Teamwork Returns MTE to USPS

Story & Photos: Gale Jackson, West Palm Beach Customer Relations Coordinator

Loxahatchee Rural Carrier Associate Dolly Noriega (above) poses with MTE that was recovered after she discovered it on a customer’s property.

Congratulations and thanks to Loxahatchee Rural Carrier Associate Dolly Noriega, who cited three pieces of Mail Transportation Equipment (MTE) at her customer’s home while delivering mail on her assigned route.   Noriega contacted Loxahatchee Officer In Charge Gale Jackson, who notified Postal Inspector Johnny Niedzwiedski about the containers.   When Inspector Niedzwiedski arrived at the home, he found three orange hampers full of trash in the customer’s front yard.  

Jackson notified West Palm Beach Manager, Transportation Roe Herzog who dispatched Tractor Trailer Operator Sergio Valencia to collect the hampers. A deputy from Palm Beach County Sheriff assisted Valencia in emptying and loading the hampers onto a postal truck.   

“I knew this customer should not be using this equipment and I just wanted to do the right thing,” said Noriega. “I got some soap, a water hose and washed down the equipment, it’s now back into circulation,” Valencia said.

West Palm Beach Manager, Transportation Roe Herzog (left) thanked Tractor Trailer Operator Sergio Valencia for his role in returning the equipment.

MTE is essential in accepting, sorting and moving mail within the processing network and is extremely expensive to replace. As a rule of thumb, the Postal Service suggests that no more than a seven-day supply of MTE remains on hand. Unfortunately, there are many instances where the equipment is never returned by customers who sometimes use the containers for personal use.

MTE is federal property. Anyone caught stealing or misusing it can be fined $1,000 and face up to three years in prison. The equipment can be returned to local Post Offices or to processing and distribution facilities. Arrangements also can be made for the Postal Service to pick up larger amounts of equipment and/or pallets by sending an email to hqmte@usps.gov with "Equipment Pickup Request" in the subject line. Please include the company name and address where equipment is located, the type of equipment and quantity, and a contact name and phone number.