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Mail trucks have pretty drastically different requirements than a parcel delivery truck. Mail trucks are designed for a right sided driver and lots of stops on

Mail trucks have pretty drastically different requirements than a parcel delivery truck. Mail trucks are designed for a right sided driver and lots of stops on every block, so good visibility to avoid crashing into oncoming traffic or hitting pedestrians in the front is obligatory. Amazon, UPS, and friends have much more infrequent stops. USPS also needs vehicles that can last for decades with much lower maintenance costs than commercial competitors. With the Biden Admin's government fleet electrification plan, they'll also need to be easily built or converted to battery-powered.

gsnedders 6y ago
And this is a significant difference to how mail is delivered in most of Europe, where the vast majority of last-mile delivery is done on foot or on bike, and relatively little is done by vehicle. Density undoubtedly plays a fair role here.
- KingOfCoders 6y ago
  I especially like that one, https://newsroom.hermesworld.com/city-logistik-hermes-testet-paketzustellung-per-lastenrad-in-berlin-15240/ https://newsroom.hermesworld.com/city-logistik-hermes-testet... Was wowed the first time I encountered one.
- namibj 6y ago
  Not just density. Many neighborhoods aren't (safely) accessible without a car in the US. They may only be connected to a highway, with no bus service to it.
chrisseaton 6y ago
> requirements ... obligatory ... needs ... Yet other countries' mail services manage without all these things just fine?
- jonfw 6y ago
  The US is unique in it's low population density and enormous scale of it's postal service.
  - dangerbird2 6y ago
    Yep. There are very few countries that have a huge land area with extremely remote population and a postal service with a universal service mandate for all its citizens (going so far as to run daily mule trains down the Grand Canyon to service to the Havasupi nation[1]) [1] https://historydaily.org/havasupai-post-office-grand-canyon https://historydaily.org/havasupai-post-office-grand-canyon

gsnedders 6y ago

And this is a significant difference to how mail is delivered in most of Europe, where the vast majority of last-mile delivery is done on foot or on bike, and relatively little is done by vehicle. Density undoubtedly plays a fair role here.

KingOfCoders 6y ago
I especially like that one, https://newsroom.hermesworld.com/city-logistik-hermes-testet-paketzustellung-per-lastenrad-in-berlin-15240/ https://newsroom.hermesworld.com/city-logistik-hermes-testet... Was wowed the first time I encountered one.
namibj 6y ago
Not just density. Many neighborhoods aren't (safely) accessible without a car in the US. They may only be connected to a highway, with no bus service to it.

chrisseaton 6y ago

> requirements ... obligatory ... needs ... Yet other countries' mail services manage without all these things just fine?

jonfw 6y ago
The US is unique in it's low population density and enormous scale of it's postal service.
- dangerbird2 6y ago
  Yep. There are very few countries that have a huge land area with extremely remote population and a postal service with a universal service mandate for all its citizens (going so far as to run daily mule trains down the Grand Canyon to service to the Havasupi nation[1]) [1] https://historydaily.org/havasupai-post-office-grand-canyon https://historydaily.org/havasupai-post-office-grand-canyon