June 12, 2024

VICE PRESIDENTS, AREA RETAIL AND DELIVERY OPERATIONS 
VICE PRESIDENTS, REGIONAL PROCESSING OPERATIONS

SUBJECT:  Operations Policy for the Independence Day Holiday - Thursday, July 4, 2024

This memorandum provides general operating policy and holiday planning guidance for the upcoming 2024 Independence Day Holiday (observed on Thursday, July 4, 2024). Service levels for this holiday are displayed in Exhibit 125.22 of the Postal Operations Manual (POM).

Independence Day is a widely observed holiday, which means that many businesses are closed and not producing outgoing mail. There will be no regular delivery service except for Holiday Premium Priority Mail Express. Personnel on duty should check collection boxes at Post Office, lobby drops and Self-Service Kiosks (SSKs) for overflow on Thursday, July 4, 2024.

Delivery Operations

All offices should carefully review their staffing plans for this holiday and adjust as necessary to meet the needs of their communities.  

•	All delivery units should act prior to this date to ensure that units are in a current package and mail delivery status.
•	For planning purposes, Post Offices should use recent mail volume trends, and adjust for any unforeseen local circumstances.
•	The pre- and post-holiday surveys adhering to delivery compliance to these plans must be completed with accuracy.

Tuesday, June 25, 2024: 
•	Local management should review the Route Book for the following week’s Holiday drop times by our same day mailers. Route Books will be sent from the External Customer Integration Team via the SharePoint below and My Post Office (MyPO) certification link: 

HQ External Customer Integration (sharepoint.com)

•	A delivery manager or supervisor must:
o	Post the holiday work schedules and review attendance patterns to be addressed prior to the holiday.
o	Ensure compliance to the Triangulation Pull Up Play Escalation leading into the holiday.

Wednesday, July 3, 2024: 
In addition to regular delivery and collections, all delivery offices should:
•	Take appropriate action to ensure units remain in a current status; the goal is to have zero delayed or curtailed mail volumes going into the holiday. 
•	Plan and schedule in alignment to address efficiencies to ensure late carriers, service, scanning indicators, overtime and penalty overtime impacts are reduced.

Independence Day Holiday, “Widely Observed,” Thursday, July 4, 2024: 
•	There will be no regular delivery service except for Holiday Premium Priority Mail Express.
•	There will be no Amazon Night Owls Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
•	Delivery of any product not committed on this day will only be designated by the Vice President for that assigned Region.
•	Collection Operations:
o	District Managers will coordinate with plant partners and perform full collections if cancelations are scheduled
o	Collection times must be performed as close to the last posted pick up time as possible
o	District Mangers will coordinate with Logistics to ensure adequate transportation is scheduled to transport all collected mail
o	Collections must start and run-on time to meet the Dispatch of Value (DOV) to the mail processing facilities

Friday, July 5, 2024: 
Return to normal service levels.
•	Take appropriate action to ensure units remain in a current status; the goal is to have zero delayed or curtailed mail volumes.
•	Review past performance and work with In-Plant Support and Network Operations on transportation.
•	Full local management engagement, to include reducing and eliminating telecoms during morning operations, to support the front-line delivery teams. 
•	Planning and scheduling must be aligned to support leave and return times without conducting 6 to 9 package deliveries.
•	Delivery managers and supervisors should plan for additional mail volume and packages for delivery after the holiday without pre-touring carriers.
•	Plan and schedule in alignment to address efficiencies ensuring service, scanning performance, late carriers, overtime and penalty overtime impacts are reduced.
•	Collections must start and run-on time to meet the DOV to the mail processing facilities. 

Retail and Post Office Operations

Management should review staffing plans and adjust as necessary to meet the needs of their communities using recent and same period as last year (SPLY) retail sales trend information and mail volumes. 

Management should ensure SSK consumables and supplies are fully stocked and postage stamps/mailing supplies (Expedited Packaging Supplies, ReadyPost, Greeting Cards, Gift Cards) are available for customers.   
 
Offices should display proper “door cling” signage prior to the holiday.  Visibly taped or handwritten signage is not acceptable. Advise customers of any Contract Postal Units (CPUs) or Approved Shipper (APS) locations where retail services will be available on the Independence Day holiday and provide them with the hours of operation. 

Offices should ensure their facilities are cleaned and maintain their daily PS Form 4852/Line H requirements for custodial operations.

Wednesday, July 3:  Normal service levels will be provided in Retail and Post Office Operations.   
 
•	Remote Forwarding System (RFS):  Ensure undeliverable parcels are processed timely to avoid backlogs through the holiday.
•	Parcel Return Service (PRS):  Dispatch PRS as scheduled.  If needed, escalate non-picked up package issues to your Business Service Network (BSN) representative, and annotate in RADAR. For Return Delivery Units (RDU), follow the 48-hour rule before dispatching to the plant.
•	Equipment:  Confirm all scanning equipment is operable and transmitting without incidents including: ADUS, SDUS, PASS, DSS, MDD-IO. Extra batteries should be kept on hand as needed. For ADUS and SDUS equipment, the holiday sort plan mimics the Sunday PDTAT configuration. Sites should verify their PDTAT files are correct. If changes are required, submit to ADUSSDUSSortPlanRequests@usps.gov by Friday, June 28 
•	Notice Left Shelf:  Verify items receive notification or are returned according to the schedule.  For post office box packages, if it fits, place in the PO box or parcel locker 
•	MyPO Notifications:  Check MyPO notifications, including hold mail, package pickups and redelivery and ensure items are closed in MyPO timely. Carrier pickup requests are to be closed the same day as the request in MyPO, otherwise they will be reported as failed 
•	‘First In First Out’ (FIFO):  Use placards, signs, and lines for maintaining FIFO to manage volume and assist with applying the correct Delivery Day Indicator (DDI)  
•	Delivery Day Indicator (DDI):  Management oversight to ensure delivery units apply the correct DDI BEFORE scanning packages (see below). REMINDER: After 11:00 AM, in conjunction with 15 minutes of idle time (no scans), the PASS and DSS machines will no longer have “Today” available as a DDI selection
•	PM Parcel Distribution:  Review volumes, schedules, and work all available parcels in the PM to ensure unit is clean before the holiday.
•	Sorting and Staging Area:  Confirm all processing equipment/containers are neat, in place, and ready for the following day.  Check housekeeping: floors clear of debris, trash bins emptied, extra empty equipment staged ready for pickup. 
•	Verify all major mailer route books for scheduled drop times over the holiday weekend. 
•	Utilize the Amazon projections sent on Friday (6/28/24) for proper planning and scheduling. 
•	Confirm users have the correct PDTA access to send for routing. 
•	Ensure all MTE is prepped and dispatched back to plant partners.
•	Ensure all SSK alerts are cleared, and consumables are filled before leaving COB (receipt tape and labels).

DDI Selections:
Date Packages are 
SCANNED 	Date Packages will be DELIVERED 	DDI Selection  	
Wednesday, July 3, 2024	Wed – July 3	Today  	
	Thurs – July 4	Holiday  	
	Fri – July 5	Next Day *  	
Thursday, July 4, 2024	Thurs – July 4	Holiday  	
	Fri – July 5	Next Day *  	
Friday, July 5, 2024 	Fri – July 5	Today  	
	Sat – July 6
	Tomorrow	
* Used for processing packages on the current day, BUT have a Delivery Date for the “Next” Day: Normal service levels will be provided

•	Function 4 Staffing:  Balance workhours to workload by reviewing VAP Gap tool to identify staff opportunities, assess holiday volume trend data and mail arrival times to schedule staff that coincides with the workload and performance expectations 
•	Normal Delivery on Wednesday 
•	Collections:  At the local level, confirm holiday-specific collection transportation schedules for the dispatching of collection mail.  Clear collection points in front of and within the post office (e.g., collection boxes, inside lobby drops and self-service kiosks) prior to truck arriving and dispatch all available outgoing mail on first available truck.  Follow local separation procedures when preparing mail for dispatch according to local holiday schedules 

Thursday, July 4: Independence Day Holiday, “Widely Observed”:
•	Retail services will not be available, except in those facilities normally open on this holiday  
•	Post offices should provide post office box access for customers to the maximum extent possible 
•	Post Office Operations personnel on duty should check and clear collection points in front of and within the post office (e.g., collection boxes, inside lobby drops and self-service kiosks) follow local separation and MTEL placarding procedures to prepare and dispatch all outgoing mail on first available truck 
•	District Integrated Operating Plan Specialists should review District and local surface and air transportation network holiday schedules. If networks are operating, ensure major mailers are contacted to make certain volumes are collected and inducted into the system in a timely manner 
•	District Integrated Operating Plan Specialists should work in conjunction with local processing and transportation personnel to ensure IOP agreements are being followed and MAQ/PAQ anomalies are being recorded properly 
•	This is not a HUB delivery day. Amazon and Walmart will be 100% entry into ALL Monday to Saturday individual drop locations for acceptance. Review the Monday route-book drop times to schedule personnel to accept drops in the morning.
•	There will be NO night owl drops Wednesday night, into Thursday morning for Thursday, July 4th delivery. Night owls will resume Thursday night into Friday morning for delivery on Friday, July 5th.
•	Ensure all MTE is prepped and dispatched to plant partners

Friday, July 5:  
•	Return to normal service levels. Management should review the SSRD from 7/5/23 (FY23 day-after “observed” Independence Day Holiday) and use recent sales trend information to adjust for local circumstances 
•	Package pickup services should be provided at Dutch doors along with soft openings to reduce customer wait times to the fullest extent possible 
•	Function 4 Staffing: 
o	Plan for additional mail volume and packages for post-holiday delivery 
o	Review VAP Gap tool, post-holiday volume trend data, CSAW projections, mail arrival times and utilize F4 IVES Scheduler to plan for staffing that coincides with the projected workload and performance expectations 
o	Ensure all MTE is prepped and dispatched to plant partners

Processing Operations 

This Independence holiday presents an opportunity to consolidate and compress plant operations to generate savings while maintaining service performance levels.  In order to take advantage of the savings 
opportunity, please adhere to the following guidelines:

•	Ensure Operating Plan Precision Targets are met throughout the holiday.
•	Opening Units kept at day zero for Letters and Flats
•	Advance all available Violet & Yellow Marketing Mail for Wednesday delivery. 
•	Review IVES scheduling to match operating plans.
•	Focus on RPG Compliance and P2P (Start Time & Throughput)
•	Inhibit Delivery Point Sequence (DPS) sort program regeneration prior to the holiday and re-establish afterwards.
•	Utilize an RPG model for DPS processing on Wednesday & Thursday night that ensures an early DPS dispatch for Friday delivery.
•	Ensure only one DPS run on Friday morning (no double runs of DPS)
•	Communicate with Marketing and Logistics to leverage mailer package volumes available for Holiday pick up and Outgoing processing.
•	Decisions for Friday early collection plans will be determined locally by Region/Division (See below instructions relative to processing and dispatching Commercial Mailings) 
•	Evaluate the processing of Outgoing Priority & 1st class on the day of the holiday to avoid late clearance on Friday. (Sites not processing Priority on the holiday must create an early collection plan to start outgoing operations earlier)
•	Assign SWYB to avoid VAP issues to THS. 

PROCESSING NOCC 

•	Increased nightly oversight of plant performance to plan/capacity. 
•	24-hour coverage, including on the holiday, to provide assistance and escalation 
•	Increased monitoring of MMP performance to plan on Thursday. 
•	Increased monitoring of DPS performance to plan on Thursday. 

Processing and Dispatch of Commercial Mailings 
Specific planning activities should include: 
•	Coordination with Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) Managers 
•	Coordination with Detached Mail Units 
•	Coordination with Business Service Network Managers 
•	Notifying Commercial Mailers of BMEU holiday hours and assurance that mail which is entered will be processed and dispatched. 
•	Adjusting Operating Plans and RPGs to include the anticipated Commercial Mail volumes. 
•	Ensuring that all processed mail is dispatched on scheduled transportation on Saturday night and Monday morning. 
•	Ensure communication to field of FedEx and Dispatch Plan 

Plant managers must commit that Parcel Return Service (PRS-569xx) operations will be staffed, and all returns sorted and available to PRS partners as agreed. 

Plant managers are to ensure proper Priority Mail Open & Distribute (PMOD) process, especially ensuring all destinating volume receives it’s stopped the clock Received At Opening Unit (RAOU) scan upon arrival. 

Plant managers must ensure that Integrated Operating Plans (IOPs) between the BMEUs and Operations are updated to ensure timely induction, processing and dispatch of mail presented to the BMEU prior to and on holidays.  BMEU managers must ensure that all staff at both the BMEUs and the Detached Mail Units are familiar with and execute their operations in accordance with the IOP.  Local collection and cancellation plans must be coordinated with associate offices and must support achievement of 24-hour clock indicators.  Managers and supervisors must plan for anticipated increased volumes after the holiday.  It is vital to ensure all mail is finalized, prepared for assignment, and dispatched on the appropriate transportation network.  

Plants must make plans to assure that destinating two and three-day volumes are processed to
meet service goals before and after the holiday.  All missorted, missent, return-to-sender and Postal Automated Redirection System (PARS) and Flat PARS volumes must be identified, finalized, prepared for assignment, and dispatched on the appropriate transportation network.
on Wednesday.  

Reductions in FAST holiday constraints or facility closures will not be approved; every site must maintain appointment availability.  

Plants need to ensure timely acceptance of drop shipments.  Please ensure that the local FAST facility coordinator profile information is current.  The FAST Help Desk will be authorized to contact local Plant Managers directly to resolve urgent acceptance issues.

Network Distribution Centers (NDCs) also have an opportunity to consolidate and compress operations to generate savings while maintaining service performance levels.  NDCs must utilize the RPG tool to staff operations.  NDCs must schedule drop shipment acceptance hours to ensure timely induction, processing, and dispatch of mail.

If there is a need to deviate from this guidance, please work through the appropriate office for an exception.

Maintenance Operations

The Maintenance Technical Support Center (MTSC) will assist mail processing sites with planned power outages in accordance with the following knowledge base (KB) article.

Facility Planned Power Outages
MTSC KB0012715

Refer to the Mail Processing Emergency Response Checklists for critical actions and tasks.

Additional Information

•	For all power outages, create a ticket on the MTSC Web Ticket Portal for the affected site and provide all relevant information about the outage.
•	For planned power outages, sites must submit a Change Request (CR) form to FAP_Power_Outage_Notification@usps.gov. The CR form is available in the MTSC KB.

Upon receipt of the MTSC web ticket, the MTSC Network Operations Application Support (NOAS) team will contact Engineering to:

•	Schedule graceful shutdowns of IDS, NDSS, and NGTC for planned outages.
•	Validate functionality after power is restored for all outages.

If a system has issues going online after power is restored, then create a new ticket for the affected system and request NST assistance.

Non-Emergency Project Requests

MTSC will provide phone support 24 hours a day through the holiday, but will curtail all 
non-emergency support activities to ensure sufficient HelpDesk coverage during the holiday scheduling period.  Normal projects and supplemental support activities will resume in the week following the holiday.

International Service Center Operations

This widely-observed holiday presents an opportunity to consolidate and compress plant operations to generate savings as long as conditions are current.  If delays exist within the ISC, this is an opportunity to ensure staffing is scheduled to clear all delayed volumes and maintain service performance levels.  Please adhere to the following guidelines:

•	Use the Run Plan Generator (RPG) to staff operations  
•	Clear any delayed volumes and advance mail where possible 
•	Coordinate with Customs & Border Protection (CBP) to provide sufficient staffing to avoid backlogs
•	Ensure Customs belts are staffed sufficiently to maximize efficiency
•	Work with Area and District to ensure adequate offload plans for inbound ePacket volumes

Logistics Operations

Air Transportation Network

FedEx

There will be normal FedEx originating Nightsort tender on Wednesday night July 3rd.  The Nightsort destinating flights will return to all destinations on Friday morning, July 5th.

There will be no FedEx Daysort on Thursday, July 4th.  FedEx will have normal Daysort operations (originating and destinating) on Friday July 5th – full tender.

The last day for Lives acceptance will be Monday, July 1st for tender to the FedEx network on Tuesday, July 2nd. Normal Lives acceptance will resume on Friday July 5th.

Holiday	Day of Week	Date	Day (x1)	Night (x67)	Comments	
 	
Day before	Wednesday	7/3/2024	YES	YES	Night-turn aircraft will return to destination on Friday morning	
Independence Day	Thursday	7/4/2024	NO	NO	No Day/Night-turn on Independence Day	
Day after	Friday	7/5/2024	YES	YES	Normal Operations Resume	
 	Saturday	7/6/2024	YES	NO	 	

UPS 

Will operate in accordance with planned routes in Logistics Order Agreement (LOA) and facilities should verify routes in SAMS. 

There will be no UPS operations on Thursday, July 4th, or Friday July 5th. UPS will return to normal operations on Saturday, July 6th.

Holiday	Tender Day	Date	Postal Volume Tendered	Comments	
 	
Day before	Wednesday	7/3/2024	YES	Normal Operations	
Independence Day	Thursday	7/4/2024	NO	No Mail Tender on Independence Day	
Day after	Friday	7/5/2024	NO	No Mail Tender	
 	Saturday	7/6/2024	YES	Normal Operations Resume	

Supplemental Networks: 

There will be no Supplemental Network operations on Thursday, July 4th or Friday July 5th.  All Supplemental Network will operate on Saturday, July 6th.

Holiday	Day of Week	Date	Amazon	Amerijet	NAC	
Day before	Wednesday	7/3/2024	YES	YES	YES	
Independence Day	Thursday	7/4/2024	NO	NO	NO	
Day after	Friday	7/5/2024	NO	NO	NO	
 	Saturday	7/6/2024	YES	YES	YES	

Commercial air will operate at a limited capacity throughout the holiday period due to reduced flight schedules offered by commercial carriers.  TSA K9 screening will operate as listed below:

International Transportation Plan

Import/Export Plan for the ISC					
Holiday	Day of 	Date	JFK 	JFK 	ORD	ORD	
	Week		Export	Import	Export	Import	
Day before	Wednesday	7/3/2024	YES	YES	YES	YES	
Independence Day	Thursday	7/4/2024	YES	YES	YES	YES	
Day after	Friday	7/5/2024	YES	YES	YES	YES	
							
Holiday	Day of 	Date	LAX	LAX 	MIA	MIA	
	Week		Export	Import	Export	Import	
Day before	Wednesday	7/3/2024	YES	YES	YES	YES	
Independence Day	Thursday	7/4/2024	YES	YES	YES	YES	
Day after	Friday	7/5/2024	YES	YES	YES	YES	

Customs CBP opening plan and hours at the ISC				
Holiday	Day of 	Date	JFK 	JFK 	ORD	ORD	
	Week		CBP open	CBP hours	CBP open	CBP hours	
Day before	Wednesday	7/3/2024	YES	24/7	YES	06:15 – 14:45	
Independence Day	Thursday	7/4/2024	YES	24/7	YES	06:15 – 14:45	
Day after	Friday	7/5/2024	YES	24/7	YES	06:15 – 14:45	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
Holiday	Day of 	Date	LAX	LAX 	MIA	MIA	
	Week		CBP open	CBP hours	CBP open	CBP hours	
Day before	Wednesday	7/3/2024	YES	06:00 - 22:00	YES	06:00 - 20:30	
Independence Day	Thursday	7/4/2024	YES	06:00 – 16:00	YES	06:00 – 14:00	
Day after	Friday	7/5/2024	YES 	06:00 - 22:00	YES	06:00 - 20:30	

Surface Transportation Network

Surface Transfer Centers have normal operations for the Independence Day Holiday. Transportation will run as scheduled

Dispatch Procedures

To avoid transportation delays, manage mail volume flow before, during, and after the holiday accordingly:

•	Maximize utilization of available surface, commercial air, and FedEx transportation during the holiday period
•	Prioritization values established for planned routes ensure commercial air capacity is utilized ahead of FedEx.  There should be no adjustment of capacity thresholds to add or delete mail classes under any circumstances.  Do not edit the active planned route file.

Please disseminate these policies and procedures to the appropriate personnel in your area.  Your immediate attention to these details and dispatch procedures is appreciated.  

Thank you for your assistance.

cc: 	Joshua D. Colin, Ph.D.
        Isaac S. Cronkhite