USPS Trucks, Trailers Get New Barcodes

The entire USPS fleet of owned and leased trailers and box trucks will have two-dimensional barcodes installed by the end of summer. The USPS Logistics team has installed new barcodes on nearly 95 percent of the Postal Service’s fleet of owned and leased trailers and box trucks.

The new 99V barcodes use two-dimensional data matrices, which are also known as QR codes, and are replacing traditional barcodes. The barcodes, when scanned, provide a vehicle identification number and information about the vehicle, such as its type and dimensions.

The new barcodes are also less prone to damage and can still be scanned if they do get damaged.

“These barcodes improve visibility of packages as they move through the network,” said Mike Taylor, a logistics program analyst.
During processing, packages are assigned to a container before they are placed on a truck or trailer. The barcode on the truck or trailer is then scanned, which associates that vehicle to the containers of packages it is carrying.

“We know what is in these trucks and trailers and where they are at any given moment,” Taylor said.

The USPS Logistics team expects to have the new barcodes installed on the entire fleet by the end of the summer.