Understanding Mail Carrier Routes

Understanding Mail Carrier Routes

A carrier route is the actual route walked by a postman.

Every zip code is broken down into carrier routes, also known as a postal route.

Please review video number three of our Bulk Mail Boot Camp below before we go any further.

A postal carrier route is the group of addresses to which the USPS assigns the same code to aid in mail delivery. These codes are 9 digits – 5 numbers for the ZIP Code, one letter for the carrier route type (explained below), and 3 numbers for the carrier route code. For example “05055R003″ or “12508C007.”

A carrier route map consists of two parts; (A) The geographical map of the area and (B) the demographical information of the individual routes.

The (A) map will break each zip code(s) into the individual route that a mail carrier delivers the mail to every day.

Each different route has a colored polygon defining its geographical area and an abbreviated label.

The demographical report of the carrier route map will let you know how many deliverable addresses are in each route. It also displays the average age, income, and home value for each route.

It also breaks down the number of homes and apartment in each route. Please keep in mind that there are additional postage rates when you do not mail to an entire route (ie, mailing to only apartments).

So how do the map and demographics correlate?

On the map, the labels are abbreviated by taking the last two digits of the zip code and the route.

Notice the green polygon located on the left of the map? It is labeled with 40C12.

The last two digits of the zip code are 40. So the zip code would be 44140. And the Route would be C12.

So, on the (A) map 40C12 is the abbreviation of 44140C012.

As you can see, 444140C012 (40C12) has 252 homes and 3 apartments for a total of 255 residential deliveries. The average income is $106,701, the average age is 60, and the average home value $204,851.

Postal routes are the basis for all saturation mailings.