Brick-piling Mail

Amendment/Revision

Customers should ensure they are using the most current version of the Mail Preparation and Presortation Guide, including all amendments and other applicable documents, which are posted on the Canada Post website. See in particular, www.canadapost.ca/postalservices for key documents.

Significant changes appear in red in the electronic version.

In addition, when there is an amendment or a revision to the document, the version number will be modified as follows:

• an amendment increases the first digit in the version (e.g., version 2.0, 3.0).
• a revision increases the second digit in the version (e.g., version 1.1, 1.2, 1.3).
• the version number restarts at 1.0 every January.

Table of Contents

1

Overview

1.1	Who Should Use This Guide?

This Guide has been designed to explain how to brick-pile mail on pallets.

There are two (2) methods of Brick-piling:

1. Brick-piling Oversize (O/S) Addressed Admail™, Publications Mail™ and Catalogue Mail™ for LCP and NDG Presort Mailings on pallets.
2. Brick-piling mail for Oversize (O/S) Incentive Lettermail™ (annual/financial reports only) and Unaddressed Admail™ (Standard and Oversize).

1.1.1

What is Brick-piling?

Brick-piling is a method used to secure mail items onto a pallet (as shown in Figure 1) or in a monotainer (as shown in Figure 2). Pallets and monotainers can be used for transportation (as a single unit) of mail items from the Customer’s location to an approved Canada Post facility where the mail will be deposited.

1.1.2

Brick-piling Oversize (O/S) Mail for LCP and NDG Presort Mailings on Pallets

Brick-piling Oversize (O/S) mail for LCP and NDG Presort mailings on pallets can be used to transport the following services:

• Addressed Admail
• Publications Mail
• Catalogue Mail

Figure 1:  

Figure 2:  

1.1.3

Brick-piling Oversize (O/S) Incentive Lettermail and Unaddressed Admail (Standard and O/S)

Brick-piling Oversize (O/S) Incentive Lettermail and Unaddressed Admail can be used to transport the following services:

• Incentive Lettermail: applicable to this service only [Oversize (O/S) annual/financial reports may be brick-piled]
• Unaddressed Admail (Standard and O/S): brick-piling can only be used to transport items directly to an Urban Delivery Facility or to a Rural Delivery Facility (NPS Level 1).

1.2	Brick-piling Requirements

Before brick-piling mail, the mail items must meet all requirements specified in the Agreement with Canada Post, as well as the appropriate service requirements and mail preparation option, such as presort grouping, size and weight. Consult the appropriate Customer Guide (see section 1.3 “Information Sources”).

The pallets must meet Canada Post specifications (as shown in Table 1). Monotainers may be obtained from Canada Post. During peak periods such as Christmas, however, the number of monotainers requested may not be available.

Mailers of brick-piled Unaddressed Admail, O/S LCP and NDG Addressed Admail and Publications Mail may qualify for Canada Post reusable plastic pallets (based on availability). Reusable plastic pallets meet all of the above requirements and are available for a nominal usage fee with a minimum order of 40 pallets.

Reusable plastic pallets have economic, environmental, and handling advantages over wooden pallets. For more information, please call Canada Post at 1-866-757-5480.

1.2.1

Access Levels for Brick-piling LCP & NDG Presort Mailings on Pallets

1.3	Information Sources

This Mail Preparation and Presortation Guide forms part of the Agreement, and all references to the Agreement shall be deemed to include the documents referenced in section 13 “Entire Agreement and Alterations” of the General Terms and Conditions.

2

What You Need to Know Before You Start

2.1	Steps for Brick-piling Pallets

Complete the following steps:

1. Prepare the Bundles (Step 1) – Ensure the content of the bundles has already been sorted according to the appropriate service requirements and mail preparation option.
2. Place the Bundles on the Pallet or Monotainer (Step 2) – Cardboard liners help to stabilize the loads.
3. Secure the Pallet and, if Possible, Double-stack Pallets or Monotainers (Step 3) – Canada Post may refuse deposit of improperly secured pallets.
4. Label the Brick-piled Pallet or Monotainer (Step 4) – Correct labelling ensures that mail items are directed to the appropriate work centre within a Canada Post facility and/or to a downstream plant. All pallets and monotainers must be labelled.
5. Deposit the Mailing (Step 5) – The mail must be deposited at an approved site accompanied by properly completed documentation.

3

Prepare the Bundles (Step 1)

Prepare bundles to Canada Post specifications.

3.1	LCP & NDG Presort Mailings on Pallets

3.2	Oversize (O/S) Incentive Lettermail and Unaddressed Admail

4

Place the Bundles on the Pallet or Monotainer (Step 2)

4.1	Preparing Pallets and Monotainers

Place a pallet right side up and line the bottom of the pallet with a suitable cardboard liner (as shown in Figure 3) to cover the holes.

Figure 3: Pallet Showing Bottom Lined with a Cardboard Liner

4.2	Building Rows

1. In the first row, place bundles of mail lengthwise along the length of the pallet or monotainer. The entire pallet must be covered by bundles of mail. The centre of the pallet must not be left empty. In the second row, place bundles of mail lengthwise along the width of the container (as shown in Figure 4). Continue alternating the direction of the bundles in each row to ensure that the bundles maintain an even surface and to ensure the load remains stable during handling.
2. For LCP and NDG mailings, keep adding rows of bundles until they reach at least 150 mm (Local) or 300 mm (Forward), not including the pallet.
3. For Unaddressed Admail, keep adding rows of bundles until they reach at least 150 mm (delivery facility), not including the pallet.
4. For Incentive Lettermail, keep adding rows of bundles until they reach at least 500 mm, not including the pallet.
5. Pallets with loads that exceed 500 mm in height must have a cardboard liner at the halfway mark (as shown in Figure 4) to prevent load separation when the pallet is transported. If a load is only 500 mm, it should be stable enough that a halfway liner is not necessary. When a cardboard liner is used, face the bundles above and below the cardboard liner the same way (as shown in Figure 4) instead of opposite length/width-wise.
6. To ensure a stable load for all brick-piled Machineable Mail (which cannot be strapped or shrink-wrapped), a cardboard liner is required for each new row.

Figure 4: Pallet Showing Placement of Cardboard Liner and Bundles

7. To ensure a stable load for mail with spines, a cardboard liner is required for each new row, whether pallets or monotainers are being used. Alternate the facing of spines for each row (as shown in Figure 5); that is, turn the books 180 degrees instead of 90 degrees as with other types of mail.

Figure 5: Alternating the Facing of Spines for Each Row

8. When using a monotainer for presorted mail, place a cardboard liner on the bottom and between each row.
9. Keep adding rows until they reach the maximum height or the maximum weight, whichever comes first. For a pallet load, the maximum height including base and pallet cap (as shown in Figure 6) is 1.5 m. A pallet cap should be made of wood, but sturdy paper or cardboard are also acceptable.

5

Secure the Pallet and, if Possible, Double-stack Pallets or Monotainers (Step 3)

5.1	Secure the Pallet

The design of monotainers makes it unnecessary to further secure the contents if the bundles have been brick-piled properly. However, completed pallets are to be capped on top of the load (as shown in Figure 6).

Figure 6: Capped Pallet

Apply three (3) layers of stretch wrap around both the pallet cap and bottom pallet (as shown in Figure 7) to ensure that both are firmly secured by the stretch wrap and to prevent any movement of the mail bundles on the pallets.