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Rural Carrier Handbook – PO 603 updated to include DPS Flats information

Effective July 9, 2015, the Postal Service™ is revising section 541.4 of Handbook PO-603, Rural Carrier Duties and Responsibilities, to include additional compensation for DPS flats and a formal process for conducting quality reviews.

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Handbook PO-603, Rural Carrier Duties and Responsibilities

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5 Inspection, Count, and Adjustment of Rural Routes

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54 Compensation Adjustments

541 Requirements

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541.4 Automation Processed Mail

541.41 Additional Compensation

[Revise the text of 541.41 to read as follows:]

a. If a carrier assigned a left-hand drive (LHD) employer-provided vehicle or required to use his/her privately-owned vehicle, is being compensated under DPS letter standards, and required to case all or a significant portion (125 pieces or more) of his/her DPS letter mail due to machine failure or other problems, additional compensation will be provided in accordance with the following formula:

n The average daily DPS letter volume from the latest mail count (when all DPS mail is received in a raw, unprocessed state or all DPS mail is improperly processed requiring casing), or

n The actual piece count (when 125 or more pieces require casing) multiplied by (x) 0.0365 minutes per piece equals (=) additional minutes payment.

b. If a carrier assigned a right-hand drive (RHD) employer-provided vehicle is being compensated under DPS letter standards, and is required to case all or a significant portion (125 pieces or more) of his/her DPS letter mail due to machine failure or other problems, additional compensation will be provided in accordance with the following formula:

n The average daily DPS letter volume from the latest mail count (when all DPS mail is received in a raw, unprocessed state or all DPS mail is improperly processed requiring casing), or

n The actual piece count (when 125 or more pieces require casing) multiplied by (x) 0.0465 minutes per piece equals (=) additional minutes payment.

Additional payment procedures will be the same as outlined in Article 9.2.N of the National Agreement between the USPS-NRLCA.

c. If a carrier on a route being compensated under the DPS flats standard is required to case all or a significant portion (55 or more pieces) of its DPS flats, due to circumstances that have left all or some portion of the DPS flats in an out of sequence condition, additional compensation will be provided in accordance with the following formula:

n The number of DPS flats received as indicated on the end-of-run (EOR) report (when all DPS flats are received in an out of sequence condition), or

n The actual piece count (when 55 or more flats require casing) multiplied (x) by 0.091 minutes per piece for those routes evaluated using the DPS flats standard or 0.0412 minutes per piece for those routes evaluated using the special DPS casing standard, equals (=) additional minutes paid.

Additional payment procedures will be the same as outlined in Article 9.2.N of the National Agreement between the USPS-NRLCA.

Note: Carriers should notify their manager immediately when they receive DPS letter or flat mail requiring casing. If a manager is not readily accessible, the carrier should note the number of DPS mailpieces they are required to case and report it to his or her manager at the first opportunity.

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[Add new items 541.44 and 541.45 to read as follows:]

541.44 Formal Review of DPS Flats Processing

If a route receiving DPS flats experiences a decrease in the quality of the DPS mail or there is a reduction of the DPS flats volume in relationship to the total flats volume of the route as compared to the latest mail count, the assigned carrier may make a written request for formal review of the DPS flats processing for the route.

If a DPS flats quantity review indicates a route is experiencing a decrease in the quantity of DPS flats volume in relationship to the total flat volume of the route, management will take corrective action to ensure that processing is returned to levels equivalent to those experienced during the previous mail count.

If corrective action has not resolved the problem within 30 calendar days of the carrier’s written request for a quantity review, or if the route fails to meet the 98% quality threshold for three (3) consecutive days within 30 calendar days of the carrier’s written request for a quality review, management will prepare Form 4003,Official Rural Route Description, affecting the appropriate base hour change. The Form 4003 will be processed to be effective on the first day of the pay period in which the DPS Flats Formal Review Request was received.

541.45 Adjustments

If, for any reason, management removes a route from the DPS flats sort scheme and the route will no longer receive DPS flats, Form 4003, Official Rural Route Description, will be prepared to appropriately adjust time allowances and processed to be effective on the first day of the pay period in which the automated processing is discontinued.

Source: Policies, Procedures, and Forms Updates

35 Comments
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Belinda Benoit Daigle
Belinda Benoit Daigle
8 years ago

I will be happy to buy one— just say where to mail the check

Jan Steinborn Banasiak
Jan Steinborn Banasiak
8 years ago

Please please please pretty please? Lol

Evangeline Giddins Briscoe
Evangeline Giddins Briscoe
8 years ago

EVERY company I’ve EVER worked for issued employee handbooks during orientation or on your first day. The Post Office is the only place I know that makes you beg for one. LOL

Leland Grant
Leland Grant
8 years ago

how about an entry that says” when a carrier must put up with an incredibly stupid and disgusting manager who makes them do stupid s**t, the carrier will receive pay in the amount of 2 times the normal pay.

Wendy Williams
Wendy Williams
8 years ago

Teresa Marie Suite Colleen Williams Mark Jordan Trudy Prenger Debra Fletcher

Bruce Craddock
Bruce Craddock
8 years ago

Yes please

Amberly Gunter
Amberly Gunter
8 years ago

How do we get one?

Amberly Gunter
Amberly Gunter
8 years ago

What the heck is a route book?

Dina Stringer
Dina Stringer
Reply to  Amberly Gunter
8 years ago

The black binder that slides in the slot in front of your case , that’s where they usually at.

Amberly Gunter
Amberly Gunter
Reply to  Amberly Gunter
8 years ago

Yeah there isn’t one

Amberly Gunter
Amberly Gunter
Reply to  Amberly Gunter
8 years ago

There are no binders at either of my cases. I do an aux route & sub a regular route

Dina Stringer
Dina Stringer
Reply to  Amberly Gunter
8 years ago

Wow ! It has everything about route all the mail count papers , map of route , I can’t remember what all is in there but everyone is suppose to have them.

Amberly Gunter
Amberly Gunter
Reply to  Amberly Gunter
8 years ago

I will look tomorrow but I’ve been there a year & never seen one

Dina Stringer
Dina Stringer
Reply to  Amberly Gunter
8 years ago

Mine is in a slot next to the drawer on the front of my case

Amberly Gunter
Amberly Gunter
Reply to  Amberly Gunter
8 years ago

Ok. I will look there! Thanks

Ruralinfo.net
Ruralinfo.net
8 years ago

There should be one in your route book? Ask your PM to order you an updated PO 603.. They can be ordered.. The one I have is dated 2013 so they can be had somewhere.. A PO 603 should be in every rural carriers route book. I do have one online if anyone needs one online.. http://www.knowledgebase.ruralinfo.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/po603%2009-13.pdf

Jenny Kamsickas
Jenny Kamsickas
8 years ago

How can I get one or even a link to print the handbook would be nice.

Cynthia Favalora
Cynthia Favalora
8 years ago

Good, we’ll all make overtime straightening out the mess they send us….DPS….hahahaha…

Jenny Kamsickas
Jenny Kamsickas
8 years ago

Have never seen one in my office…

Ruralinfo.net
Ruralinfo.net
8 years ago

You don’t have PO 603s in your offices?

Amberly Gunter
Amberly Gunter
Reply to  Ruralinfo.net
8 years ago

If we do I have never seen it or been told where to find it

Dina Stringer
Dina Stringer
Reply to  Ruralinfo.net
8 years ago

Ours are in the black notebook that has all route info from the past and it slides in the front of your case , don’t know what the proper name for it is. But the book is in that.

Belinda Benoit Daigle
Belinda Benoit Daigle
Reply to  Ruralinfo.net
8 years ago

My 603 is from the early 2000’s if not 1991

Priscilla Leigh Jordan
Priscilla Leigh Jordan
8 years ago

where can we get one?

Priscilla Leigh Jordan
Priscilla Leigh Jordan
8 years ago

Teresa Norris Patty Bruce Lester

kayla
kayla
8 years ago

Our Office has them at every case in the office. But this whole “non” casing of DPS flats is BS. Alot of My DPS flats are torn and out of town .. and sometimes they go back n fourth cause 1 piece is stuck to another.. Js

Marcia Ivy Mccauley
Marcia Ivy Mccauley
8 years ago

Every route in our office had a yellow P603 book for years….and then one day….poof! They all disappeared!! First time in nearly 20 years that I don’t have one!!

Renata Schmidt Halferty
Renata Schmidt Halferty
8 years ago

Cynthia Favalora, I have one

Dina Stringer
Dina Stringer
8 years ago

Mich**le

Dianne Daley
Dianne Daley
8 years ago

The 2013 version is blue. Yellow us before that.

Cindy Askew Chreiman
Cindy Askew Chreiman
8 years ago

When are we getting them

Linda Combis
Linda Combis
8 years ago

DPS flats included in the handbook..how nice…My hate for them is renewed on a daily basis…would love to know what the “kick back” was for that deal…Our LLVs are old as dirt and falling apart constantly but I’m happy the Post Office spent a couple billion dollars only to slow carriers down and make our backs and shoulders hurt more…

Harvey Heil
Harvey Heil
8 years ago

Josh Bailey

sandy berry
sandy berry
8 years ago

would someone please tell me how to get one of these. there is not one in our office, old or new, only way we know something is when someone tells us.

Rhonda Quinn Jones
Rhonda Quinn Jones
8 years ago

how about our 4241A havent been updated in hmmm about 2 years in the office Im in