Preparing Shipping Units (Pallets and Monotainers ... - Postes Canada

Addressed Admail 

Non-machineable (LCP and NDG Presort) 

and Publications Mail 

Choosing the Right Container Solution 

Preparing Shipping Units (Pallets 

and Monotainers) 

Labelling Containers and Shipping Units 

1

Preparing Shipping Units (Pallets and Monotainers) 

Pallets (skids) and monotainers (monos) are used to carry: 

- Oversize brick-piled mail items, or 

- Mail prepared into lettertainers, flats tubs, cardboard lettertainers or 

cardboard boxes. 

Customersupplied 

wooden 

pallets 

The Container Options 

Canada Post-supplied plastic 

pallets and monotainers 

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Canada Post-supplied Containers 

We provide you, our Customers, with various container types to 

carry mailings. (Free of charge and subject to availability.) 

Plastic pallets carry 

Oversize (O/S) 

brick-piled mail or 

To order contact: 

hardsided 

- a Regional Equipment 

containers 

Coordinator, or 

- the National Equipment 

Container Facility order desk: 

- phone 905.565.0480, 

- fax 905.564.6830 or 

- email necfteo@canadapost.ca 

Monotainers carry 

Oversize (O/S) 

brick-piled mail or 

hardsided 

containers 

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Prior to Ordering Containers 

Determine 

- which containers you need, and 

- how many containers you will need 

Consider 

- the size of your mail items, 

- the volume of your mailing, 

- how your mail will be sorted, and 

- how much mail is needed to fill a container 

If you are using the NDG presort option, demonstration exercises are posted 

online at canadapost.ca/business/ndg 

If your are using the LCP option, a list of recognized SERP vendors is posted at 

canadapost.ca/am_list 

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Use Pallets to Carry Brick-piled O/S Mail 

or Hardsided Containers 

Reduces the amount of handling and helps ensure all your mail 

arrives at its destination at the same time. 

Canada Post-supplied plastic pallet: 

– you must have an active Canada Post Agreement (for any service) 

– subject to availability 

– minimum order of 40 pallets 

Customer-supplied wooden pallet: 

─ must use block design pallet as noted in the 

Mail Preparation and Presortation Guides 

posted at canadapost.ca/mailpreparation 

─ not returned to customers 

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- free of charge (subject to availability) 

- 

Benefits of Canada Post-supplied 

Plastic Pallets 

address health and safety issues associated with 

wooden pallets (broken slats, splinters, protruding nails) 

- weigh only 9 kg 

- easily stacks for storage 

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Pallet Fill Requirements for LCP and NDG Mailings 

Carrying brick-piled 

O/S mail: 

*Generally speaking: 

- Local pallets contain mail destined within the city of deposit, and 

- Forward pallets contain mail destined anywhere other than the city of deposit. 

** Plastic pallet weighs 9 kg 

Minimum (excluding pallet) Maximum 

weight** height weight** height 

Local* 90 kg 150 mm 900 kg 

(including weight of 

the pallet – base and 

Forward* 180 kg 300 mm 

cap) 

Carrying hardsided 

containers: 

1.5 meters 

(including height of 

the pallet – base 

and cap) 

Minimum / pallet Maximum / pallet Maximum weight** 

18 lettertainers, or 

12 flats tubs or 500 mm 

(excluding height of the 

pallet) 


32 flats tubs, or 

1.5 meters (including 

height of the pallet ) 

900 kg including mail 

and pallet 

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Use Monotainers to Carry Brick-piled O/S Mail or 

Hardsided Containers 

Canada Post-supplied monotainer (mono): 

– large, collapsible, steel-frame container 

– weigh 97 kg 

– subject to availability 

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Benefits of Canada Post-supplied 

Monotainer (Mono) 

- provided free of charge (subject to availability) 

- designed to be double-stacked 

- uses little storage space when collapsed 

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Carrying brick-piled 

O/S mail: 

Destined within province of 

deposit 

Destined outside province 

of deposit 

Carrying hardsided 

containers: 

Destined within province of 

deposit 

Destined outside province 

of deposit 

* Mono weighs 97 kg 

Monotainer Fill Requirements 

Minimum height Maximum height Maximum weight 

50% of the height of 

the mono up to 25 mm below the 

75% of the height of 

the mono 

top of the mono 


and mono* 

Minimum / mono Maximum Maximum weight 


12 flats tubs 


18 flats tubs 

36 lettertainers or 24 flats 

tubs, or up to 25 mm 

below the top of the mono 


and mono* 

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Brick-piling O/S Mail 

Brick-piling is the method of placing mail items onto pallets or into monotainers. 

Ensure the bundles: 

- are shrink-wrapped or double-strapped, and 

- do not exceed the maximum bundle thickness of 200 mm (8 in). 

Prepare the pallets and monotainers 

- For pallets: 

-place pallet flat and line the bottom with 

cardboard to cover the holes and protect the mail 

- For monotainers: 

-place a cardboard liner on the bottom and 

between each row 

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Building rows onto pallets or into monotainers 

- begin the first row by placing bundles lengthwise starting in one 

corner building the row until you reach the opposite corner 

- cover the entire pallet or monotainer surface with bundles 

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1st 2 

row 

nd row 


Building rows on pallets or in monotainers 

- build the second row by turning the bundles on a 90° angle covering 

the entire first row, 

- alternate each row to maintain an even surface and load stability, 

- add rows of bundles until you reach at least the minimum height 

requirement, or 

- continue adding rows until the maximum height or weight is reached 

1st 2 

row 

nd 3 

row 

rd 4 

row 

th row 

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Building rows on pallets 


If the pallet is expected to exceed 500 mm in height 

- add a cardboard liner at the halfway mark, 

- place the row of bundles above the cardboard liner in the same 

direction as those below the cardboard liner 

For mail with spines 

- add a cardboard liner for each 

new row 

- alternate the facing of the 

spines by turning the bundles 

180 degrees 

Halfway 

mark 

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Securing the pallets 


- Completed pallets must be capped with 

wood, sturdy paper or cardboard 

- Apply three layers of stretch wrap around 

both the pallet cap and bottom pallet 

- If mail items are irregular in shape, or have 

a slippery outer cover, apply four cross 

straps* encompassing both the pallet 

and pallet cap 

* Metal strapping is not permitted 

Cross straps 

Pallet 

cap 

Stretch 

wrap 

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Stacking pallets 

- 

Save on Floor Space by Stacking 

Multiple pallets going to the same 

destination may be stacked on top of 

each other provided they are secured 

together with straps 

Stacking monotainers 

- 

Designed to be double stacked 

regardless of the destination 

Max. weight 900 kg 

Max. weight 900 kg 

each for total 1800 kg 

Height of two 

monos is 2.23 m 

Max. height 

1.5 m 

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Learn more. 

View another tutorial. 

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Preparing Shipping Units (Pallets and Monotainers ... - Postes Canada

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