USPS USING GPS TECHNOLOGY TO MONITOR MTE
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The Postal Service is going high-tech to improve the way it monitors the comings-and-goings of its Mail Transport Equipment (MTE), equipping some of its pallets with global positioning system (GPS) devices. With this technology, the Postal Service will be able to track GPS-equipped pallets whether they’re outdoors, inside buildings or in vehicles.
The Postal Service spends millions of dollars on MTE every year to replenish inventory and to meet the needs of customers. The cost of flat tubs and pallets ranges from $4 to $20 each. So losses can quickly add up.
Jordan Small, vice president, Network Operations, says installing GPS devices in a small percentage of pallets should not affect their use by employees or customers. “The GPS-equipped pallets function no differently than any other plastic pallet,” he says. “They can and should be used to transport mail to designated entry points in the postal network in a normal fashion.”
The GPS solution is the latest measure USPS has taken to reduce MTE losses. The Postal Service already maintains an MTE hotline employees can use to report equipment located outside the network. Employees can call 866-330-3404 to pass along information on the location, type and quantities of equipment to be retrieved.
In addition to the hotline, employees can send information related to equipment recovery to hqmte@usps.gov. Customers can return large quantities of MTE or larger equipment by completing the MTE Return Request Form available on the Facility Access Shipment Tracking website.
