Post office flat rate fun

[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

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 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.