On September 14, 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the August 2018 Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which established the Private Transportation Index at 210.794, an increase, albeit slight, from the May 2018 Index of 210.730. Therefore, based on the August 2018 CPI-W release, the Equipment Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for rural carriers will remain unchanged at 74.0¢ per mile.

This EMA rate will be effective September 29, 2018 (Pay Period 21-2018).