Tag: Domestic

USPS utilizing new rate classification guide designed By Hasler

Posted by | Sep 6, 2007 | |

Since the launch of its new Shape-Based Pricing (SBP) initiative with the May 14, 2007 postal rate change, the United States Postal Service has produced and distributed over 200,000 official rate classification guides based on a design by Hasler, Inc. These guides, circulated to USPS Retail Associates in over 38,000 post offices around the United States, are used to simplify the process of calculating mailing costs under the new SBP regulations.

In order to better align the price of postage with actual processing costs, the USPS shifted from the use of a pure weight value to a size, thickness and weight combination when determining the cost of postage. Under these Shape-Based Pricing guidelines, it is now critical that a mail piece be measured and classified either as a letter, flat or parcel, to ensure the proper postage value is applied. Hasler, in order to help its customers better understand and take advantage of the new mailing rates, designed a Shape-Based Pricing sorting device that efficiently categorizes the mail under the new regulations. The guide contains the size measurements and thickness slots necessary to allow a mail piece to be correctly sorted as a letter, flat, or parcel.

The new rate guide is a handy, must-have tool that will greatly facilitate the job of pricing for the Retail Associates. Hasler has already produced both hard cardboard and sturdy, self-standing acrylic versions that are available to its dealer network and its customers throughout the United States.

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Deutsche Post under pressure as German letter monopoly to end in 2008

Posted by | Sep 6, 2007 | |

Deutsche Post World Net AG’s efforts to cut costs are unlikely to offset the impact of the end of its German letter monopoly next year, as competitors are preparing their market entry, analysts said.

“Deutsche Post has always been under pressure to reduce its costs, but now more than in the past,” said Per-Ola Hellgren, an analyst at Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg.

Deutsche Post’s monopoly on letters below 50g, which account for 60 pct of its mail volume, is scheduled to end in January 2008.

“A delay to German mail liberalization now seems unlikely,” wrote analysts at Goldman Sachs in a recent note to clients. “We believe that this implies volume loss and margin erosion for Deutsche Post. Our analysis suggests a cost-cutting program is unlikely to compensate for revenue declines.” Deutsche Post expects profit losses of 10-20 pct due to mail liberalization, from 2006 earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of 2.03 bln eur.

During the first half of 2007, the mail division accounted for 55.8 pct of Deutsche Post’s EBIT.

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New Zealand posties win back pay after strikes

Posted by | Sep 6, 2007 | |

Postal workers in New Zealand have been awarded back pay for a period of industrial action in which posties took undelivered mail and put it back in post boxes.

The workers undertook the “secret strike” in July last year as part of a row over an employment agreement, the New Zealand Herald reported.

During the strike the workers went to delivery branches and helped sort the mail in the morning, before taking some of it and re-posting it, preventing it from reaching its destination.

As soon as New Zealand Post worked out what was going on, managers issued suspension notices, stopping the workers from getting paid from the time they began the action.

But the country’s Employment Relations Authority (ERA) on Wednesday ruled that the suspension notices could not be backdated and the workers had to be paid for the time they undertook the action until the notices were issued.

NZ Post said it was not immediately aware the industrial action was occurring, so should have been able to issue the suspension notices from the time it began.

But a member of the ERA said that argument wrongly relied on the notion that an employer was entitled to a notice of intended strike action.

Postal Workers Association organiser Mike Treen said the company was found to have breached the Employment Relations Act.

Treen said the action was limited to not delivering some non-essential mail.

Associate Professor Sean Cooney from the University of Melbourne’s Law School said Australian workers found to have been undertaking illegal activities during strike action would face stiff penalties.

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Royal Mail: Statistics on mail thefts

Posted by | Sep 5, 2007 | |

The Information Commissioner, Richard Thomas, has ruled under the Freedom of Information Act that Royal Mail must disclose statistics on the number of thefts from private vehicles being used to deliver mail.

The complainant made a request to Royal Mail concerning the organization’s use of private vehicles to deliver mail. The complainant also requested statistics concerning the theft of mail from private vehicles when being used to deliver mail. Royal Mail did release some of the requested information on the use of private vehicles, but argued that by raising awareness that private vehicles are being used for mail delivery, the disclosure of statistics on thefts would increase the likelihood of these vehicles becoming targets for criminals. In his decision, the Information Commissioner considered whether releasing the statistics on thefts from private vehicles would prejudice the prevention or detection of crime or interfere in any Royal Mail investigation.

The Information Commissioner decided that disclosure of the statistics would not prejudice, or be likely to prejudice, the prevention or detection of crime. The Information Commissioner considers that disclosure of the information would enhance the public’s understanding of the risks of delivering mail by this method and their ability to assess Royal Mail’s performance. These are matters of public interest.

Royal Mail must now disclose the withheld information within 35 calendar days of the ruling. In his decision, the Information Commissioner criticised Royal Mail for failing to respond to the complainant within the statutory deadline.
Either party has the right to appeal against this Decision Notice to the Information Tribunal.

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Business Direct: New Board Appointments

Posted by | Sep 4, 2007 | |

Richard Martin has been appointed Managing Director of In-Night Division.

Richard joined Business Direct in April 2007 as General Manager / Director of the In-Night Division. Immediately prior to this, Richard was at Parcelnet, the UK’s largest national courier home delivery specialist, from October 2003 as General Manager; at Exel Logistics, from April 2002 to October 2003 as Commercial Manager; and at Christian Salvesen, from May 1994 to April 2002, latterly as Network Transport Director.

Richard Hunt CBE has been appointed as Senior Non-executive Director.

Richard has wide experience in the logistics industry. He was at The Go-Ahead Group from April 2002 to October 2005 as Chief Executive of its Aviation Division and Aviance Limited; at NFC, then the largest UK transport and logistics business, from April 1995 to December 1999 as Executive Director Operations – UK and Ireland and Chief Executive – Exel Logistics Europe; and at Brown & Tawse from March 1993 to April 1995 as Logistics Director, on the main Board of this fully listed company.

Composition of the Board:

Following Richard Martin’s and Richard Hunt’s appointments, Business Direct’s Board comprises eight Directors: five executive Directors – Paul Carvell (CEO), Martin Wright (CFO), Tim Houstoun, Richard Martin and Martyn Wilson – and three independent non-executive Directors – Russell Hodgson (Chairman), Richard Hunt and Graham Norfolk.

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