Machineable 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

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

It is the Customer’s obligation to meet all the requirements outlined in the Agreement.

1

Overview

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1.1	Who Should Use This Guide?

This Guide has been designed to explain how to prepare Machineable Mail items for the following services:

• Addressed Admail, excluding Dimensional Addressed Admail
• Incentive Lettermail
• Publications Mail

1.1.1

What is Machineable Mail?

Machineable Mail is prepared in a way that allows Canada Post to process it efficiently. The type of mail is clearly identified and mail items are arranged so that they can be read by Canada Post’s automated equipment.

1.2	Requirements for Machineable Mail

To qualify as Machineable Mail, the mail items must meet any requirement specified in the Agreement with Canada Post, as well as the requirements for service and type of mail such as read rate, size and weight. Table 1 summarizes these requirements, but the Customer must also consult the appropriate Customer Guide (see section 1.3 “Information Sources”).

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

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2.1	Steps for Preparing Machineable Mail

Mail that has met all the necessary requirements (see section 1.2 “Requirements for Machineable Mail”) goes through up to five steps of mail preparation:

3. Choose the Correct Type of Container (Step 1) – Use lettertainers for Short and Long (S/L) mail items. Use flats tubs for Oversize (O/S) mail items.
4. Place the Mail Properly in Containers (Step 2) – Proper placement helps ensure that Canada Post’s automated equipment functions smoothly.
5. Label the Containers (Step 3) – Correct labelling ensures that mail items are directed to the appropriate work centre within a Canada Post facility.
6. Make up Monotainer and Pallet (Step 4) – Monotainers and pallets make it much easier to move the mail because it means the Customer and Canada Post handle one object instead of several.
7. Deposit the Mail (Step 5) – The mail must be deposited at an approved site accompanied by properly completed documentation.

3

Choose the Correct Type of Container (Step 1)

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Canada Post uses two types of hardsided containers for moving the mail: lettertainers and flats tubs. These containers can be obtained from any Canada Post plant and the Canada Post Equipment Warehouse in Toronto. These containers have lids. If Machineable Mail items are being deposited in monotainers, lids are optional.

Short and long (S/L) mail items should be placed in lettertainers (as shown in Figure 1). Oversize (O/S) mail items should be placed in flats tubs (as shown in Figure 2).

Other hardsided containers may be used if they meet the specifications in Table 3 and once prior approval from Canada Post has been received.

4

Place the Mail Properly in Containers (Step 2)

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4.1	Rules for Placing Mail in Containers

1. Place mail items in the container with the address and postal indicia, if applicable, all facing in the same direction.

2. Make use of all space available in the container.

3. Fill all containers to capacity; they must not weigh more than 22.7 kg (including the weight of the container and lid) when filled. Only the last container may be less than full since it will hold any mail items left over. If there is concern about the mail items jostling in a container that’s not full, bundle the mail items or place crumpled-up paper at the end to brace the mail items.
4. Make sure all containers have their lids, unless depositing in monotainers or arrangements with Canada Post have been made.
5. Ensure the items do not stick together as they may be damaged during processing or jam and/or damage the machinery.

5

Label the Containers (Step 3)

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5.1	Labelling Containers

5.2	Producing Container Labels

For labels that are either produced using Canada Post templates or are custom-made, the site www.canadapost.ca/postalservices under Container Labels offers both camera-ready artwork for the templates and Canada Post specifications for producing custom labels.

5.2.1

Special Instructions

• print label on one (1) side only
• labels must fit into label holders (or sleeve on the side of the Canada Post container) and be easily extracted from the label holders
• labels must be in bilingual format
• use PMS 470 (Terra Cotta) colouring for time-committed Publications Mail
• if the mailing is deposited at the mechanized plant where it will be processed (for example, mail destined for Vancouver that is deposited at the Vancouver plant, see section 8.1 “Deposit Sites”), there is no need to enter the destination plant on the container tag.

6

Make up Monotainer and Pallet (Step 4)

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Canada Post encourages the consolidation of lettertainers and flats tubs by using pallets or monotainers. During peak periods (such as Christmas), the number of monotainers requested may not be available.

Monotainers and pallets keep together mail items intended for one Order (Statement of Mailing) or to the same destination (e.g., all mail items for Vancouver arrives on one pallet), which reduces the amount of handling and helps ensure a complete mailing arrives at its destination at the same time.

6.1	Labelling Monotainers and Pallets

Labelling monotainers and pallets ensures that mail items are directed to the appropriate work centre within a Canada Post facility. All pallets and monotainers must be labelled.

Each label must measure 216 mm x 279 mm (8.5 in x 11 in), have white with black lettering and must include the following information (as shown in Figure 9):

• Service name (Publications Mail, Addressed Admail or Lettermail)
• Service option [e.g., Short and Long (S/L) Machineable or Oversize (O/S) Machineable]
• Destination plant (e.g., OTTAWA ON).

Choose a font size large enough to use the entire label. The destination plant must be visibly larger than other information, including Customer information.

Each monotainer must have at least one (1) label [two (2) are recommended] and each pallet must have two (2) labels (as shown in Figure 10).

7

Preparing Monotainers with Mixed Lettermail Services

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7.1	Mixing Lettermail Services

Customers with small numbers of remnant containers for different Lettermail service categories (e.g. Short and Long (S/L) and Oversize (O/S) Presort Lettermail, Short and Long (S/L) and Oversize (O/S), Machineable Lettermail and Short and Long (S/L) and Oversize (O/S) Full Rate Lettermail) may place the containers within the same monotainer* provided the following requirements are met:

• only one mixed monotainer is permissible per deposit and per Order (Statement of Mailing). If there are enough containers to make one full mixed services monotainer, the monotainer must be filled to capacity before starting another mixed services monotainer;
• the containers for each service must be physically separated within the monotainer (e.g. by corrugated plastic or cardboard that covers the entire surface area of the monotainer) as shown in Figure 11;
• when preparing a monotainer, place Presort mail trays at the bottom of the mixed monotainer and then place Full Rate or Machineable containers on top;
• Customers should identify the number of containers per Order (Statement of Mailing) in Electronic Shipping Tools (EST) if they are mixing mail from different Orders (Statements of Mailing) in the last monotainer. If the number of containers to be used with the mailing is unknown at the time the EST Order is created, it may be hand written on the Order document in the appropriate container box on the Order (Statement of Mailing) prior to induction of the mailing to Canada Post;
• if items are brick-piled within the mixed services monotainer (are only allowed for annual financial reports - Incentive Oversize (O/S) Lettermail, see section 1.1 “Who Should Use This Guide?” of the “Brick-piling Mail” chapter), Short and Long (S/L) items in Lettertainers can be placed on top of brick-piled mailings.

Figure 12 illustrates a few examples of what is acceptable and not acceptable as mixed Lettermail services monotainers.

7.1.1

Labelling Monotainers containing Mixed Lettermail Services

The monotainer must be affixed with a label that clearly indicates an Order (Statement of Mailing) number(s), types of the Lettermail services included in the monotainer (service name and service option) and the destination plant (as shown in Figure 13).

7.1.2

Labelling Containers within the Mixed Services Monotainers

All containers within the mixed Lettermail services monotainer must be properly labelled with the Lettermail service and option names. In addition, if the mail is from various Orders (Statements of Mailing), the Order (Statement of Mailing) number(s) of the mail contained therein must be indicated on each container label and/or the Orders (Statements of Mailing) and the associated container labels are to be colour-coded for identification purposes. The colour identifier must be clearly visible from a distance of 1.5 m and a colour other than green or red.

8

Deposit the Mail (Step 5)

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Except for monotainers, all containers being deposited must have their lids unless other arrangements have been made with Canada Post. Each mailing must be accompanied by all the required and properly completed documentation (see the appropriate Customer Guide listed under section 1.3 “Information Sources”).

8.1	Deposit Sites

Deposit Machineable Mail at one of the Canada Post approved sites listed in Table 6.