Union Post Office Logistics Levels

The United Stars Post Office (UPO) uses a number of different levels to describe the security needed in transporting different classes of mail. The most common are:

General
Used for over 95% of all mail packages shipped through the UPO. The basic requirement is, if the mail can fit through the doors of the cargo hold on a space bus, and doesn't have special transportation and/or security requirements it can go on as General Mail. A portion of the subsidy given to the Space Bus lines is through contracts for them to also transport General Mail between regional sorting hubs and individual spaceports.

Bulk
Term used for mail that is to large to fit through the doors of the cargo hold on a space bus, and doesn't have special transportation and/or security requirements. It's transported by the UPO using any available ship in their fleet of Union Post Ships.

Special
Term used for mail of any size that requires special handling but doesn't have any special security requirements. It's transported by the UPO using any available ship in their fleet of Union Post Ships.

High Security
Term used for mail of any size that requires special security requirements due to the nature of the mail. It's transported by the UPO using an armed ship in their fleet of Union Post Ships. They also contain at least six members of the Union Post Office Police to provide security. Other classes of mail may be transported within a ship carrying High Security Mail, although they are required to be in different holds.

Top Security
Term used for mail of any size that requires the highest level of security possible due to the nature of the mail. Like the High Security Mail, it's transported by the UPO using an armed ship in their fleet of Union Post Ships. They also contain at least twelve members of the Union Post Office Police to provide security. Only High Security and Top Security Mail may be transported within a ship carrying Top Security Mail, although each class of mail and each destination is required to be in different holds. Often arrangements are made for it to receive a naval escort though areas that have higher than "moderate risk for piracy."