First Wave of CLEAR Transitions Starts Aug. 1

The Postal Service will start porting contracts over to its CLEAR system beginning Aug. 1, with an initial focus on Western and Central Region contractors.

This is according to Surface Transportation Category Management Center Director Keith Harris, who detailed the transition process on June 16 during the NSRMCA’s monthly call with postal contracting officials.

Between Aug. 1 and Sept. 1, the Postal Service intends to migrate an estimated 146 contracts held by 55 as-yet-undisclosed contractors onto the CLEAR system, Harris explained. The Postal Service will focus this initial effort on PNT contractors in the Western and Central Regions.

However, contract renegotiations — which are part of the transition process — are slated to begin in early July. Other suppliers from those regions will gradually have their contracts onboarded throughout the remainder of 2022, as will contractors in other regions, Harris said.

The Postal Service expects to have all PNT contracts on CLEAR sometime in early 2023. The transition for LDT contracts will likely have a similar timeline. Contract renewals during this time will be transitioned to CLEAR.

The Postal Service is bundling in numerous contract changes with the transition, among them:

• Moving to a rate-per-trip structure.
• Separating peak season service from existing contracts.
• Adding a weekly recalculation of fuel costs based on a fuel surcharge matrix.
• Removing the requirement that GPS hardware be ORBCOMM-specific.
• Mandating the use of a Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC).