Post Office Mail Sorting: ZIP Codes, Barcodes, Delivery
This podcast describes the mail sorting and delivery process at the post office. It details how a letter travels from the sender to the recipient's mailbox. The process begins with sorting machines that sort mail by size and shape using optical character recognition (OCR) to read addresses. Mail is then sorted by ZIP code using barcode sorters that apply a barcode to each piece. These pieces are grouped into bundles and transported to the appropriate post offices where mail carriers sort them by route and delivery sequence for final delivery.
0.000000 5.960000 Welcome to everyday explained your daily 20-minute dive into the fascinating house and wise of the world around you.
5.960000 11.000000 I'm your host Chris and I'm excited to help you discover something new. Let's get started.
11.000000 17.060000 Have you ever just dropped a letter in a mailbox and then wondered what on earth happens next?
17.060000 25.720000 Is it like Sprout Wings? Get a tiny passport, you seal it, you send it and poof, it's just gone off on some unseen adventure.
25.720000 32.420000 Yeah. Today we're doing a deep dive into the fascinating, really intricate world of postal logistics.
32.420000 36.860000 We're pulling back the curtain on the hidden journey your mail takes.
36.860000 41.220000 Yeah, our mission today is really to unpack that incredible step-by-step journey.
41.220000 44.900000 You know, from that innocent drop-off right to its final destination.
44.900000 49.580000 Okay. We'll reveal the surprisingly complex systems that make this everyday thing happen.
49.580000 53.480000 It seems simple, but it's actually a masterclass inefficiency.
53.480000 59.040000 We've pulled together insights from, well, historical archives all the way to modern logistical explanations.
59.040000 64.220000 We want to give you the ultimate shortcut to being, you know, well informed about this often unseen process.
64.220000 66.960000 Yeah. It's truly a testament to standardization and scale.
66.960000 73.120000 And trust us, there are some surprising facts and hopefully a good bit of humor along the way.
73.120000 75.100000 Okay, let's unpack this thing.
75.100000 82.300000 So, the journey begins, the moment you drop your letter into a collection box or maybe hand it over at the post office counter.
82.300000 85.480000 Right. It feels like the end of your task, right?
85.480000 95.180000 But for that piece of mail, it's just the very, very beginning, almost immediately a postal carrier collects it and off it goes to the first processing hub.
95.180000 96.700000 That's exactly right.
96.700000 100.460000 Once it arrives at a mail processing plant, it's not just chaos.
100.460000 103.300000 Machines get straight to work, their first job.
103.300000 107.340000 Separating mail by size and shape, think of them as like the post-bull bouncers.
107.340000 108.120000 Ha! Okay.
108.120000 113.120000 Making sure everything's organized from the get-go. And what's really fascinating here is how precise they are.
113.120000 118.760000 These machines even orient the packages so all the addresses are right side up facing the same direction.
118.760000 119.560000 Wow.
119.560000 121.520000 Imagine the chaos if they didn't do that.
121.520000 124.960000 So no upside down letters below. The machines have standards clearly.
124.960000 127.000000 They like their mail presented just so.
127.000000 132.800000 Precisely. And this initial prep involves facing that's lining all letters the same way and cancelling.
132.800000 134.600000 Ah, cancelling the stamp.
134.600000 139.000000 Exactly. Marking stamps so they can't be reused and adding a postmark.
139.000000 143.440000 It's basically the mail getting its official passport stamped for its journey ahead.
143.440000 148.080000 You know, I've always found those addressing guidelines super specific, almost like nitpicky.
148.080000 154.600000 Is there a real logistical reason, a bottleneck they're trying to prevent or is some of it just old postal habits?
154.600000 157.360000 Oh, it's absolutely for a deep logistical reason.
157.360000 164.560000 It's actually a foundational lesson in optimizing human input for automated systems.
164.560000 165.560000 Okay.
165.560000 171.840000 See, to take full advantage of those automated optical scanners, which are really the backbone of modern mail processing,
171.840000 176.480000 the USPS has very specific guidelines for how addresses should be written.
176.480000 177.480000 Right.
177.480000 183.520000 Every seemingly small rule helps ensure the machines can process information at speeds humans just couldn't manage.
183.520000 185.960000 Now your letter won't get tossed out if you don't follow them perfectly.
185.960000 186.960000 Okay, good to know.
186.960000 190.400000 But sticking to the rules, it's significantly speeds up delivery.
190.400000 192.920000 So it's all about making it perfectly machine readable.
192.920000 194.840000 What are the sort of core principles then?
194.840000 199.120000 It's really all about creating clear, consistent data for the machines.
199.120000 203.960000 For instance, you should always print both the delivery and return addresses on the same
203.960000 205.840000 side of the envelope or card.
205.840000 206.840000 Makes sense.
206.840000 209.840000 And make sure they run parallel to the longest side.
209.840000 211.640000 Capital letters are actually preferred.
211.640000 212.640000 Really?
212.640000 213.640000 All caps.
213.640000 214.640000 Yeah.
214.640000 218.120000 And surprisingly, no punctuation should be used anywhere in that address block.
218.120000 219.720000 No commas, no periods.
219.720000 224.360000 You should also use at least a 10 point type, a plain font.
224.360000 228.720000 Make sure it's legible at arm's length and crucially readable by a machine.
228.720000 229.720000 Okay.
229.720000 230.720000 That makes perfect sense.
230.720000 233.320000 Keep it unambiguous for the scanners.
233.320000 236.560000 What about those tricky bits, like attention lines or apartment numbers?
236.560000 238.240000 I feel like I write those differently every time.
238.240000 241.640000 That's a great question because placement there is really critical, an attention line.
241.640000 245.480000 You know, attention, John Doe, that should always go above the main delivery address.
245.480000 246.480000 Above.
246.480000 250.800000 You can't fit a sweet or apartment number on the same line as the delivery address.
250.800000 253.440000 It goes on the line above the delivery address.
253.440000 254.440000 Not below it.
254.440000 255.440000 Ah, okay.
255.440000 256.440000 Noted.
256.440000 257.440000 Above.
257.440000 258.440000 Not below.
258.440000 260.280000 And here's one that might surprise you.
260.280000 265.240000 You absolutely must include directional words like east or west if they're part of the
265.240000 266.240000 address.
266.240000 267.240000 Oh, yeah.
267.240000 271.440000 These directionals, they're described as very important for accurate delivery.
271.440000 275.200000 It all comes down to helping those optical scanners do their job as quickly and efficiently
275.200000 276.200000 as possible.
276.200000 279.720000 I mean, they're processing millions of pieces of mail every hour.
279.720000 280.720000 Wow.
280.720000 281.720000 So, okay.
281.720000 285.120000 Once it's faced, canceled, perfectly formatted.
285.120000 288.460000 Now we get into the real guts of the system, right?
288.460000 294.400000 How does one single letter find its needle in a haystack destination among millions of
294.400000 295.400000 others?
295.400000 300.480000 This is where the true marvel of modern tech comes in, the sorting machines.
300.480000 304.600000 These incredible machines rapidly sort mail, first by, like we said, size and shape, then
304.600000 309.240000 they use optical character recognition OCR to read the addresses you've so carefully written.
309.240000 310.240000 Right.
310.240000 311.240000 The scanning.
311.240000 312.240000 Exactly.
312.240000 313.240000 Next, barcode sorters get involved.
313.240000 317.080000 They apply unique fluorescent barcode to the back of each piece of mail.
317.080000 318.080000 Florescent.
318.080000 319.080000 Interesting.
319.080000 323.480000 And at the same time, a barcode representing the specific address is sprayed onto the
323.480000 324.480000 front.
324.480000 329.560000 Now, if for some reason the scanner can't read an address, maybe it's handwritten a bit
329.560000 330.560000 smudged.
330.560000 332.480000 Then that letter gets manually sorted.
332.480000 336.780000 It's a good reminder that humans are still essential, you know, especially for those challenging
336.780000 337.780000 addresses.
337.780000 338.780000 Okay.
338.780000 344.760000 This next part, the ZIP code system that feels truly ingenious in how it simplifies everything.
344.760000 345.760000 It really is.
345.760000 351.720000 The ZIP code system, which the USPS specifically introduced back in 1963, is absolutely fundamental
351.720000 353.120000 to making sorting efficient.
353.120000 354.120000 Yeah.
354.120000 356.560000 It's brilliant, really, in its simplicity and effectiveness.
356.560000 360.440000 It acts like a hierarchical index for physical locations.
360.440000 361.440000 Right.
361.440000 363.600000 That's five digits using, say, the classic 90210.
363.600000 364.600000 Okay.
364.600000 365.600000 Beverly Hills.
365.600000 366.600000 Exactly.
366.600000 369.480000 The first digit, the nine, that indicates a large group of US states.
369.480000 371.560000 In this case, it means the Western states group.
371.560000 374.760000 So a nine means it's headed out west, broadly speaking.
374.760000 378.160000 That seems like a pretty elegant way to sort huge volumes initially.
378.160000 379.480000 Exactly right.
379.480000 385.360000 Then the next two digits, the O2, in our example, they pinpoint a specific region, or maybe
385.360000 388.120000 a large city, within that broader group.
388.120000 391.320000 So for the particular region within California, let's say.
391.320000 396.560000 And finally, the last two digits, the 10, they identify a specific post office, or a really
396.560000 400.120000 localized area, like a particular post office right there in Beverly Hills.
400.120000 403.240000 That's incredibly granular for just five numbers.
403.240000 406.040000 So how did the machines actually use that information then?
406.040000 409.440000 Well, these powerful machines read those barcodes we just talked about the one sprayed
409.440000 416.280000 on the front, and they direct letters into specific bins based on those ZIP codes.
416.280000 420.640000 This tells a system which region, or even which next processing plant, the letter is headed
420.640000 421.640000 for.
421.640000 422.640000 Oh, okay.
422.640000 426.240000 The mail is then grouped into bundles according to these barcodes and ZIP codes, efficiently
426.240000 430.400000 routing it by breaking down locations into these specific regions, cities, and local
430.400000 431.400000 areas.
431.400000 435.280000 It's just an ingenious way to manage absolutely massive volumes of mail.
435.280000 440.040000 So the bundles are all neat, organized, ready for their next big adventure.
440.040000 444.280000 What's the major logistical leap from one sorting sender to the next?
444.280000 448.520000 It sounds like the letters are playing a massive game of hopscotch across the country.
448.520000 450.200000 They absolutely are, yeah.
450.200000 454.840000 Once these bundles are sorted into trays by ZIP code, they're transported pretty quickly
454.840000 460.380000 often flown, sometimes trucked, to the next processing plant in the region where the
460.380000 462.440000 mail will ultimately be delivered.
462.440000 463.440000 Okay.
463.440000 465.440000 And it's really crucial to understand this.
465.440000 470.880000 Every single post office, no matter how small or remote, is served by a specific mail processing
470.880000 471.880000 plant.
471.880000 475.480000 That plant is its direct lifeline to the whole national network.
475.480000 478.800000 Now that we follow the single letter, let's kind of zoom out a bit.
478.800000 483.920000 This system, impressive as it is, also have layers of optimization, right, especially for businesses
483.920000 485.500000 sending large volumes.
485.500000 489.040000 This is where postal logistics and these work share principles come in.
489.040000 492.920000 What's fascinating here is how the system can be optimized for both speed and cost.
492.920000 493.920000 That's exactly right.
493.920000 499.280000 Traditionally, you see, bulk mail makes several stops at these large regional processing centers.
499.280000 503.920000 For example, a big mailing delivered to a local post office might first go to an origin
503.920000 506.080000 SCF that's a sectional center facility.
506.080000 507.080000 Okay.
507.080000 508.080000 SCF.
508.080000 512.140000 Primary collection and initial sorting hub for a specific area.
512.140000 516.840000 From there, it's often combined with other mail to travel to an even larger regional facility
516.840000 520.280000 called an NDC, a network distribution center.
520.280000 521.280000 NDC.
521.280000 522.280000 Got it.
522.280000 523.280000 Mega hubs.
523.280000 524.280000 Exactly.
524.280000 527.320000 These are the mega hubs managing mail movement across broader regions.
527.320000 531.960000 It's then resorted, sent closer to its destination SCF, and finally broken down and delivered
531.960000 534.240000 to individual post offices.
534.240000 538.360000 This traditional path, well, you can imagine it involves many steps and takes quite a bit
538.360000 539.360000 of time.
539.360000 543.700000 What does this all mean for, well, for you listening, whether you're sending one letter or more likely,
543.700000 545.960000 managing a bulk mailing for a business?
545.960000 550.880000 If you want it there faster or cheaper, is there like a secret cheat code for businesses?
550.880000 551.880000 There sort of is.
551.880000 552.880000 Yeah.
552.880000 555.680000 It's all about these work share principles.
555.680000 560.280000 Postal logistics streamlines the process by essentially shifting some of the work normally
560.280000 564.160000 done by the USPS back to the sender.
564.160000 568.000000 The more mail sorting and preparation that you do before the mail even enters the main
568.000000 572.040000 postal stream, the lower the postage price you'll pay.
572.040000 577.040000 This work share system is really a prime example of how incentivizing distributed processing
577.040000 581.680000 can dramatically increase efficiency and reduce costs across such a vast network.
581.680000 582.680000 Big sense.
582.680000 586.520000 And the closer you can get that mail to the recipient's mailbox before it even enters
586.520000 592.040000 a postal system proper, the more efficiencies you'll see in both delivery time and price.
592.040000 594.180000 That's a huge incentive for businesses then.
594.180000 595.360000 How do they actually do that?
595.360000 596.360000 What are the methods?
596.360000 600.100000 Well, they achieve it through methods like commingling, where your mailing is combined with
600.100000 606.440000 others heading to similar areas or drop-gipping, where large quantities of pre-sorted mail are
606.440000 609.840000 delivered directly to the destination NDCs and SCFs.
609.840000 611.920000 So skipping the first big step?
611.920000 612.920000 Exactly.
612.920000 618.720000 This completely skips the origin SCF, which means it bypasses several processing steps.
618.720000 621.280000 It's basically an express lane for bulk mail.
621.280000 626.160000 It allows for significant savings and faster delivery times just by cutting out those unnecessary
626.160000 627.960000 stops and sorting points.
627.960000 633.480000 After all that incredible multi-layered journey, the automation, the barcodes, the planes,
633.480000 637.020000 the trucks, what's the very last leg of the race?
637.020000 640.000000 What happens just before it lands in your hands or your mailbox?
640.000000 641.000000 Right.
641.000000 642.000000 The final mile.
642.000000 645.360000 At the final processing plant, those tireless sorting machines read the barcodes one last
645.360000 646.360000 time.
646.360000 647.600000 But this isn't just any sort.
647.600000 649.240000 It's the most granular sort of all.
649.240000 650.240000 Okay.
650.240000 655.520000 We take carrier and even more precisely into the specific delivery order for that individual
655.520000 656.840000 carriers route that day.
656.840000 658.240000 Well, down to the walking order.
658.240000 659.320000 Down to the walking order.
659.320000 662.360000 From there, the perfectly ordered letters and packages are taken to the individual local
662.360000 663.880000 post offices.
663.880000 668.360000 Carriers load their sorted trays into their vehicles for the ultimate destination your mailbox.
668.360000 673.400000 Mail carriers truly take the mail those last few miles of its journey, making sure each
673.400000 675.400000 piece gets to the correct address.
675.400000 677.880000 It's just astonishing to think of the precision involved.
677.880000 682.640000 It really makes you appreciate that tiny stamp when you realize everything it unlocks.
682.640000 687.360000 But after all this impressive machinery, all this organization, how long does this whole
687.360000 692.320000 saga actually take from dropping it in the box to landing in the mailbox, and what can
692.320000 697.040000 possibly throw a wrench into such a well, seemingly well oiled machine?
697.040000 698.040000 That's a great question.
698.040000 702.040000 And the answer is well, several factors can affect delivery time.
702.040000 707.040000 Naturally, the greater the distance between two ZIP codes, the longer delivery will take.
707.040000 708.040000 Makes sense.
708.040000 712.040000 Federal holidays can cause delays, obviously, as carriers might not operate.
712.040000 718.040000 A backlog of direct mail, or just really high volumes, can significantly slow down processing
718.040000 719.040000 times.
719.040000 722.080000 And of course, severe weather conditions can disrupt transportation routes.
722.080000 725.960000 Yeah, I can imagine a blizzard halting thing is pretty effectively.
725.960000 726.960000 Exactly.
726.960000 729.160000 Geographical factors also play a role.
729.160000 732.880000 Revolt locations often experience longer delivery times, just because there are fewer
732.880000 735.600000 postal facilities or transportation routes available.
735.600000 737.960000 Of course peak seasons like the holidays.
737.960000 744.120000 They can significantly impact delivery times just due to the massive increase in mail volumes.
744.120000 749.080000 But to give you some concrete figures, here are typical delivery times for different USPS
749.080000 750.320000 services.
750.320000 754.280000 First class mail, that usually arrives within one to five business days.
754.280000 757.480000 It's good for small packages, up to 13 ounces.
757.480000 758.480000 Okay.
758.480000 762.600000 Priority mail generally takes one three business days that offers a good balance of speed
762.600000 764.160000 and cost for most packages.
764.160000 765.160000 Right.
765.160000 766.160000 And stuff.
766.160000 767.680000 There's priority mail express.
767.680000 769.800000 That's your overnight two day delivery option.
769.800000 770.800000 Fastest one.
770.800000 776.080000 And then for less time sensitive deliveries, partial select ground is more cost effective,
776.080000 778.160000 usually taken about two eight eight business days.
778.160000 781.880000 It's truly a meticulously choreographed dance, isn't it?
781.880000 786.680000 Millions upon millions of pieces of mail, orchestrated daily, just to ensure every letter
786.680000 788.600000 finds its way no matter the journey.
788.600000 791.680000 So the next time you casually drop a letter in the mailbox, you'll know it's not just
791.680000 793.280000 some paper airplane hoping for the best.
793.280000 794.280000 Not at all.
794.280000 800.320000 I'm barking on this highly sophisticated bar code driven multi stop adventure powered
800.320000 805.000000 by incredible technology and a lot of human precision too.
805.000000 806.000000 Absolutely.
806.000000 809.400000 And you know, this detailed process really highlights something.
809.400000 812.760000 Knowledge is most valuable when it's understood and applied.
812.760000 817.600000 Consider just how much unseen effort, precise engineering and human coordination go into
817.600000 823.280000 the seamless operation of something as fundamental as seemingly simple as mail delivery.
823.280000 827.920000 It makes you wonder what other everyday systems things we often take for granted might have
827.920000 832.480000 an equally fascinating and complex logistics story hidden just beneath the surface.
832.480000 833.480000 That's a great thought.
833.480000 837.480000 There's always more to learn isn't there and multiple perspectives they really do enrich
837.480000 838.480000 understanding.
838.480000 841.120000 Keep an eye out for those hidden systems all around you.
841.120000 844.120000 And that wraps up today's episode of Everyday Explained.
844.120000 847.600000 We love making sense of the world around you five days a week.
847.600000 851.720000 If you enjoyed today's deep dive, consider subscribing so you don't miss out on our next
851.720000 852.720000 discovery.
852.720000 854.680000 Chris and I'll catch you in the next one.