Shipping to APO, FPO, and DPO Addresses

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 

 Shipping to APO / FPO / DPO Addresses 

 

 1. Scope and Definitions 

 APO / FPO / DPO Military mail destinations. These are handled through USPS regardless of physical overseas location. 

 

 APO – Army / Air Force Post Office 

 FPO – Fleet Post Office (Navy / Marines) 

 DPO – Diplomatic Post Office 

 

 Key Rule: All APO/FPO/DPO shipments are treated as USPS shipments , not FedEx, UPS, or DHL. 

 

 2. Shipment Type Decision 

 Before quoting or processing, determine shipment type: 

 A. Small Parcel Shipment (Standard Process) 

 Use USPS directly when: 

 

 Shipment consists of individual boxes 

 Total shipment is manageable (typically < ~10–15 boxes) 

 No palletization required 

 

 B. Large Shipment (Consolidation Required) 

 Use consolidation when: 

 

 Shipment is palletized or large volume 

 Example:

 

 1,000 backers + 5,000 targets 

 20+ boxes 

 

 

 USPS direct shipment becomes inefficient or cost-prohibitive 

 

 

 3. Small Parcel Workflow (USPS Direct) 

 Step 1: Prepare Box Data 

 For each box: 

 

 Measure dimensions (L × W × H) 

 Determine weight 

 Identify contents (if needed for internal reference) 

 

 Important Rules: 

 

 Each box must be processed individually 

 USPS does not support multi-box quoting in a single entry 

 Even identical boxes must be entered separately (or calculated once and multiplied) 

 

 

 Step 2: Use USPS Rate Calculator 

 Navigate to: USPS.com → Calculate a Price 

 Input: 

 

 Ship From ZIP Code: 55449 (Action Target) (confirm if needed) 

 Ship To: 

 

 City: APO / FPO / DPO 

 State: AE / AP / AA (auto-populates) 

 ZIP: Provided by customer (e.g., 09439) 

 

 

 

 

 Step 3: Enter Package Details 

 For each box: 

 

 Weight 

 Dimensions 

 Quantity = 1 

 

 Repeat for each box OR: 

 

 If identical boxes:

 

 Calculate one box 

 Multiply cost by total quantity 

 

 

 

 

 Step 4: Select Service Type 

 General guidance: 

 

 USPS Priority Mail → Preferred for APO/FPO/DPO 

 USPS Retail Ground / Standard → Rarely used for military mail 

 

 Note: 

 

 APO/FPO/DPO is technically treated as domestic mail but behaves like international 

 Priority typically offers better reliability 

 

 

 Step 5: Calculate Total Shipping Cost 

 

 Sum all individual box costs 

 

 

 Step 6: Apply Markup 

 Apply standard margin: 

 

 Typical: 10%–20% 

 

 

 Step 7: Provide Quote 

 Deliver: 

 

 Total shipping cost (with markup) 

 Service type (Priority recommended) 

 

 

 4. Large Shipment Workflow (Consolidation Required) 

 Step 1: Identify Consolidation Need 

 Trigger conditions: 

 

 Pallet shipment 

 Excessive number of boxes 

 High USPS cost or labor burden 

 

 

 Step 2: Contact Customer 

 Request the following: 

 

 “Please provide a stateside consolidation point address and all required routing information for forwarding to your unit.” 

 

 

 Step 3: Required Customer Information 

 Customer must provide: 

 

 Consolidation point address (U.S.-based) 

 Unit information (final destination) 

 Required identifiers (if applicable):

 

 TCN number 

 DSN number 

 Unit number 

 Contact name (e.g., John Doe) 

 

 

 Any special labeling instructions 

 

 

 Step 4: Create Sales Order 

 Ship-To Address 

 

 Enter consolidation point address 

 

 Order Notes 

 Include ALL provided routing data: 

 

 Final APO/FPO/DPO destination 

 Unit identifiers 

 Contact details 

 Any special instructions 

 

 Principle: More information is always better for downstream handling. 

 

 Step 5: Create Shipment Placard (Required) 

 Create a document (Word or equivalent) containing: 

 

 Final destination (APO/FPO/DPO) 

 Unit information 

 TCM / DSN / routing numbers 

 Contact name 

 

 

 Step 6: Labeling and Placement 

 For palletized shipments: 

 

 Print placard 

 Attach:

 

 Front of pallet 

 Back of pallet 

 

 

 

 

 Step 7: Shipment Execution 

 

 Ship to consolidation point via standard domestic carrier - may be any LTL carrier. 

 After delivery:

 

 Consolidator assumes responsibility 

 They route shipment to final APO/FPO/DPO destination 

 

 

 

 

 5. How Consolidation Routing Works 

 The consolidator determines final routing based on: 

 

 Information on placard 

 Sales order / packing slip data 

 Internal military logistics systems 

 

 Key Insight: You do NOT control final leg routing. Your responsibility is to provide complete and accurate data . 

 

 6. Edge Cases and Exceptions 

 A. Customer Insists on Direct USPS (Large Order) 

 

 Possible but inefficient 

 Requires:

 

 Manual calculation of every box 

 Potentially very high cost (e.g., $8,000+) 

 

 

 Proceed only with customer approval 

 

 

 B. Customer Does Not Know Consolidation Process 

 Guide them: 

 

 “Please check with your logistics or supply chain contact for a consolidation shipping address and required routing information.” 

 

 

 C. Mixed Box Types 

 If boxes differ: 

 

 Each must be calculated separately 

 No batching allowed 

 

 

 7. Key Rules Summary 

 

 USPS is mandatory for APO/FPO/DPO 

 No FedEx, UPS, or DHL 

 Each box must be quoted individually 

 Large shipments require consolidation 

 Always collect routing data from customer 

 Always include redundant labeling 

 

 

 8. Quick Decision Flow 

 

 Is shipment small (few boxes)?

 

 YES → USPS direct 

 NO → Go to consolidation 

 

 

 Is shipment palletized or large volume?

 

 YES → Request consolidation point 

 NO → USPS direct 

 

 

 

 

 9. Operational Best Practices 

 

 Always over-communicate shipping constraints 

 Avoid underestimating labor for large USPS shipments 

 Default to consolidation for anything non-trivial 

 Include redundant routing info on:

 

 Sales order 

 Packing slip 

 Physical labels