The Postal Stand-Up — Casing Technique

ALAN: Michael Brasaemle and I are going to talk about casing. Casing is a big part of your day. But if you’re newer to the Post Office, you might spend all that time in the academy learning how to case and get really good at the technique. Then you could go six months before you case every day. So you’re asking, “How do I do it? What does the M-41 say?”

MICHAEL: There is a technique in the M-41.

ALAN: What we want to focus on is how much mail you get in your arm—an armful of flats or an armful of letters. In the M-41, and in the academy slides, it says two inches of letters in your hand or six inches of flats.

MICHAEL: To me, six inches of flats could be only two magazines. But if it’s a big stack, it can be extremely bulky.

ALAN: Anybody who has gotten library mail—six inches of books—knows that can be really heavy. There’s a point where it’s too heavy, and it starts to hurt your arm.

MICHAEL: Then you can change how much you hold.

ALAN: Right. [Possibly a reference to an Article 19 grievance.] By the way, that is not a standard they can hold you to.

MICHAEL: It is actually a suggestion.

ALAN: The reason the “six inches” is in there is [unclear]. Where would it be used?

MICHAEL: During an observation, a supervisor or route examiner may be making sure that you have six inches of flats in your arm and timing you.

ALAN: Right. But in practice, try moving your arm down to the case ledge and getting more mail instead of continually returning for more.

ALAN: The next part is the orientation of the flats. There’s a lot going on while you’re casing, but the biggest mail should go in first.

MICHAEL: Right.

ALAN: In our one-bundle casing system, you want to put the big stuff in first. Case your flats first, with the biggest flats first.

MICHAEL: Because once the flats are in, they’re the hardest things to put into the cells. Once those are in, you can slide the letters in very easily afterward, and then the smaller flats.

ALAN: And SPRs?

MICHAEL: Yes, SPRs first.

ALAN: Exactly right.

ALAN: Let’s talk about the technique for having mail in your hand. If you’re working unsequenced mail, like flats that come out of a tub, they’ll be in no particular order. Orient them all the same way. Hold them on your left arm and case each piece with your right hand.

MICHAEL: The first thing you want to do is get the piece of mail oriented so the address is upright. Once the address is upright, you’re holding it in your hand facing you, and it goes directly into the case in that direction. Don’t twist it or turn it once it’s oriented. It should just go in.

ALAN: If you’re casing vertically, most of the addresses will wind up facing to the left because that’s the way the mail is oriented in your hand. When your hand puts it in, it automatically faces inward.

MICHAEL: For [closed-front] cluster boxes, you’re just going to put it face up. And I know about ten percent of people are left-handed.

ALAN: Most cases are set up for right-handed carriers. [A sentence about mail orientation while delivering on the street is unclear.]

MICHAEL: If you’re left-handed, it takes however long it takes to put it up. I’ve seen three or four different ways people do it. Some left-handed people twist the piece another way to get it into the correct position. Others put it into the case with their right hand and use that to establish the orientation.

ALAN: That’s why, when I teach at the academy, I tell left-handed people to try it right-handed. If you can make it work right-handed, [unclear], and then you can deliver left-handed.

MICHAEL: I like that because it also breaks up some of the strain on your body. You don’t want all the burden on one side.

ALAN: Once the mail is in, [brief exchange unclear]. We covered that in about five minutes. Awesome. I’m glad we were able to talk about it. That’ll do for now. Thanks for listening to The Postal Stand-up.