Post office flat rate fun

[fatelk]

Sometimes I don't know about people. I had some bullets that have been sitting around for a long time, that I was not going to use. I hated to just melt them down, so I sold them fairly cheap instead. I got creative with packing, and fit 18 pounds of boolits in a USPS Flat-rate envelope. It was very solid and secure, ready for a 3,000 mile trip across the country.

Yesterday the mailman brings it back, with a big yellow sticker on it, saying additional postage was due, $38.15!!!

I took it back down to the post office, and the guy at the counter just shook his head. He looked it over carefully and said it looked fine, packaging was great, and he couldn't see any reason at all as to why it was returned. He put a $0.00 postage sticker on it and sent it on it's way again.

I wondered if it was because it was too heavy, but he said this one is nothing, and he once had one come through that weighed 46 pounds! 46 pounds in a flat rate envelope:veryconfu

[deerslayer]

You must have gotten real creative as I could only get about 15 lbs in a small flat rate box. they did however want $34 to ship it to Maine until I asked isn't that a flat rate box? My little post office didn't understand the weight situation of a flatrate box and had to look it up online while I stood there. Finally it was shipped for $4.95 only after I explained to the nice lady the difference between live ammunition and boolits.

What a deal I love the flatrate boxes!!

[mooman76]

I work with a post office daily. I get all kinds of mail back. Anywhere allong the line someone can kick it back for whatever reason and I wonder what they were thinking. I am told the flat rate envelps are suppose to remain flat basically retaining their original shape. They don't have very good communication between post offices as they seem to have their own mind what should be right. I was also tols when I brought a flat rate box in that was heavy but weel under the limit, that it was only suppose to have one piece of tape on it. I rebuted saying what since does that make. You say it can hold 70# now unlimited and you expect one piece of tape to hold it? I get yelled at for bringing parcells in that aren't properly taped, so that sounds like a double standard to me. Anyway I got a plain bussiness envelop back last week taht said it needed an addition postage even though it was a regular envelope that was under 1 oz. I just stuck it back in the mail as it was. I've also gotten mail back saying the postage was reused when it clearly wasn't.

[Black Wolf]

Well, you do remember it is the "Government" with a bunch of BS red tape, right?

[Harter66]

I sent 2 to Iraq-astan last Christmas they were about 35# each no exrta fees. I picked up a box yesterday , the big 12x12x5 box now says 20# max on the inside flap. Still cheaper than FedEx.

[mike in co]

I sent 2 to Iraq-astan last Christmas they were about 35# each no exrta fees. I picked up a box yesterday , the big 12x12x5 box now says 20# max on the inside flap. Still cheaper than FedEx.

international has limiits...

in states does ...70 lbs

mike in co

[nicholst55]

I always like the way the postal clerk tells me 'This would cost you $XX to ship Parcel Post, but it will be only $4.95 (or whatever) by Priority Mail.' And I'm always thinking 'Dude, I didn't make the rule, y'all did! I'm just taking advantage of a good deal.'

[JIMinPHX]

I know that with the flat rate boxes, if they get over stuffed to the point of loosing their original shape, then the flat rate doesn't count anymore. I don't know what the rule is for flat rate envelopes.

[Blammer]

A month or so ago I shipped 3,000 pounds of lead through the post office in flat rate boxes, 60#'s at a time. :)

[bohokii]

my post office told me they could not allow me to ship in the flat rate envelope unless it was sealed "only" with the adhesive strip provided

i had mine taped up

so what i did is just put the envelope in another envelope and sealed it with only its adhesive strip that way my stuff was safe and sound in the sealed inner envelope and the outer was just along for the ride

they say you can ship up to 70 pounds in the flat rate

i often imagine casting up a block of lead the exact size of the small flat rate box just to see how heavy it would be

[DIRT Farmer]

My wife is a Rural carrier, some of her coustermers get the boxes of pennies to hopefully find colectable coings, the boxes weigh right at 70 lb and do not always live through transport. Ever see a floor board full of pennies?

[montana_charlie]

I picked up a box yesterday , the big 12x12x5 box now says 20# max on the inside flap.
That won't fly as long as their TV ad says 'anything up to 70 pounds ships for one flate rate'.
CM

[markinalpine]

How does that saying go?
"Neither rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night will stop us..."
...but STUPID stops them dead in their tracks!

Mark :coffeecom

Found the original: "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these courageous couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" and was said about 2500 years ago by the Greek historian, Herodotus. He said this adage during the war between the Greeks and Persians about 500 B.C. in reference to the Persian mounted postal couriers whom he observed and held in high esteem.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

My postal delivery person is an older lady . . . she complains if the box is 30 pounds! Either my wife or I are almost always home when she comes around, and are happy to get the package out of her car . . . the last few 50+ lbs boxes of ww's or shot, she left me a note saying I had to go down to the post office to pick up my too heavy package!

I called and talked to the post master . . . he said the package was too heavy, I asked him how much it weighed? He told me 62 pounds, and that the deliver person could not pick it up, I told him, that I believe that USPS are the ones who set the limit at 70 pounds, and the requirement that everybody had to be able to lift 70 pounds, and I had paid them to deliver to my house, and I expected it at my door!

He grumbled that they wern't making any money on these boxes of lead! I said tough, so He ended up coming to my house himself to deliver it!

Just because I was cranky, I went on line and ordered a few more boxes of lead, to help him learn what the rules say!:mrgreen::Fire:

If I ship something like wheel weights, I get their tyvex envelopes, and then box it up, that way when they rip open the box . . . nothing is lost!

[LewR]

Yup - my carrier was off and his sub had to deliver the 65# box to my front door. He hates me now...LOL

Even I had to cut the box open to off load some ingots to get them into the house.

I'll bet his truck was going sideways down the road - :)

[fatelk]

my post office told me they could not allow me to ship in the flat rate envelope unless it was sealed "only" with the adhesive strip provided

i had mine taped up

so what i did is just put the envelope in another envelope and sealed it with only its adhesive strip that way my stuff was safe and sound in the sealed inner envelope and the outer was just along for the ride
Very smart. I will definitely remember that one.:)

I just wonder if these rules are in writing somewhere, or they just make them up as they go? I'm sure they are written somewhere, but I can't find it. The guy at the post office, who said it was fine, said something about it could have been the tape, but he didn't have a problem with it at all.

From the USPS web site:
"Restrictions

Contents must reasonably fit within the Priority Mail packaging, and weigh less than 70 pounds. "

My wife does ebay sometimes, and we've sent and received a lot of flat rate boxes and envelopes, most of them either stuffed full, and/or taped up tremendously. We've never had one problem until now. All I can figure is that one person somewhere along the way decided to be a jerk.

No, I'm sure they are losing money when we ship 60+ pounds of lead for $10, or 18 pounds for $5, but they are setting the price. If there are some obscure restrictions, other than "reasonably fitting in the packaging", they really need to make them known.

Does anyone have any idea as to why they wouldn't want extra packing tape on the envelope? It makes no sense to me at all. You would think that they would want the package reinforced so it wouldn't break open.

[RP]

Lots of storys about the mail here. I had one tell me it would be 38 bucks to ship my flatrate because I used to much tape, Got some mail to me and was told I owed more postage to pick them up because the box had gotten tore. And also got the notes that I need to pick up my mail because it was to heavy. What I have found that one PO gives me a hard time about my weight of mail the other thinks its kind of funny and picks on the one that has to wait on me. Also my mail lady blows her horn and ask if me or my son minded getting the boxes for her. Its more that they are mad at the world or just plan lazy. BUT KEEP THIS IN MIND the dont use the prase going postal for no reason.

[cheese1566]

But in the end, we all seem to use them...

I wonder how much of the good stuff sold below in the swappin '& sellin' section goes USPS compared to any other courier...:veryconfu

[deerslayer]

Does it really cost them more to ship a 60 lb box verses a 10 lb box? I mean if every one was 60# sure it would but a few in the mix doesn't cost them more. I know people who haul the mail and the truck is always full volume wise and there is not that much weight in there. We are paying a flat rate for the volume that box occupies. That is probably why they came out with the idea it doesn't really cost any extra. Even a 100 boxes at 60 lbs each aren't going to change a semi's fuel mileage all that much. Of course we are wearing out the carriers but that is their job. Mine often requires me to lift much more than 70 lbs.

[lwknight]

I ordered 120 pounds of Superhard from Rotometals. The carrier had both 62 pound boxes in 1 tote. They were hard to get out so he just left the tote with 124 pounds of 2 boxes in it.
I had to cut open the boxes and take the ingots out to unload the tote. LOL!!
I just left the tote by the mailbox so he could get it back in the morning.

[bohokii]

Does it really cost them more to ship a 60 lb box verses a 10 lb box? I mean if every one was 60# sure it would but a few in the mix doesn't cost them more. I know people who haul the mail and the truck is always full volume wise and there is not that much weight in there. We are paying a flat rate for the volume that box occupies. That is probably why they came out with the idea it doesn't really cost any extra. Even a 100 boxes at 60 lbs each aren't going to change a semi's fuel mileage all that much. Of course we are wearing out the carriers but that is their job. Mine often requires me to lift much more than 70 lbs.

yes airplanes can only lift off within maximum load

http://www.usps.com/shipping/prioritymail.htm


i think the 20 pound limit is for international shipping

the envelope rule makes sense to me it prevents excessive ballooning

years ago i bought some arcade tokens and the person had the envelope wrapped in so much tape it looked like a football they have cracked down since they have gone private

[Tom W.]

I guess I'm fortunate. When I ship stuff I first glue the box together with Elmers White glue, then use clear packing tape and tape the daylights out of it. I order my postage online and tape it as per the instructions. No problems so far...

[Cowboy5780]

I dont know about size and weight but ive been at the Post Office and seen the slide the envelopes thru a piece of plexiglas with a slot like it was a go-no go deal i use the boxes mostly so im not sure.

[Screwbolts]

I dont know about size and weight but ive been at the Post Office and seen the slide the envelopes thru a piece of plexiglas with a slot like it was a go-no go deal i use the boxes mostly so im not sure.


While your are at the PO why not ask them what the slide threw thingy is for, then you will know what it is for and not have to guess!

In case it isn't convenient to ask your postal guy who is in reality your paid servant, I will try to enlighten you as to what the cardboard or plexy glass slide threw thingy is for.

It is a gauge to qualify NON PRIORITY Envelope mail, for thickness and width up to the maximum allowable thickness and width allowed for the automated machine sortable mail.

I hope this helps.

Ken
Central NY

[BruceB]

"yes airplanes can only lift off within maximum load"

You can see that statement tested every day at a busy bushplane base! There, the word seems to be that if it fits, it flies.

We once loaded a Noorduyn Norseman (big fabric-covered Canadian aircraft from the 1930s, 600 horsepower) at a dock in Yellowknife. The pilot started the engine and told me to untie the rear of the floats. When I did, the airplane slowly started to SINK. Pilot hollered at me to get aboard, and went to full power right at dockside.

As soon as the wing started to bear some of the weight, the sinking was reversed, but it took us a good four miles of take-off run to get off the water, and she wouldn't climb above 500 feet for the first 100 miles until some of the fuel load burned off.

Just another day of flying in the North...

[fecmech]

Back in the 70's I worked with some mechanics who crewed "Hueys" in Vietnam. They told me that they threw so much extra ammo and flak vests in the a/c that they sometimes had to walk along side it as they left the revetments. The aircraft was too heavy to hover with the crew chief and door gunner on board so they had to do running take offs. The crew chief and door gunner jumped in as the aircraft got going!

[Ole]

My regular mail carrier has been very helpful and courteous regarding the heavy flat rate boxes that I've had delivered. I will offer to carry them from her truck if i'm home (I'm off on Mondays) but she delivers them if i'm not home. A few months back, I bought a small flat rate box with around 10# of #9 shot in it and it had leaked so she put it in a large ziplock baggie.

No complaints here. :)

[Echo]

I sold a Lyman 452374 DC mold on eBay, and sent it in a Flat Rate envelope. I wrapped the mold in bubble wrap. The mold never made it. The (torn up!) envelope did, and I had to refund the price of the mold, since USPS is our agent, and it is our responsibility to get the goods to the customer.

Think about it - those envelopes are plenty tough, so it took resolve to actually tear it open. From now on, I fully tape any time I use the FR envelope.

And I occasionally send small stuff (Sizing dies, individual reloading dies, &cetera) in catalog envelopes that I fully tape, and fold double. One could almost play hockey with that setup...

[oneokie]

Think about it - those envelopes are plenty tough, so it took resolve to actually tear it open. From now on, I fully tape any time I use the FR envelope.


I will beg to differ on that statement. In my experience, the FR envelopes are only slightly stronger than dry toilet paper.

When using the FR envelopes, I place my item/s in a tyvek envelope and seal that. Then I apply glue (whatever is handy) to the tyvek and then slide it into the FR, making sure that there is plenty of glue in the area where the address label on the FR is.

Have had a few complaints about my packing method, but what the hey, the item/s arrived.

[The Double D]

I just pulled this from the online version of the Domestic Mail Manual.

Domestic Mail Manual- Flat Rate envelopes and boxes (http://pe.usps.com/search/jsp/search/vv_docread.jsp?k2dockey=http%3A%2F%2Fpe.usps.com%2 Ftext%2Fdmm300%2F123.htm%40PE_DMM300_HTML_5&serverSpec=56.0.145.56:9920&QueryParser=Simple&querytext=flat-rate%3Cor%3Eflat%3Cand%3Erate&dtype=2#hit0)

1.5 Flat Rate Envelope and Boxes

Any amount of material may be mailed in a USPS-produced Priority Mail Flat Rate Box or Flat Rate Envelope. When sealing a Flat Rate Box or Flat Rate Envelope, the container flaps must be able to close within the normal folds. Tape may be applied to the flaps and seams to reinforce the container, provided the design of the container is not enlarged by opening the sides and the container is not reconstructed in any way.
1.5.1 Flat Rate Envelope—Price and Eligibility

[1-4-10] Each USPS-produced Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope is charged a flat rate regardless of the actual weight (up to 70 pounds) of the mailpiece or domestic destination. Only USPS-produced Flat Rate Envelopes are eligible for the Flat Rate Envelope price.
1.5.2 Flat Rate Boxes—Price and Eligibility

[1-4-10] For shipping convenience, there are multiple Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes as follows: Small Flat Rate Box to domestic, APO/FPO, and DPO destinations; regular/medium Flat Rate Boxes (FRB-1) or (FRB-2) to domestic, APO/FPO, and DPO destinations; Large Flat Rate Box or "special version of this box" to APO/FPO and DPO destinations; and large Flat Rate Box to domestic destinations only. The large Flat Rate Box to APO/FPO and DPO destinations or "special version of this box" is priced less than the conventional domestic large Flat Rate Box. Items sent to APO/FPO and DPO destination addresses may be shipped in the Priority Mail large Flat Rate Box or in a special version of the box identified with the additional logo: "Americasupportsyou.mil." If the special version of the APO/FPO Flat Rate Box is used for non-APO/FPO and DPO destination addresses, the domestic or international large Flat Rate Box prices will apply. Only USPS-produced Flat Rate Boxes are eligible for the Flat Rate Box prices. Each USPS-produced Priority Mail Flat Rate Box is charged a flat rate regardless of the actual weight (up to 70 pounds) of the mailpiece or domestic destination. See Notice 123—Price List (http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm#wp1012541) for applicable prices.

[Trey45]

Where i used to live in Virginia i had an ongoing war with the post office. I used to live on one of the busiest roads in chesapeake. It was 6 lanes of traffic in front of my house. The stupid mailman was too lazy to close the mailbox door, and passing cars would eventually vacuum the mail out into the street! More than once I had to gather my mail from the street. If it rained, the mail got wet. I took pictures of the mailman in his truck driving away from the mailbox with the door wide open, showed them to the chesapeake post master, and was told, anyone can stage a picture! Eventually I had a postal inspector park his truck across the street and watch the mailman drive away from mailboxes on the busiest road in chesapeake, leaving mailbox doors open the whole way. Their solution? The TRANSFERED him to another route! So now someone else got our old problem!

Where I live now is very rural NC, I have had some very heavy packages delivered, the mail lady pulls up in the driveway and blows her horn, and meets me on the porch stairs with the packages, the only time I have ever carried a heavy package from her truck to the house was when I happened to already be outside when she showed up. Often times if I'm at the post office in the morning to ship something out, the post master ( my cousin) will go and get my mail if it has oversize boxes in the delivery. Small town mail service, just like everything else, is better than city living.

[fatelk]

Double D, thanks for posting that. I looked around for a while on the USPS site and couldn't find it.


When sealing a Flat Rate Box or Flat Rate Envelope, the container flaps must be able to close within the normal folds. Tape may be applied to the flaps and seams to reinforce the container, provided the design of the container is not enlarged by opening the sides and the container is not reconstructed in any way.
My envelope was well within those guidelines. I'm thinking that the "too much tape", and "too thick" complaints must be individual postal workers making their own rules.

It is useful to see how others package and ship things. We haven't done much for a while now, but some time back I acquired several hundred pounds of desiccant. We figured out how to regenerate, package, and sell it. We could fit three or four pounds in a flat rate envelope, but it was very thick and reinforced with tape. We shipped out literally many dozens that way and never had a single problem.

[The Double D]

I worked for the government for 19 year, 26 counting Military time and one of the first things I learned, is you don't do anything with out a regulation, policy or law saying you can do it...

Anytime a government employee tells you you can't do something you know you can, ask politely for them to show you the regulation.

[mooman76]

We called(where I work) the main P.O. because the local P.O. seemed to be making their own rules on things that weren't the same as others and was told they do have latitude to make some of their own rules or do it the way they want.

[montana_charlie]

At the time you go down to pick up some flat rate boxes, also pick up a roll or two of the free tape with the Priority Mail logo on it.
Use that to 'tape the snot' out of a FRB and see if anybody complains about using too much.

CM

[buck1]

wHEN MY OLD CURRIER DELIVERED LEAD , IT JUST GOT LEFT ON THE CURB. My new one dont care. He realizes every box he delivers means he has a job in bad times.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

About two months ago I picked up a flate rate box from the Calimesa,Ca. Post Office to mail a Lee Pro 1000. I packed it, went back to mail it and all hands at the PO pleaded ignorance to this flat rate buisiness. One of them said the PO doesn't offer that anymore. I replied, I saw the ad on TV last night. I finally paid $14.75 as I recall to get rid of the beast, which is for more than it is worth, IMHO.

[The Double D]

We called(where I work) the main P.O. because the local P.O. seemed to be making their own rules on things that weren't the same as others and was told they do have latitude to make some of their own rules or do it the way they want.

Ask them to show you the regulation that says that. Some agencies do have such a regulation...other wise call B.A. Acrually you should say nonsense, and take it to the next level.

[The Double D]

About two months ago I picked up a flate rate box from the Calimesa,Ca. Post Office to mail a Lee Pro 1000. I packed it, went back to mail it and all hands at the PO pleaded ignorance to this flat rate buisiness. One of them said the PO doesn't offer that anymore. I replied, I saw the ad on TV last night. I finally paid $14.75 as I recall to get rid of the beast, which is for more than it is worth, IMHO.

Ask them to look it up!

[Curlymaple42]

If you UPS stuff, just remember that every package drops three (3') from one conveyor to another multiple times. My UPS driver mentioned this one day to me. Good to know. Our mailman is kind of a prick, but he usually has packages in the back of his pickup so he can get them out easy and drop them by the door. He honks first though if I am home so I can get it out.

[markinalpine]

I took 6 of the 13 1/16" X 11 1/2" X 2 3/8" boxes, sealed on end and stacked them in another old box I had that was the right size, and filled them with rubber mulch to get a 15" long handgun boolit capture box. Worked fine for .22 thru 9mm Luger. [smilie=w:
BUT .45 ACP and .45 Colt (mostly) blew right through. :groner:

Mark :coffeecom

[deerslayer]

If anyone has any TYVEK housewrap tape the adhesive on this stuff is great and will really seal and stick to the boxes. I used it after running out of clear tape and have come to really prefer it.

[deerslayer]

I took 6 of the 13 1/16" X 11 1/2" X 2 3/8" boxes, sealed on end and stacked them in another old box I had that was the right size, and filled them with rubber mulch to get a 15" long handgun boolit capture box. Worked fine for .22 thru 9mm Luger. [smilie=w:
BUT .45 ACP and .45 Colt (mostly) blew right through. :groner:

Mark :coffeecom

You do realize our tax dollars are paying for your "fun"!

[redneckdan]

i often imagine casting up a block of lead the exact size of the small flat rate box just to see how heavy it would be

Using the USPS.com dimensions of 8-5/8" x 5-3/8" x 1-5/8" comes to 75.3 cubic inches of capacity. 1 cubic inch of lead equals .409 pounds for a total of 30.85 pounds of lead in a small flat rate box.