Full Service and Palletization

Question

We just started running a job as full service and I have a question.  One of our business partners says that all full service pieces must be on a pallet.  When I run presort palletization, not all the pieces end up on a pallet, because there aren't enough trays to create a pallet.  The biggest problem is the pieces that fall to local entry where we may have several thousand pieces in presorted trays, but no pallet.
I tried setting the minimum pallet size to 1 for the local entry point, but that didn't change anything.  If I remove the automated and regular letter schemes from the presort (with no palletization) then all those pieces fall to single piece rate with will cost us in postage and not be acceptable to the client.
Any ideas on how I should set this up to deal with non-palletized pieces in trays without losing full service?
Thanks.

Answer 1

I have heard this question more than once, and I keep going back to the Guide to Intelligent Mail Letters and Flats published on the USPS RIBBS website.  I have copied some text below describing the requirements of Full-Service IMb mailings.  There is nothing in the text which requires pieces to be palletized.
The Full-Service Option
Full-Service option mailings require a unique Intelligent Mail barcode on each mailpiece (see Section 2.4). The
Full-Service option IMb must include the same CASS-certified delivery-point ZIP Code information used to
populate the current POSTNET barcode, a USPS-assigned Mailer ID, the class of mail indicated in a Full-Service
option Service Type Identifier, and the optional endorsement line information in the Barcode Identifier if an
optional endorsement is printed on a flat-sized mailpiece.
The Full-Service IMb's Serial Number field, in conjunction with the mail class and the Mailer ID, is used to make
the IMb unique. Unique, Full-Service IMbs should not be reused for a minimum of 45 days.
Additional Full-Service requirements include the use of an approved electronic method to transmit mailing
documentation to the USPS. This documentation describes, among other things, how mailpieces are linked to
trays or sacks (if mail is prepared using trays or sacks), and to containers (if mail is palletized or placed in other
containers). The electronic documentation must match the preparation of the mail to qualify for the Full-Service
option.
The FAST system will be used, as defined in the Customer/Supplier Agreement (CSA), to create appointments for
origin-entered mail that is transported by the mailer. The FAST system is also used to schedule appointments for
drop shipment mailings (except for mailings entered at a DDU), which typically do not require a CSA.
Full-Service option requirements also include a unique Intelligent Mail tray barcode (IMtb), when mail is prepared
using trays or sacks, on each handling-unit label, and a unique Intelligent Mail container barcode (IMcb) on labels
placed on pallets or other containers when mail is containerized in that manner.
The guide can be found at http://ribbs.usps.gov/intelligentmail_guides/documents/tech_guides/GuidetoIntelligentMailLettersandFlats.pdf
May I ask your source for the "palletization requirement" for Full-Service IMb?  We have talked to several people at the USPS and none of them have told us that Full-Service IMb requires palletization.
- Glenn