From left, Northern New Jersey Distribution Clerk Erik Molan, Customer Services Supervisor Mike Porta and Distribution Clerk Henry Singleton prepare to scan packages using the PASS system elevated above them.
The Postal Service has deployed almost 2,500 new package processing units at facilities across the nation, part of an ongoing effort to boost the organization’s shipping business.
The Passive Adaptive Scanning System (PASS) improves tracking at high-volume facilities. An additional 1,600 PASS units are slated to be deployed by mid-October, bringing the total number of units to more than 4,100.
The equipment is receiving strong reviews at facilities such as the West Caldwell, NJ, Post Office. “I’ve been here for 38 years and I never expected this type of technology,” said Mail Processing Clerk Henry Singleton.
When packages arrive at the West Caldwell Post Office, employees use PASS to scan them; customers who are tracking the package at usps.com see the message “Arrival at Unit.” Once the package leaves the facility, customers see “Out for Delivery.”
“I realize that people are relying on me to be accurate,” Singleton said.
The Postal Service’s package volume increases have boosted overall revenues by 11.2 percent this year. USPS plans to adjust some shipping prices to attract more business customers and streamline its mail processing operations, which will allow the organization to invest in new package sorting equipment and other upgrades.