET would be equivalent to the service standard for
domestic First-Class Mail pieces destined to the same 5-digit ZIP Code
area and originating from the 5-digit ZIP Code area in which the
applicable International Service Center is located. Because Inbound
Parcel Post (at Universal Postal Union (UPU) rates) includes Inbound
Surface Parcel Post (at UPU rates), and because that product is now
competitively classified, the proposed rule would remove it from these
market-dominant service standards.
B. Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail, and Package Services
Service standards for end-to-end Periodicals and USPS Marketing
Mail originating and destinating in the contiguous 48 states would
generally flow from the Single-Piece First-Class Mail standards using
the same measured travel path (disregarding standards for USPS
Connect[supreg] Local Mail and for intra-LPC ``turnaround'' service).
For Periodicals, the general rule in relation to First-Class Mail would
remain the same--i.e., a 3-6-day range would be applied to Periodicals,
with the standard generally equaling the sum of the applicable First-
Class Mail service standard (disregarding standards for USPS
Connect[supreg] Local Mail and for intra-LPC ``turnaround'' service)
plus one day. For USPS Marketing Mail, the rule would add two days to
the applicable First-Class Mail service standard (disregarding
standards for USPS Connect[supreg] Local Mail and for intra-LPC
``turnaround'' service). This means that the outer-bound for USPS
Marketing Mail in the contiguous states would be seven days, rather
than ten days under the current standards. For end-to-end Package
Services within the contiguous 48 states, the rule would add two days
to the First-Class Mail standards, after 5-9 hours of Leg 2 driving
time is added to the applicable First-Class Mail service band; overall,
this would reduce the outer-bound of the service standards for Package
Services in the contiguous states to seven days, rather than the
current eight days.
With respect to Destination Entry Periodicals, Destination Entry
USPS Marketing Mail, and Destination Entry Package Services, the
service standards generally would not change, except to reflect the new
network. That is, to correspond with the operational network and
infrastructure changes that the Postal Service is implementing, the
LPCs would replace the ADCs and the SCFs in the service standards.
Likewise, the RPDCs would replace the Network Distribution Centers
(NDCs) in the service standards. These changes would allow some
Destination Entry Periodicals to receive an accelerated service
standard, in part because it will no longer matter in this respect
whether Destination ADCs (DADCs) and Destination SCFs (DSCFs) are co-
located, given that they are both being replaced by Destination LPCs
(DLPCs).
Under the proposed rule, for Destination Entry Periodicals
originating and/or destinating in locations outside of the contiguous
48 states, service standards would largely remain unchanged, aside from
facility nomenclature updates reflecting the network redesign, with
certain exceptions. A small volume of mail to and/or from locations
outside the contiguous states would experience a service standard that
is longer than the current service standards, while some other volume
outside the contiguous states would experience a service standard that
is shorter than the current service standards. Currently, for example,
a 3-day service standard is applied to Periodicals pieces that qualify
for a DSCF rate and are properly accepted before the day-zero CET at
the designated DSCF, if they are entered at the DSCF in Puerto Rico and
destined to the U.S. Virgin Islands, or destined to 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; on the
other hand, currently a 4-day service standard is applied to
Periodicals pieces that qualify for a DADC rate and are properly
accepted before the day-zero CET at the designated DADC, if they are
entered at the DADC in Puerto Rico and destined to the U.S. Virgin
Islands, or if they are destined to the following 3-digit ZIP Code
areas in Alaska (or designated portions thereof): 995 (5- ZIP Codes
99540 through 99599), 996, 997, 998, and 999. Since LPCs would replace
ADCs, and since DLPC service standards would largely track those
currently applied to DSCF volume, for such mail, the shorter of the two
service standards (i.e., 3-day) would apply to Periodicals pieces that
qualify for a DLPC rate and are properly accepted before the day-zero
CET at the designated DLPC, if they are entered at the DLPC in Puerto
Rico and destined to the U.S. Virgin Islands, or destined to 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.
Furthermore, a 3-day service standard is currently applied to
Periodicals pieces that qualify for a DSCF rate and are properly
accepted before the day-zero CET at the designated DSCF, if they are
entered at the DSCF in Hawaii and are destined to American Samoa; on
the other hand, currently a 4-day standard applies to Periodicals
pieces that qualify for a DADC rate, are properly accepted before the
day-zero CET at the designated DADC, and are destined to American
Samoa. For reasons of operational feasibility, under the proposed rule,
a 4-day service standard would be applied to Periodicals pieces
[[Page 90246]]
that qualify for a DLPC rate and are properly accepted before the day-
zero CET at the designated DLPC, if they are destined to American
Samoa.
Finally, as the service standards themselves have been simplified,
the tables depicting day-ranges for non-contiguous states and
territories at the end of Part 121 (Tables 2 and 4) likewise have been
streamlined. Table 2 reflects the general standards for end-to-end day-
ranges for the non-contiguous states and territories, including
exceptions for some intermodal transportation. Table 4 reflects the
general standards for destination entry day-ranges for the non-
contiguous states and territories, including consolidated day-ranges
resulting from LPCs and RPDCs superseding SCFs, ADCs, and NDCs.
III. Request for Comments
The Postal Service requests comments on all aspects of the
proposal. In particular, the Postal Service solicits comments on the
effects that the proposal could have on senders and recipients of the
affected market-dominant mail classes. Mail users are encouraged to
comment on the nature and extent of costs or savings they might
experience as a result of the changes described in this document, as
well as any additional possible costs or benefits they foresee, such as
increased reliability and predictability. The provision of empirical
data supporting any cost-benefit analysis also would be useful.
Further, the Postal Service requests mail users' views regarding the
application of the policies and requirements of Title 39 of the U.S.
Code, particularly sections 101, 403, 404, and 3691, to the proposal.
The Postal Service intends to consider comments received in response to
this document as it determines whether to amend the service standard
regulations and the manner in which any such amendments would be
implemented. The Postal Service has also requested an advisory opinion
from the Postal Regulatory Commission pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3661(b).
Although exempt from the document and comment requirements of the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553(b), (c)) regarding proposed
rulemaking by 39 U.S.C. 410(a), the Postal Service invites public
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. N2024-1, at https://www.prc.gov. If the Postal
Service determines to implement the proposal, it will publish a final
rule in the Federal Register. In any event, these service standard
changes would not be implemented prior to 2025.
List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 121
Administrative practice and procedure, Postal Service.
Accordingly, for the reasons stated in the preamble, the Postal
Service proposes to amend 39 CFR part 121 as follows:
PART 121--SERVICE STANDARDS FOR MARKET-DOMINANT MAIL PRODUCTS
0
1. The authority citation for part 121 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 1001, 3691.
0
2. Add Sec. 121.0 to read as follows:
Sec. 121.0 Market-dominant product service standards.
Service standards in this part are contingent upon proper
acceptance before the applicable day-zero Critical Entry Time (CET).
Applying the service standards appearing in this part, effective
service standards for combinations of 5-digit originating ZIP Codes and
5-digit destinating ZIP Codes can be found in a lookup table at
www.usps.com.
0
3. Revise Sec. 121.1 to read as follows:
Sec. 121.1 First-Class Mail.
(a) Service Standards Based on Delivery Legs Within the Contiguous
48 States Except as specified in paragraph (b), service standards for
domestic First-Class Mail, whose origin and destination are within the
contiguous 48 states, are calculated as the sum of service expectation
days between 5-digit ZIP Code pairs, accruing across three successive
legs as follows:
(1) Leg 1. Unless an exception applies due to operational or
business considerations, for this leg (i) one service expectation day
is added to First-Class Mail (excluding eligible Presort First-Class
Mail) originating in a 5-digit ZIP Code when a facility from which mail
is dispatched for the originating 5-digit ZIP Code is over 50 miles in
driving distance from the originating Regional Processing and
Distribution Center or Campus (RPDC), and (ii) zero service expectation
days are added for all other First-Class Mail, including Single-Piece
First-Class Mail when no facility from which mail is dispatched for the
originating 5-digit ZIP Code is over 50 miles in driving distance from
the originating RPDC, and including eligible Presort First-Class Mail.
(2) Leg 2. (i) Two service expectation days are added to First-
Class Mail if the combined drive time between the originating RPDC, the
destinating RPDC, and the destinating Local Processing Center (LPC) is
7 hours or less;
(ii) Three service expectation days are added to First-Class Mail
if the combined drive time between the originating RPDC, the
destinating RPDC, and the destinating LPC is more than 7 hours and not
more than 24 hours;
(iii) Four service expectation days are added to First-Class Mail
pieces if the combined drive time between the originating RPDC, the
destinating RPDC, and the destinating LPC is more than 24 hours and not
more than 45 hours; and
(iv) Five service expectation days are added to all remaining
First-Class Mail pieces, except that four days are added to any such
First-Class Mail for which a day is added under Leg 1.
(3) Leg 3. No service expectation days are added in Leg 3.
(b) Exceptions to Service Standards Based on Delivery Legs Within
the Contiguous 48 States. (1) A same-day service standard applies to
USPS Connect[supreg] Local Mail pieces accepted at participating
Destination Delivery Units, and a one-day service standard applies to
all other pieces accepted as USPS Connect[supreg] Local Mail.
(2) A one-day service standard applies to eligible intra-LPC
Presort First-Class Mail pieces accepted at the LPC.
(3) For First-Class Mail that is not USPS Connect[supreg] Local
Mail, with respect to ``turnaround'' service for pieces originating and
destinating within the same RPDC service area or within the same LPC
service area for certain qualifying LPCs (designated by the Postal
Service based on operational considerations such as an LPC's distance
from its servicing RPDC and volume processed at the LPC):
(i) A two-day service standard applies to:
(A) Eligible Presort First-Class Mail that is not eligible for a
one day service standard under paragraph (2) and that originates and
destinates in the same RPDC service area; and
(B) Single-Piece First-Class Mail originating in a 5-digit ZIP Code
when no facility from which mail is dispatched for the originating 5-
digit ZIP Code is over 50 miles in driving distance of the originating
RPDC or qualifying LPC and destinates within the same RPDC's or
qualifying LPC's service area.
(ii) A three-day service standard applies to Single-Piece First-
Class Mail originating in a 5-digit ZIP Code when
[[Page 90247]]
a facility from which mail is dispatched for the originating 5-digit
ZIP Code is over 50 miles in driving distance of the originating RPDC
or qualifying LPC and destinates within the same RPDC's or qualifying
LPC's service area.
(c) Service Standards for Domestic First-Class Mail Originating
and/or Destinating in Locations Outside of the Contiguous 48 States.
(1) A same-day service standard applies to USPS Connect[supreg] Local
Mail pieces accepted at participating Destination Delivery Units.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), a one-day service standard
applies to:
(i) Eligible intra-LPC Presort First-Class Mail pieces accepted at
the LPC, whose origin and destination are outside the contiguous 48
states; and
(ii) All other pieces accepted as USPS Connect[supreg] Local Mail.
(3) A two-day service standard applies to:
(i) Eligible Presort First-Class Mail that originates in Puerto
Rico and destinates in the U.S. Virgin Islands, or vice versa;
(ii) Eligible intra-LPC Presort First-Class Mail with an origin or
destination that is in American Samoa or one of 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; and
(iii) Other intra-LPC First-Class Mail pieces whose origin and
destination are outside the contiguous 48 states, including any other
intra-LPC Presort pieces that are not eligible for a one-day service
standard.
(4) A four-day service standard applies to First-Class Mail pieces
if the same-day, one-day, or two-day service standards do not apply
and:
(i) The origin is in the 006, 007, or 009 3-digit ZIP Code areas in
Puerto Rico, and the destination is in the contiguous 48 states;
(ii) The origin is in Hawaii, and the destination is in Guam, or
vice versa;
(iii) The origin is in Hawaii, and the destination is in American
Samoa, or vice versa;
(iv) Both the origin and destination are within Alaska; or
(v) Such mail originates in a 5-digit ZIP Code where no facility
from which mail is dispatched for that 5-digit ZIP Code is over 50
miles of driving distance from its originating RPDC, and the origin is
in the contiguous 48 states and the destination is in the city of
Anchorage, Alaska (5-digit ZIP Codes 99501 through 99539), the 968 3-
digit ZIP Code area in Hawaii, or the 006, 007, or 009 3-digit ZIP Code
areas in Puerto Rico.
(5) A five-day service standard applies to all remaining domestic
First-Class Mail pieces originating and/or destinating outside the
contiguous 48 states.
(d) Service Standards for International First-Class Mail. (1) The
service standard for Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail
International[supreg] pieces is equivalent to the service standard for
domestic Single-Piece First-Class Mail pieces originating from the same
5-digit ZIP Code area and destined to the 5-digit ZIP Code area in
which the designated International Service Center, or its functional
equivalent, is located.
(2) The service standard for Inbound Letter Post pieces from the
first USPS scan is equivalent to the service standard for domestic
Single-Piece First-Class Mail pieces destined to the same 5-digit ZIP
Code area and originating from the 5-digit ZIP Code area in which the
applicable International Service Center, or its functional equivalent,
is located.
0
4. Revise Sec. 121.2 to read as follows:
Sec. 121.2 Periodicals.
(a) End-to-End. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a 3- to 6-
day service standard applies to end-to-end Periodicals pieces, with the
standard generally equaling the sum of one day plus the applicable
Single-Piece First-Class Mail (FCM) service standard (disregarding
standards for USPS Connect[supreg] Local FCM and for intra-Local
Processing Center ``turnaround'' service).
(2) For certain end-to-end Periodicals pieces originating and/or
destinating outside the contiguous 48 states, a 10- to 27-day service
standard applies, with the standard generally equaling the sum of 3 to
6 days plus the number of additional days (from 7 to 21) for which
certain intermodal (e.g., highway, boat, air-taxi) transportation is
utilized.
(b) Destination Entry. (1) Destination Delivery Unit (DDU) Entered
Mail. A 1-day (overnight) service standard applies to Periodicals
pieces that qualify for a DDU rate.
(2) Destination Local Processing Center (DLPC) Entered Mail. (i) A
1-day (overnight) service standard applies to Periodicals pieces that
qualify for a DLPC (or analogous legacy) rate, except for mail entered
in Puerto Rico and destined to the U.S. Virgin Islands, mail destined
to American Samoa, and mail destined to 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;
(ii) A 3-day service standard applies to Periodicals pieces that
qualify for a DLPC (or analogous legacy) rate, if they are entered in
Puerto Rico and destined to the U.S. Virgin Islands, or if they are
destined to 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.
(iii) A 4-day service standard applies to Periodicals pieces that
qualify for a DLPC (or analogous legacy) rate if they are destined to
American Samoa.
(3) Destination Regional Processing and Distribution Center or
Campus (DRPDC) Entered Mail. (i) A 2-day service standard applies to
Periodicals pieces that qualify for a DRPDC (or analogous legacy) rate,
are entered in the contiguous 48 states, and are destined within the
contiguous 48 states;
(ii) An 8- to 10-day service standard applies to Periodicals pieces
that qualify for a DRPDC (or analogous legacy) rate, are entered in the
contiguous 48 states, and are destined outside the contiguous 48
states, with the specific standard being based on the number of days
required for transportation outside the contiguous 48 states.
0
5. Revise Sec. 121.3 to read as follows:
Sec. 121.3 USPS Marketing Mail.
(a) End-to-End. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a 4- to 7-
day service standard applies to end-to-end USPS Marketing Mail pieces,
with the standard generally equaling the sum of 2 days plus the
applicable Single-Piece First-Class Mail (FCM) service standard
(disregarding standards for USPS Connect[supreg] Local FCM and for
intra-Local Processing Center (LPC) ``turnaround'' service).
(2) For certain end-to-end USPS Marketing Mail pieces originating
and/or destinating outside the contiguous 48 states, an 11- to 28-day
service standard applies, with the standard generally equaling the sum
of 4 to 7 days plus the number of additional days (from 7 to 21) for
which certain intermodal (e.g., highway, boat, air-taxi) transportation
is utilized.
(b) Destination Entry. (1) USPS Marketing Mail pieces that qualify
for a Destination Delivery Unit (DDU) rate have a 2-day service
standard.
(2) USPS Marketing Mail pieces that qualify for a Destination Local
Processing Center (DLPC) (or analogous legacy) rate have a 3-day
service standard when accepted on Sunday through Thursday and a 4-day
service standard when accepted on Friday or Saturday, except for mail
dropped at the LPC in the territory of Puerto Rico and destined to the
territory of the U.S.
[[Page 90248]]
Virgin Islands, or mail destined to American Samoa.
(3) USPS Marketing Mail pieces that qualify for a DLPC (or
analogous legacy) rate and that are entered in the territory of Puerto
Rico and destined to the territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands, or that
are destined to American Samoa, have a 4-day service standard when
accepted on Sunday through Thursday and a 5-day service standard when
accepted on Friday or Saturday.
(4) USPS Marketing Mail pieces that qualify for a Destination
Regional Processing and Distribution Center or Campus (DRPDC) (or
analogous legacy) rate have a 5-day service standard, if both the
origin and the destination are in the contiguous 48 states.
(5) USPS Marketing Mail pieces that qualify for a DRPDC (or
analogous legacy) rate, and that are entered in the contiguous 48
states for delivery to addresses in the states of Alaska or Hawaii or
the territories of Guam, American Samoa, 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 the contiguous 48 states.
0
6. Revise Sec. 121.4 to read as follows:
Sec. 121.4 Package Services.
(a) End-to-End. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a 4- to 7-
day service standard applies to end-to-end Package Services pieces,
with the standard generally equaling the sum of 2 days plus the
applicable Single-Piece First-Class Mail (FCM) service standard
(disregarding standards for USPS Connect[supreg] Local FCM and for
intra-Local Processing Center ``turnaround'' service) after adding 5-9
hours to the applicable driving time bands of Leg 2 for FCM, as applied
to specific 5-digit origin-destination pairs in the table cited in
section 121.0.
(2) For certain end-to-end Package Services pieces originating and/
or destinating outside the contiguous 48 states, an 11- to 29-day
service standard applies, with the standard generally equaling the sum
of 4 to 7 days plus the number of additional days (from 7 to 22) for
which certain intermodal (e.g., highway, boat, air-taxi) transportation
is utilized.
(b) Destination Entry. (1) Package Services mail that qualifies for
a Destination Delivery Unit (DDU) rate has a 1-day (overnight) service
standard.
(2) Package Services mail that qualifies for a Destination Local
Processing Center (DLPC) (or analogous legacy) rate has a 2-day service
standard, except for mail that is destined to either American Samoa or
the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(3) Package Services mail that qualifies for a DLPC rate, and that
is destined to either American Samoa or the U.S. Virgin Islands, has a
3-day service standard.
(4) Package Services mail that qualifies for a Destination Regional
Processing and Distribution Center or Campus (DRPDC) (or analogous
legacy) rate, and that originates and destinates in the contiguous 48
states, has a 3-day service standard.
(5) Package Services mail that qualifies for a DRPDC (or analogous
legacy) rate, and that is entered in the contiguous 48 states for
delivery to addresses in the states of Alaska or Hawaii, or the
territories of Guam, American Samoa, 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 the contiguous 48 states.
0
7. Revise appendix A to part 121 to read as follows:
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. 121.0
through 121.4 (for purposes of Part 121, references to the
contiguous states or the contiguous 48 states also include the
District of Columbia):
Table 1. End-to-end service standard day ranges for mail
originating and destinating within the contiguous 48 states and the
District of Columbia.
Table 1--End-to-End Service Within Contiguous States
------------------------------------------------------------------------
End-to-end
Mail class range
(days)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
First-Class Mail........................................... 0-5
Periodicals................................................ 3-6
USPS Marketing Mail........................................ 4-7
Package Services........................................... 4-7
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 2. End-to-end service standard day ranges for mail
originating and/or destinating in non-contiguous states and
territories.
Table 2--End-to-End Service to and/or From Non-Contiguous States and Territories
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End-to-end range (days)
Mail class -------------------------------------------------
Intra-state/territory Inter-state/territory
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First-Class Mail.............................................. 0-5 2-5
Periodicals................................................... 3-6 3-27
USPS Marketing Mail........................................... 4-7 4-28
Package Services.............................................. * 4-7 4-29
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Excluding bypass mail.
Table 3. Destination-entry service standard day ranges for mail
to the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia.
Table 3--Destination Entry Service to Contiguous States
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contiguous states
-----------------------------------------------
Destination entry (at appropriate facility)
Mail class range (days)
-----------------------------------------------
* DDU * DLPC * DRPDC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Periodicals..................................................... 1 1 2
USPS Marketing Mail............................................. 2 3-4 5
[[Page 90249]]
Package Services................................................ 1 2 3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* DDU = Destination Delivery Unit; DLPC = Destination Local Processing Center; DRPDC = Destination Regional
Processing and Distribution Center or Campus.
Table 4. Destination entry service standard day ranges for mail
to non-contiguous states and territories.
Table 4--Destination Entry Service to Non-Contiguous States and Territories
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Destination entry (at appropriate facility)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* DLPC range (days) * DRPDC range (days)
Mail class --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* DDU range ** Hawaii,
(days) Alaska Guam, NMI, ** PR & Alaska Hawaii, Guam, PR & USVI
& AS USVI NMI, & AS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Periodicals............................................ 1 1-3 1-4 1-3 10-11 10 8-10
USPS Marketing Mail.................................... 2 3-4 3-5 3-5 14 13 12
Package Services....................................... 1 2 2-3 2-3 12 11 11
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* DDU = Destination Delivery Unit; DLPC = Destination Local Processing Center; DRPDC = Destination Regional Processing and Distribution Center or
Campus.
** AS = American Samoa; NMI = Northern Mariana Islands; PR = Puerto Rico; USVI = United States Virgin Islands.
Christopher Doyle,
Attorney, Ethics & Legal Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2024-26434 Filed 11-14-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P
