USPS Truck News

[kscarbel2]

USPS Narrows List of Next-Gen Vehicle Builders

Heavy Duty Trucking / April 22, 2015

The U.S. Postal Service has chosen 15 possible manufacturers to build its next-generation delivery vehicle, including Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford, Nissan, and Freightliner (Daimler).

The USPS released the list of prequalified vendors on April 14 as it takes another step toward selecting a vendor to build a vehicle to replace the Long Life Vehicle (LLV) that entered service in 1987. The USPS met with possible suppliers in early February, after releasing vehicle specs in a request for information.

The list of suppliers under consideration also includes AM General, AMP Holding, Emerald Automotive, Karsan, Mahindra, Morgan Olson, OEM Systems, Oshkosh, Utilimaster, VT Hackney, and ZAP Jonway.

The LLVs were assembled by Grumman. General Motors supplied the chassis, engine, and transmission. AM General supplied the frame.

Several suppliers on the list specialize in vehicle modifications, including green-vehicle powertrains. Chinese-owned ZAP (zero air pollution)) Jonway specializes in battery-electric vehicle conversions.

"ZAP Jonway is working with a couple of large truck manufacturers and is in the process of finalizing its partnerships to support the repurposing of the truck's body to meet the specifications for this USPS opportunity," according to a company release. "ZAP Jonway hopes to utilize this repurposed clean energy truck, which will have models in both electric as well as compressed natural gas (CNG)."

[kscarbel2]

USPS Adds Another 3,000 Ram ProMaster Vans

Heavy Duty Trucking  /  September 8, 2016

FCA has started delivering another 3,339 Ram ProMaster [Fiat Ducato] cargo vans to the U.S. Postal Service in a second order that follows a 9,113-vehicle order last year.

USPS awarded the contract to FCA on March 24, and the vehicles will be delivered by the end of November, said Ralph Kisiel, an FCA spokesman. In all, FCA will deliver 12,472 vans, mostly from the 2016 model year and some from the 2017 model year.

The postal service has been adding ProMaster vans set up with a Ranger Design rack system to replacing aging vehicles as it continues its development of a next-generation delivery vehicle to replace its Long Life Vehicles.

USPS is purchasing ProMaster 2500 vans powered by a gasoline 3.6L Pentastar V-6 engine that produces 280 hp and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. The front-wheel drive van is available in more than 14 configurations.

USPS now operates a fleet of about 215,000 vehicles, of which 163,000 are LLVs.

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[kscarbel2]

This is what Car & Driver had to say about the USPS's Fiat Ducatos (rebadged as Promaster) full-size vans.

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/diesel-cargo-vans-compared-ford-transit-vs-mercedes-benz-sprinter-ram-promaster-comparison-test

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The Ram ProMaster, a Fiat Ducato with ram-head logos, is a detestable, shovel-faced thing that appears to have been cobbled together from spare parts. Too harsh? No, not really. The ProMaster itself is an insult. It is the only vehicle in any comparison test in memory to receive zero points in a subjective category from one of our ­voters. That would be for its dreadful single-clutch automated-manual transmission. The other voters each gave it one mercy point. Pull out onto a busy road and the vehicle comes to a near stop as the transmission pauses to find the next gear. It’s not just annoying, causing your head to bob fore and aft with every shift, it’s scary. The steering system is loose and numb and connected to a steering wheel that feels only a few degrees from a horizontal orientation. It’s better than the steering in an ex-military Hummer H1 or a Mercedes-Benz G-class, but worse than everything else.

Its 3.0-liter inline-four turbo-diesel makes more power than the Mercedes’ smaller-displacement four, but the ProMaster returns the slowest acceleration in the test by two seconds to 60 mph. This despite being the shortest and lightest of the vans. It also takes the longest distance to stop from 70 mph. It was the loudest van, it was judged to have the worst ride, and its handling properties were bottom rung.

Oh, and judging by the contorted position that Fiat/Ram forces the ProMaster’s driver into, the company must really hate plumbers and delivery drivers. Why? We don’t know.

We probably should have specified the longer-wheelbase version, which would have brought it closer to other competitors in terms of length. But the problems that ail the ProMaster will not be solved by more ProMaster.

[kscarbel2]

The Fiat Ducato (Ram Promaster) and sister Peugeot "Boxer" (shown below) were developed by a Fiat-Peugeot joint venture.

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[Brian Blaylock]

Proceeds from the sale of another 12 thousand plus units leaving the country

[Red Horse]

I'm sure given the success of the Ford Transit, Ford is content to let FCA take this low bid

[BillyT]

What happened to the mail "jeeps" converted by Grumman in Marcy PA also in Texas that were used for decades? One just delivered my mail?On second thought however the pos in question are the high cube vans used for package delivery! It is rather obvious USPS is only looking at initial price,not safety or longevity! More offshore b.s. when are we going to wake up? There was a time when the unions would have complained about obviously unsafe equipment,but they are worried about their jobs,and who can blame them!!

[TeamsterGrrrl]

The last Jeep mail van was retired and crushed years ago. The Jeeps were replaced by the Long Life Vehicle (LLV), which is probably what you saw. The newest LLVs are 19 years old and the oldest around 29 years old, and they were ONLY designed for a 25 year life. The LLVs have held up well, especially the aluminum bodies. But in the rust belt states the frames are rusting out, and it's not worth the cost of replacing a frame. So USPS has RFPs out for a replacement for the LLVs but that's a couple years out yet. In the meantime they've got mail to move, so they're buying some vans to fill the gap until the LLV replacement comes. This is nothing new, USPS bought some GM and FCA minivans a few years ago too.

[kscarbel2]

Utilimaster Seeks Withdrawal from USPS Next Generation Delivery Vehicle Program

Trailer/Body Builders  /  February 21, 2017

Spartan Motors announced that its Spartan Fleet Vehicles and Services (FVS) business unit—which encompasses the Utilimaster go-to-market brand—has stopped development on the United States Postal Service (USPS) Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV) Program as a prime contractor in the functional prototype development project and has sought withdrawal from the USPS.

Spartan is continuing efforts to support this project and will partner with a leading USPS prototype award participant, to provide interior cargo solutions specific for the USPS's needs.

"As a global leader in fleet vehicle design and production, we were honored to be among a select group of vehicle makers to win the USPS prototype award," said Daryl Adams, President and Chief Executive Officer of Spartan Motors. "However, when we took a close look at the economics as a result of our inability to reach a satisfactory agreement with our commercial chassis supplier, further participation in the program as the primary body builder did not meet our baseline financial targets. Working closely with one of the USPS prototype award participants will enable us to participate in this significant NGDV program without the related upfront developmental capital requirement, while building what we're best at for the fleet market—custom interior cargo management solutions."

Utilimaster has produced route delivery and other vehicles for the USPS since 1999. As previously announced, Utilimaster was one of six vehicle manufacturers selected to receive the prototype award as part of a comprehensive USPS Request for Proposal (RFP) process. After a thorough evaluation, in-depth supplier consideration, and extensive financial modeling, Spartan has determined that remaining in the USPS NGDV project as a cargo management supplier provides a better return on capital, which better serves the Company and its shareholders.

"We would like to extend our most sincere thanks to the USPS for considering and selecting Spartan to take part in the evolution of their fleet," continued Adams. "We look forward to assisting with development effort and providing the USPS with high quality cargo management solutions that best meet the needs of their business, while ensuring improved safety, productivity, and performance for their route delivery personnel."  

[kscarbel2]

The US Postal Service Is Building a Self-Driving Mail Truck

Wired   /  October 9, 2017

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds—and if the United States Postal Service has its way, the robots won't stop them, either.

Yes, the agency you know best for bringing you junk mail addressed to whomever lived in your apartment before you has caught robofever. It plans to put semi-autonomous mail trucks into service in just seven years, and it seems to think it can pull off a shift away from human driving without shedding mail carrier jobs.

That's all according to the postal service's Office of the Inspector General, which oversees the agency and last week released a report on its plans to work autonomy into its 228,000-vehicle fleet. Those plans are already in motion: The post office has partnered with the University of Michigan to build what it’s calling an Autonomous Rural Delivery Vehicle, which it wants to launch on 28,000 rural routes nationwide as early as 2025.

In this vision, the postal worker sits behind the wheel but lets the truck do the driving, sorting mail and stuffing letters and packages into mail boxes while rolling down the street. Eliminating the need to constantly park the vehicle, get out, then get back in and get back to driving would yield, the report says, “small but cumulatively significant time savings.”

This being a semi-autonomous mail truck, the driver would have to be ready to take over control at all times. In the beginning, researchers say, this will be especially important while navigating from the post office to the beginning of the postal route, and while navigating intersections.

The postal service reasons the experimentation is less risky on rural routes, which have less traffic and fewer pedestrians and cyclists, “and are therefore more forgiving of an imperfect AV model.” It’s exactly the reason vehicle tech developers like Tesla and Cadillac have released semi-autonomous features for highway-only driving. With wide, open, well-marked roads, it’s a much less complicated environment for a robot to navigate.

According to the report, Michigan researchers will deliver their first semi-autonomous delivery truck prototype in December of this year. If all goes according to plan, the USPS will pilot 10 prototypes on rural routes in 2019, leading up to that full-scale, countrywide rural deployment between 2022 and 2025. The mail people also say they plan to look into city deliveries and building fully driverless vehicles, the kind that don't need steering wheels or pedals.

You’ve Got Self-Driving Mail

One reason the postal service wants robocars? They could help solve its money problems. The agency lost $5.6 billion last year, mostly because Congress demands it shell out prefunded retiree health care benefits. (The idea here is that all employees’ health care will be completely paid for by the time they retire. No other agency operates this way.)

The report's authors insist they're not looking to dump human workers, and that AVs can help by trimming other costs. The agency paid about $67 million in repair and tort costs associated with vehicle crashes last year. It also shelled out $570 million for diesel fuel. If the robots perform as promised, making driving much safer and more efficient, those costs could plummet.

If the USPS sticks with this plan, the jobs of the nation's 310,000 mail carriers could change, for better or worse. Once the vehicles do all the driving, the humans will be left with the sorting and the intricacies of the delivery process. Unless, of course, a robot can figure out how to do those too. And whatever the report says about protecting jobs, it's clear that the best way to cut down on employee health care costs is to cut down on employees. The Postal Service says it plans to sit down with unions to discuss the implications of this tech after the University of Michigan delivers its prototype in December. (Those unions, the National Association of Letter Carriers and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

But maybe the best reason for USPS to experiment with autonomous vehicles is to keep up with the Joneses. FedEx is investing in small autonomous vehicles that could make deliveries without the aid of human drivers. Amazon has an entire team dedicated to researching how autonomous vehicles (and drones) could transport its goods directly to customers. Google holds patents on unmanned truck delivery. DHL has posited driverless vehicles could be endlessly useful in warehousing operations, last-mile deliveries, and logistics operations. UPS has a test truck that shoots drones.

Which gets us back to one final idea floated by the USPS Office of the Inspector General in the report. Mail carriers drive the same exact routes almost every day. If the service kits out its vans with the right sorts of sensors, those vans could build and constantly update the incredibly detailed 3-D maps that help self-driving cars navigate—for a price, of course. Yeah, other startups and companies have been built expressly to collect and mine mapping data—but don’t count out the letter carriers. If rain and hail can't stop them, why should the future?

[bulldogboy]

I saw a USPS Ford "Transit" van in Gloucester, MA last week. So, I guess, it's buying some Ford vans.  

bulldogboy

[kscarbel2]

Autonomous Vehicles for the Postal Service

USPS – Office of the Inspector General  /  October 2, 2017

• Logistics companies, including the U.S. Postal Service, are already researching autonomous vehicles in order to increase driver safety, reduce fuel costs, and improve worker productivity.

• The OIG identified seven distinct ways the Postal Service could use the technology for last-mile delivery and long-haul transportation.

• Despite some remaining hurdles to full implementation, now is the time for USPS to begin testing the technology and refining its transportation strategy for the future.

Driverless cars have captured imaginations for decades, but the past few years have seen the technology move from dream toward reality. More formally known as autonomous vehicles, these self-driving cars and trucks have the potential to transform not only personal mobility but transportation and delivery as well. Other logistics companies are already researching ways they can realize the technology’s promise to increase safety, reduce fuel costs, and improve worker productivity.

The OIG has identified ways the Postal Service could use the technology in last-mile delivery and trucking. Applications include autonomous vehicles that assist carriers in delivering mail, a mobile parcel locker that is a complete departure from current delivery methods, and autonomous trucks that handle the transportation of mail on highways.

While none of the suggested use cases could be fully deployed today, it is worthwhile for the Postal Service to research and test the technology now so that USPS can be ready for the transportation network of the future. In fact, the Postal Service has already started to test the technology. The OIG suggests the Postal Service take a step-by-step approach: continuing to test the technology first, gradually automating vehicles where it makes strategic sense, and refining its AV strategy as the technology, market, regulation, and public perception evolve.

Read full report

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[kscarbel2]

The Postal Service’s New Electric Mail Truck

Trucks.com  /  October 9, 2017

The first photos of a prototype mail delivery truck indicate that the U.S. Postal Service may be going electric.

The photos were taken recently by a Trucks.com reader and electric vehicle enthusiast as a postal service worker delivered mail in Leesburg, Va., about 30 miles northwest of Washington, D.C.

The truck is a prototype undergoing road tests in the USPS’ Next Generation Delivery Vehicle Program. It most likely was the offering from a team that includes truck body manufacturer VT Hackney Inc. and electric truck company Workhorse Group Inc., which make up one of the five final entries in the contest to build the postal service’s next delivery truck.

Workhorse confirmed it was their truck in a tweet Monday after the story was first published.

The Hackney/Workhorse team is the only competitor offering a pure battery electric truck. It will have a small BMW gasoline engine that will act as a generator to extend the range of the truck. Workhorse will supply the powertrain and chassis, and VT Hackney will build the body. The truck must be able to carry 1,500 pounds of mail and have at least 155 cubic feet of cargo space.

It is expected to have a vehicle architecture similar to the Workhorse W-15 electric pickup truck, sharing many components, Jeffrey Osborne, a Cowen & Co. automotive analyst, said in a recent report to investors.

The truck delivering mail in Virginia has an attention-grabbing profile that features a low-slung aerodynamic hood, oversized windows for increased visibility and an upright stance for the cargo box. Painted with the postal service eagle logo and red, white and blue livery, the right-hand drive truck was clearly an electric vehicle and made almost no noise as it drove through a Virginia neighborhood.

The USPS also is evaluating mail truck prototypes from AM General, Karsan, Mahindra and Oshkosh. All five entrants delivered their prototypes to the Postal Service last month. An award is expected in the first half of next year.

The new vehicle will replace the boxy Grumman Long Life Vehicle that has delivered letters and packages since it was designed for the USPS in the 1980s. Of the 215,000 mail trucks in rotation, 140,000 are at least two decades old. The new contract could be for as many as 180,000 trucks.

The USPS has said that half of the prototypes “will feature hybrid and new technologies, including alternative fuel capabilities.” 

“Our goal is to obtain vehicles that will help us provide reliable and efficient delivery service for customers and honor our commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our fleet, while meeting the needs of our employees to best do their jobs safely,” the office of the USPS inspector general said in a statement announcing the next generation truck program.

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[fxfymn]

The wise ass side of me says I already get my mail via a driverless system; its called e-mail.

But of all the pure electric trucks that have been touted using one for mail delivery makes the most sense.

[kscarbel2]

USPS Awards Spartan Motors $214M for Delivery Vehicles

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT)  /  October 26, 2017

The U.S. Postal Service has ordered 2,000 fleet vehicles from Spartan Motors on a $214 million contract for two types of delivery trucks with Utilimaster bodies, the vehicle manufacturer announced.

The Charlotte, Mich.-based company's Spartan Fleet Vehicles and Services business unit will begin building the trucks after April 1. They will be delivered over the next two years. The contract includes an option for a third year.

The order includes a combination of cab-over-engine and straight trucks in a variety of 18-foot and 24-foot configurations. The cabover will be built on the Class 7 Peterbilt 220 platform, while the straight truck will be a Peterbilt 337.

"Our ability to design, custom engineer, and build commercial trucks across Classes 1-6, in addition to providing custom vocation-specific upfits uniquely positions us to serve the growing last mile delivery fleet that is in demand by today’s ecommerce retailers," said Tom Ninneman, president of Spartan Fleet Vehicles and Services.

The USPS is also developing its next-generation residential delivery vehicle. In September of 2016, the USPS awarded $37.4 million in contracts to six vendors to provide prototypes.

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[kscarbel2]

Spartan receives $214 million contract from USPS

Fleet Owner  /  October 26, 2017

Multi-year contract calls for more than 2,000 cargo body fleet vehicles.

Spartan Motors Inc. announced that its Spartan Fleet Vehicles and Services (FVS) business unit — which encompasses the Utilimaster go-to-market brand — has been awarded a $214 million contract from the United States Postal Service (USPS) for more than 2,000 cargo body fleet vehicles. The contract represents the largest revenue contract in the history of Spartan Motors.

“Utilimaster has been engineering and building the very best purpose-built parcel delivery vehicles for more than 40 years,” said Daryl Adams, president and CEO, Spartan Motors. “We’ve worked hard to make our products stand-out in the industry and we’re committed to manufacturing excellence.” 

The order from the USPS includes a combination of cab-over-engine (COE) and cab-behind-engine (CBE) Utilimaster truck bodies in a variety of 18- and 24-ft. configurations. The USPS order will be built and delivered over the span of two years, with an option for additional quantities delivered over a third contract year. Production will begin in the second quarter of 2018.

“Our ability to design, custom engineer, and build commercial trucks across classes 1-6, in addition to providing custom vocation-specific upfits uniquely positions us to serve the growing ‘last mile’ delivery fleet that is in demand by today’s ecommerce retailers,” concluded Tom Ninneman, president of Spartan Fleet Vehicles and Services.

[Maxidyne]

Link to the deployment list: https://www.21cpw.com/spartan-motors-awarded-214m-cargo-van-contract-for-usps-fleet/

Looks like the 2004 vintage International conventionals and a few Cargoes are finally getting replaced. About 80% of the order will be conventionals, with the cabovers mostly going to more congested cities in the east. Wonder if Paccar got the contract because only they could supply both conventionals and cabovers?

[Red Horse]

What I don't understand about this deal is just what is Spartan doing?  Looks like Pete cabovers and conventionals with conventional boxes?  What is Spartan brining to the table?  There are dozens of cargo van builders all over the  US.  Or is Spartan doing something to the chassis?

Interesting in any case that the low cost builders of class 6, 7 (Ford? Navistar? Hino?) lose out to a premium chassis and a custom builder?

[kscarbel2]

To me, the Model 337 looks like something from 25 years ago, standing next to the modern DAF "LF" -based Model 220. COE design lends to far more efficient weight distribution and overall packaging, not to mention servicing.

If USPS was my business, and I'm focused purely on functionality, performance and operating costs, the Model 220 is the winner by a landslide. Why 80% of the order is Model 337 conventionals demonstrates purchasing issues at the USPS.

[carlotpilot]

32 minutes ago, kscarbel2 said:

To me, the Model 337 looks like something from 25 years ago, standing next to the modern DAF "LF" -based Model 220. COE design lends to far more efficient weight distribution and overall packaging, not to mention servicing.

If USPS was my business, and I'm focused purely on functionality, performance and operating costs, the Model 220 is the winner by a landslide. Why 80% of the order is Model 337 conventionals demonstrates purchasing issues at the USPS.

american built

[Maxidyne]

Up until the late 90s USPS didn't even consider conventionals for anything bigger than a pickup. I don't know if purchase price was the deciding factor or what, but since then USPS fleet management has made conventionals the default- Local fleet managers and drivers have to beg to get cabovers instead of conventionals. Comparing the International 4000 series conventional to the Cargo from the last purchase, the International was a couple decades newer design and somewhat made up for the Cargo's better manueverability with more creature comforts and a quieter cabin. In this purchase the LF cabover's better visibility and maneuverability and more modern design make it a better truck in almost every way than the ancient Pete conventional.

[kscarbel2]

6 minutes ago, carlotpilot said:

american built

Yes, the 337 is assembled in Denton, Texas, while the 220 is assembled at Paccar Mexico in Mexicali.

Denton is maxed out. The 320 is also produced at Mexicali for that reason.

In my opinion, there's a very real need to expand Denton.

[kscarbel2]

3 hours ago, Red Horse said:

What I don't understand about this deal is just what is Spartan doing?  Looks like Pete cabovers and conventionals with conventional boxes?  What is Spartan bringing to the table?  There are dozens of cargo van builders all over the  US.  Or is Spartan doing something to the chassis?

Interesting in any case that the low cost builders of class 6, 7 (Ford? Navistar? Hino?) lose out to a premium chassis and a custom builder?

Bob, another point is that if USPS was going for maximum value for the buck (lowest bidder), they would have chosen the Class 7 Ford F-750.

Having said that, while they indicate the 220 is Class 7, they fail to clarify if the 337 is spec'd as Class 6 or 7. If Class 6, we all know that Ford has the lowest price Class 6 on the market.

[Maxidyne]

USPS tends to spec heavy axles on straight trucks, usually a 12k front and at least 20k rear, which would put them into an F750 and Class 7. The trucks with the 24 foot bodies will probably get single wheeled tag axles like the previous 24 foot bodied straight trucks did. Too bad Ford didn't have the new Cargo available here so they could have bid on both cabover and conventional cab trucks.

 

[kscarbel2]

13 environmental groups urge USPS to select plug-ins for next-generation delivery vehicles

Green Car Congress  /  November 22, 2017

Thirteen environmental groups working on clean transportation solutions sent a letter to the United States Postal Service (USPS) urging it to select plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) for the next generation of delivery vehicles (NGDV). The USPS fleet travels more than 1.3 billion miles every year and uses more than 180 million gasoline gallon equivalents (GGE) of fuel.

Two of the five vehicles USPS are currently considering for the next generation of delivery trucks are plug-in models, the environmental organizations said. The winner of the contract will be announced in early 2018, with deployment likely to begin in Q1 2020. If an electric model is selected, the USPS fleet would be the largest electric vehicle fleet in the world.

The USPS operates a fleet of more than 200,000 vehicles in all areas of the United States and its territories; approximately 163,000 of these are right-hand drive, light-duty carrier route vehicles (CRVs) purchased between 1987 and 2001. These vehicles are rear-wheel driven, powered by internal combustion engines, and of aluminum body-on-frame design. The payload capacity is approximately 1,400 pounds.

These vehicles are near the end of their designed useful life. The USPS intends to retire this fleet in coming years, and to replace the vehicles with Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs).

The USPS publicly began the Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDV) acquisition program in January 2015 with a Request for Information (RFI). A Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued in October 2015 which included a statement of objectives in response to feedback received from the supplier community and other stakeholders. In 2016, the Postal Service awarded contracts to six prime suppliers who together were to produce 50 prototype vehicles as part of the next phase of the NGDV acquisition process. Half of the prototypes would feature hybrid and new technologies, including alternative fuel capabilities, USPS said at the time.

Since then, the pool has shrunk to five: three single companies—AM General, Oshkosh and Mahindra (India)—and two collaborations—VT Hackney/Workhorse and Karsan (Turkey)/Morgan Olson.

Public details on the vehicles are scant, although the VT Hackney/Workhorse candidate is a range-extended electric vehicle. VT Hackney is building the body of the prototype vehicles while Workhorse Group is providing the chassis and powertrain.

The USPS received prototype NGDV vehicles the week of 18 September; actual testing by letter carriers began the week of 2 October. Testing sites include Flint and Utica, MI; Falls Church and Leesburg, VA; and Tempe and Tucson, AZ. On a three-week rotating basis, the vehicles will be used over the next six months during normal delivery operations in these diverse weather environments.

Testing will focus on each prototype’s comfort, usability, functionality, ergonomics, performance, operations, and so on. Additionally, testing of the vehicles’ durability, components and fuel economy will be conducted by engineers at third-party laboratories.

The environmental organizations signing the letter include:

• CALSTART

• Electric Auto Association

• Environment America

• Environmental Law and PolicyCenter

• Forth

• Natural Resource Council of Maine

• Natural Resources Defense Council

• Oregon Environmental Council

• Plug In America

• Public Citizen

• Safe Climate Campaign

• Sierra Club

• Union of Concerned Scientists