Sorting office
Encyclopedia
Sorting office or Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC; name used by the United States Postal Service
(USPS)) is any location where postal operators bring mail
after collection for sorting into batches for delivery to the addressee, which may be a direct delivery or sent onwards to another regional or local sorting office, or to another postal administration.
Most countries have many sorting offices; the USPS has about 275. Some small states such as Tahiti
have only one. The UK and USA have also used Post Office Sorting Van
s at various times; the last UK services were in 2004.
The United Kingdom
Royal Mail
's Mount Pleasant Sorting Office
was the world's largest sorting office at the beginning of the 20th century but is now only the largest one in London.
Military mail
systems, such as the British Forces Post Office
and U.S. Military Postal Service, have their own dedicated sorting offices.
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
(USPS)) is any location where postal operators bring mail
Mail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
after collection for sorting into batches for delivery to the addressee, which may be a direct delivery or sent onwards to another regional or local sorting office, or to another postal administration.
Most countries have many sorting offices; the USPS has about 275. Some small states such as Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
have only one. The UK and USA have also used Post Office Sorting Van
Post Office Sorting Van
A Post Office Sorting Van is a type of rail vehicle built for use in a Travelling Post Office.British Rail built ninety-six of these vehicles between 1959 and 1977, to several similar designs, all based on the Mark 1 coach design. They were numbered in the range 80300–80395...
s at various times; the last UK services were in 2004.
The United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
's Mount Pleasant Sorting Office
Royal Mail Mount Pleasant Sorting Office
The Royal Mail Mount Pleasant Sorting Office is the largest sorting office operated by Royal Mail in London, England....
was the world's largest sorting office at the beginning of the 20th century but is now only the largest one in London.
Military mail
Military mail
A primary feature of military mail systems is that normally they are subsidized to ensure that military mail posted between duty stations abroad and the home country does not cost the sender any more than normal domestic mail traffic...
systems, such as the British Forces Post Office
British Forces Post Office
The British Forces Post Office provides a postal service to HM Forces, separate from that provided by Royal Mail in the United Kingdom. BFPO addresses are used for the delivery of mail in the UK and around the world...
and U.S. Military Postal Service, have their own dedicated sorting offices.