In February 1991, cost savings measures led the USPS® to begin offering postage discounts for mailers who would - at their own cost - ship pre-paid, presorted, and palletized standard mail directly to regional postal facilities nearer the mail's final destinations. The further into the postal system mail was "dropped," the greater the postage discount. As an added benefit, drop-shipped mail bypassed most of the upstream USPS infrastructure which resulted in faster, more reliable in-home performance. With significant cost and time savings on the table, mailers across the nation quickly began taking advantage of destination entry postal drop shipping.
With TruckDirectMail.com, mail bypasses most of the USPS processing and transit system. In exchange for dropping mail further downstream into the postal system, the USPS offers additional postage discounts of $33/BMC and $42/SCF per thousand pieces. Best of all, wear and tear on mail is dramatically reduced and you can expect faster, more reliable in-home delivery.
Today, the core benefits of cost and time savings remain, with most postal drop shipping going to the BMC (Bulk Mail Center) or SCF (Sectional Center Facility) level. Discounts are currently set at $33 per thousand mailpieces entered at the BMC level and $42 per thousand mailpieces entered at the SCF level, and drop shipped mail will typically arrive 3-5 days earlier than standard mail entered at a local post office. In fact, drop shipping standard mail has even become a viable alternative to First Class mail. When delivery times are critical but First Class mailing is not legally required, postal drop shipping can create a windfall of savings over First Class postage and in many cases get mail in home as fast or faster.
Unfortunately, destination entry postal drop shipping can be a challenge. Mailings must be accompanied by an accurate 8125 form. All postage must be pre-paid, though at the discounted rate, and the mailing verified in advance by USPS clerk. Appointments must be set with receiving USPS facilities in accordance with carrier's estimated transit day performance. And finally accurate Bills of Lading must be created and a qualified carrier selected and scheduled for pickup. A little overwhelming? Don't worry - this is where TruckDirectMail.com comes in.
Truckdirectmail.com Meets The Challenges Of Postal Drop Shipping
Quite simply, TruckDirectMail.com (TDM) is a web-based solution for estimating, tendering and tracking LTL shipments to BMC and SCF facilities nationwide. For verified mailings with BMC/SCF shipping destinations already determined, TruckDirectMail.com (TDM) may be the only logistics system you need.
The simple, intuitive layout of TruckDirectMail.com makes estimating, tendering and tracking postal drop shipments fast and easy. Best of all, its FREE. Use the system all you like for estimating costs and net savings, and evaluating transit days for in home planning. You only pay for jobs actually tendered for shipment.
With TDM, you simply enter job parameters and shipment details to instantly see postal discounts, shipping costs, net savings, and transit day information. Once you submit a job, you're done. TDM automatically generates postal appointments, schedules a pickup, and creates your BOLs. Jobs submitted by noon local time can usually be picked up the same day, and TDM supports drop shipping to all ASF/BMC and SCF facilities in the contiguous 48-states. Best of all, the estimating system is absolutely free to use. You pay only the shipping costs of jobs you approve and submit.
TruckDirectMail.com was recently re-engineered to put even more control and flexibility in your hands. Navigating the new interface is simple and intuitive, while the individual job screens make entering, editing and evaluating drop shipments fast and easy. TruckDirectMail.com also features vastly improved online shipment tracking with near real-time statuses 24hrs a day! You can even e-mail tracking reports to clients or co-workers directly from the Truck Direct Mail web site. From a quick single drop LTL quote, mail.dat files with hundreds of drops, to advanced integration with BCC Software's Mail Manager 2010®, TruckDirectMail.com is the fastest most flexible online tool available for LTL postal drop shipping.
Unmatched In-Home Performance
With TDM, you can rest assured your shipments are being handled by the unmatched transportation expertise of Direct Logistics, Inc.* and the nation's largest LTL carrier network - with an amazing 99.6% on-time deliver record. But for those times when you absolutely must know postal drop-shipments have delivered, you have a number of options with Truck Direct Mail. Online tracking linked directly to the carrier PRO number provides your base delivery verification. Generally, confirmation is also available in the form of carrier delivery receipts sent as PDF files. Finally, for especially critical jobs such as political mailing and one-day sales, you can even request signed 8125 forms be imaged and returned as PDF files.
CreateSubmitDeliverConfirm. With TDM, Postal Drop Shipping Really Is That Easy!
Whatever the nature of your standard class mailing, from a single pallet of mail to millions of mailpieces from multiple origins, TruckDirectMail.com helps you determine where LTL postal drop shipping makes the most sense and get your mail in-route, quickly, affordably and reliably. To learn more and receive your free login credentials, visit www.TruckDirectmail.com/mst right now!
*Through Direct Logistics, Inc. TDM users also have access to consolidated truckload shipping and non-mail/print shipping via the same easy to use online interface.
©2008 Direct Logistics, Inc. All rights reserved. USPS and First Class are a registered trademark of the United States Postal Service. Truck Direct Mail is an online service of Direct Logistics, Inc.