Carostal vehicles are partand of daily life for an vehiclesCarrier take on new meaning for the young and active letter carrier. A truck is just another the old, alike. tool, like a satchel or case, for doing our With the Postal Service looking to replace its ag- Pjobs. But postal vehicles are a familiar sym- ing fleet of vehicles, The Postal Record takes a look bol of the trust and reliability of the Postal Ser- forward at the design process for the postal vehicle vice—almost as recognizable as letter carriers. For of the future and a look back at postal vehicles that many, older postal vehicles are nostalgic remind- letter carriers used in the past, including some that ers of the old days. And as they evolve, postal have found new lives. Back in time with previous generations’ postal vehicles etter carriers have always enlisted some of the vehicles that city carriers wagons, which were used to transport the help of wheeled vehicles to bear have used throughout the history of between post offices and train Lthe load of mail and packages. The the U.S. Postal Service. stations in large cities from the 1870s vehicles they have used have changed When door-to-door mail delivery to the first decade of the 20th century. dramatically with carriers’ needs and became a popular service in the United The wagons were usually painted red, the technology available. From the States during the Civil War, postal white and blue with gold lettering. simple horse-drawn wagon of yester- employees used horse-drawn carts to By the late 1890s, regulation wagons year to today’s Long Life Vehicle (LLV) extend their range beyond the mail they began to be phased out in favor of to tomorrow’s Next Generation Postal could carry in a satchel or atop a horse. lighter and less-expensive screen Vehicle, the postal vehicle continues to One of the first photos of postal wagons. Named for the built-in screen change with the times. Here’s a look at horse-drawn wagons shows regulation cages that protected the mail, screen

USPS looks for the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle he Long Life Vehicle could finally be approaching the end of its life. T The LLV has been around for 30 years, longer than the original design’s intended lifespan of 24 years. In addition to the LLV, the U.S. Postal Service currently operates a fleet that includes left-hand drive, multiple-sized and alternative fuel vehicles, along with commercially available vehicles such as cargo and mixed-delivery vehicles. With the LLV at or beyond the end of its lifespan, USPS is continuing a years- long process of developing the next generation of delivery vehicles. “Our goal is to obtain vehicles that will help us provide reliable and effi- cient delivery service for customers and honor our commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our fleet, while Specifications released by the Postal Service meeting the needs of our employees

12 The Postal Record August 2017 Postal vehicle timeline Regulation wagon, circa 1895 Electric automobile, 1901 Columbia automobile, 1906 wagons were used from the late 1880s their drivers, with letter carriers riding pany—thanks to the popularity of its until they were gradually replaced by along and collecting mail from the mail-order catalogue—handled five motor vehicles. boxes. The Post Office Dept. concluded times as many orders as it had the year In 1900, the production of auto- that one automobile could do twice the before. Although trucks were used to mobiles in the was work of a horse-drawn cart, paving the haul Parcel Post packages as early as about equally divided among models way for further use of automobiles. 1913, old-fashioned horse power held powered by electric power, steam and Some letter carriers began using on until the 1920s. gasoline. What was then known as the motorcycles on their routes in the The speed of the new powered Post Office Department (POD) joined 1910s and 1920s—models such as “The vehicles, and the productivity im- the automobile craze by employing all Flying Merkel,” a belt-driven, two- provements they brought, soon ran three kinds to move mail. Only later cylinder V-twin motorcycle. But four- up against speed limits. In fact, in did gasoline engines come to dominate wheeled automobiles and trucks soon October 1913, about 100 drivers for the market, in part because of Henry became the vehicles of choice due to the Postal Transfer Service Company, Ford’s successful mass production of their larger capacities. a mail contractor in New York City, the Model T. With the larger, faster vehicles in went on strike. Chief among the driv- On Oct. 1, 1906, the POD began using service, the POD initiated Parcel Post ers’ complaints was that the police its first gasoline-powered automobiles service on Jan. 1, 1913. It was an instant had recently decided to enforce the to collect mail from boxes in Balti- success, with 300 million parcels city’s 20 mph speed limit, which was more through a contractor. The mail mailed in the first six months alone. making it difficult for them to meet the

contractor supplied both the cars and That year, Sears, Roebuck and Com- company’s schedules. (The strike was t

to best do their jobs safely,” the Postal Letter carrier input was included in “To this end, the Postal Service has Service said in a press release. the specifications for what the suppli- asked automakers to consider a ‘fully On Jan. 20, 2015, USPS began the ac- ers must include in their designs. “We enclosed style body’ that would quisition process with a formal request have spent a considerable amount of have internal cargo capacity and even for information and a kickoff meeting time talking to letter carriers in different sliding side doors,” The New York Times for technology and automotive suppli- parts of the country about what they reported in March 2015. ers. “The robust and open process was would like to see in a new vehicle,” Additionally, USPS wants backup designed to attract the most innovative Renfroe, now NALC’s executive vice cameras and warning systems, ergo- and cutting-edge technological solu- president, continued. “While some of nomic seats and doors, airbags and tions,” the Postal Service said. the input is specific to certain climates antiskid surfaces, the newspaper NALC has been involved in the pro- or geographic areas, there are quite a reported. Fuel efficiency is expected to cess, advising the Postal Service on the few common suggestions. The Postal be a major focus as well. point of view of letter carriers. As then- Service has incorporated our sugges- USPS then reviewed the responses Director of City Delivery Brian Renfroe tions into a lengthy document that and whittled the list down to 15 suppli- said in the April 2015 Postal Record, includes specifications for the next- ers, determined to be prequalified, to “We have had weekly meetings with the generation delivery vehicle.” submit proposals to develop prototype Postal Service to discuss various city Details of what is expected in the vehicles. In October 2015, USPS gave delivery issues, such as what should be vehicles have emerged, based on the those 15 suppliers access to the pro- included in a new vehicle. Our main ob- requirements USPS has put forward. cessing and delivery environment and jective is to ensure that any new vehicle One requirement: Letter carriers must employees, and asked them to submit is safe, ergonomic and as convenient as be able to stand up in the vehicle proposals for vehicles designed for possible for letter carriers, and accom- and walk to the rear of the vehicle, USPS’ delivery needs. modates the work we do now and will do where more room for packages is As part of that process, NALC selected

in the future.” expected. three letter carriers to provide detailed, t

August 2017 The Postal Record 13 Motorcycle, circa 1911 Parcel Post truck, 1913 Automobile, circa 1914 Automobile, 1930

unsuccessful—the company, which were used for mail delivery by ally rendered hand-sorting of mail by had a history of vigorous anti-union rural carriers in the 1940s. In the 1950s, traveling clerks obsolete. The last HPO activities, fired all the striking drivers.) right-hand drive models were in- rolled between Cincinnati and Cleve- Within a few years, the Post Office troduced for city carriers on suburban land on June 30, 1974. Dept. began buying its own trucks routes. Jeeps remained in general use In the 1950s, the Post Office Dept. instead of relying on contract trucks through the late 1980s. began fully motorizing city delivery and drivers. One of the advantages of In 1941, Highway Post Offices routes. Using motor vehicles, letter postal-owned trucks was their versa- (HPOs)—essentially outfitted as carriers could deliver more mail, more tility. Whereas the use of contracted portable post offices—made their first quickly. vehicles was restricted to precise appearance when a route was estab- The right-hand drive Zip Van, one of contract terms, postal-owned trucks lished between Washington, DC, and the first large vehicles designed specifi- could fill needs as they arose. Thus, Harrisonburg, VA, serving more than cally for city carriers, allowed a carrier the same vehicle could be used to col- 20 intermediate post offices. HPOs to drive while standing up and easily lect and dispatch mail, transport mail were similar in function to railway post deliver mail and packages. between facilities, deliver Parcel Post, offices. Like railway mail clerks aboard The Westcoaster mailster was intro- and even transport letter carriers to trains, clerks on board HPOs sorted duced in the early 1950s. With a top their delivery routes, saving the cost of mail en route for transfer to post offices safe speed of 35 mph, it was a cross streetcar fare. The largest of the trucks and connecting routes. The number between a mail van and a motorcyle. could carry 15 employees and was used of HPOs peaked in 1959, at 172. The The strange vehicle soon showed its primarily to transport letter carriers to spread of mechanized mail-sorting limits. Many letter carriers disliked their routes. facilities in the 1960s and 1970s gradu- the mailsters because they were hard

thorough input on the design ideas let- American made, the NALC will voice that suggestions. Even as the carriers were ter carriers need: Amanda Greer of St. as its preference. making suggestions, the design team Paul, MN Branch 28; Reed Ordoyne of “Half of the prototypes will feature was contacting suppliers to see about Houma-Thibodaux-Lockport, LA Branch hybrid and new technologies, includ- incorporating the modifications. 2464; and Derrick Williams of St. Louis ing alternative fuel capabilities,” USPS’ Brennan said that when testing be- Branch 343. press release said. “The prototypes gins, it is expected to go on for 12 to 18 Last September, the Postal Service will represent a variety of vehicle sizes months. “We like to test those vehicles awarded contracts to six suppliers: and drive configurations, in addition to in different climates and different topog- advanced powertrains and a range of raphy and the like,” she said. USPS will • AM General LLC of South Bend, IN hybrid technologies.” • Karsan Otomotive Sanayii ve Ticaret “The testing, we anticipate, will A.S. of Bursa, Turkey begin [in the] fall of 2017,” Postmaster • Mahindra North American Technical General Megan Brennan told the House Center Inc. of Troy, MI Committee on Oversight and Govern- • Oshkosh HD LLC of Oshkosh, WI ment Reform in a Feb. 7 hearing. “The • Corp. of Bristol, IN suppliers have one year in which to • VT Hackney Inc. of Washington, NC develop the prototypes.” These six are expected to produce a As part of the building of the proto- total of 50 prototype vehicles as part types, one company brought Ordoyne of the next phase. The suppliers can and Greer to its facilities in Milton subcontract with additional suppliers, Keynes, England, where the carriers Postmaster General Megan Brennan testified if necessary. While there is no require- inspected a prototype and gave the before the House Oversight committee in ment that the vehicles be union or design team their impressions and February on the vehicle procurement process.

14 The Postal Record August 2017 Automobile, 1930 Jeep, circa 1950 , 1953 Mailster, 1964 Zip Van, circa 1964

to maneuver in snow or wind, prone simulate the demands of mail delivery. to tipping and offered little protection For 24,000 miles, they were driven over in crashes. They became known as potholes, starting, stopping and carry- Vehicular safety “Westcoasters” because they worked ing heavy loads over and over. resources well only in areas with consistently The Grumman/GM vehicle came out fair weather. The number of mailsters the winner. The Postal Service ordered Director of Safety and Health in use peaked in 1966, at about 17,700. 99,150 LLVs costing $1.1 billion, the Manuel Peralta Jr. has put By the early 1970s, they largely were largest vehicle order ever placed by the extensive resources on ve- replaced by the Jeeps that many rural agency. The Long Life Vehicles were hicle concerns on the NALC carriers already used. produced in Grumman’s Montgomery, Today, most city carriers drive a PA, plant. During the height of produc- website at www.nalc.org/ Long Life Vehicle (LLV), one of the tion, the company was producing 100 workplace-issues/safety- first postal vehicles designed from the postal trucks a day. and-health. Topics include ground up for postal use. In the 1980s, The last LLV rolled off the assembly vehicle fires, park points, the Postal Service invited manufac- line in 1994. While it has bought and turers to build prototypes for testing. used various off-the-shelf trucks and maintenance issues and Three finalists built by Poveco, Ameri- vans since then while trying to main- much more. can Motors and jointly by Grumman tain the aging LLV fleet, the Postal and (GM) competed at Service now is searching for the next a track in Laredo, TX, in 1985. The test generation postal vehicle to replace vehicles were put through the paces to the LLV. PR

test each prototype for six months on incurring these costs to keep them on the to assess the delivery fleet mix,” the a three-week rotating basis in Arizona, road,” she said. “So the sooner we can agency said. and Northern Virginia. get this bill passed, the sooner we can get During the February hearing, Post- The tests will help determine which an outcome from the [Postal Regulatory master General Brennan told the House vehicle is the most cost efficient and Commission’s] 10-year price review, and committee that the proposals were which design elements of each best fit again it’s incumbent upon management to still out and that USPS was prepared to letter carrier work. continue to do our part to control costs. explore this option. “We’d look at the life-cycle costs,” “We’ve made no decisions on pro- “We’ll do our due diligence, depend- she said. “We’ll also look at, certainly duction,” she said. “We’re merely in a ing on how large that potential supplier fuel efficiency, and ensure we have prototype testing phase.” pool is, but we’d want to move with industry-best standard with safety pace, given the need,” she said. features and the like. And obviously, Off-the-shelf and other She also explained that there could the efficiency for our employees to be potential options be a third option. “In addition to the able to maneuver safely in the back of In September, USPS also announced Next Generation Delivery Vehicle and the vehicle.” it was looking for proposals for com- now the commercial off-the-shelf solu- But Brennan was quick to apply the mercial off-the-shelf, right-hand drive tion we’ll evaluate, we have a bridge brakes to questions about when the delivery vehicles. strategy where we typically replaced fleet of LLVs would be replaced, primar- “The Postal Service seeks to explore in the past, say in the last two years, ily due to funding concerns and the a wide variety of available options up to 12,000 vehicles at a time,” need for postal reform legislation. during this research phase, and will she said. “Again, the decision will be “We’ve deferred [replacing the LLVs] evaluate any commercial off-the-shelf made based on available funding and and it’s why the vehicles are beyond vehicles proposed as a result of this certainly based on supplier ability to their expected lifespan and it’s why we’re [request for proposals] as we continue provide the vehicles for us.” PR

August 2017 The Postal Record 15 Car and Carrier

Old postal vehicles finding new lives or many letter carriers, at the end of the day, we’re happy to get out of our postal vehicles. But at F the same time, the old vans and trucks often bring back fond memories. Some retirees even buy old vehicles to restore them to their glory; others take out the welding torch and construct entirely new and fun vehicular inven- tions out of them. Most Americans, letter carriers or not, feel nostalgia and love for postal vehicles, and some find new uses for them long after their mail days are over. Many a food truck, plumber’s van or private delivery vehicle (including many used by rural carriers) were once driven by a city carrier. In this issue of The Postal Record, we take a look at a few retired postal Frank Haines’ 1963 vehicles that found new life after their Zip Van delivery days ended. Zipping around again buying a 1963 Studebaker Zip Van like The Zip Van had two gas pedals. The one on the one he once drove on the job. top operates like a normal gas pedal. The le- ver on the floor operates by sliding to the left. After losing both his wife and a “I sat around my house feeling sorry daughter to cancer, retired Derby, CT for myself,” he said, “and then I said, Branch 109 carrier Frank Haines filled ‘You know what? I have to get out and his life with pleasant memories by do something. I need a hobby.’ ” In 2008, Haines happened on an ad in a magazine featuring the Zip Van and was smitten. He loved it so much that he flew to Oregon to buy it at auction and took it garage door-style back door and no home to Connecticut on door on the left side. With two gas a trailer. pedals and a highly adjustable seat, a The Zip Van went letter carrier could drive the Zip either into service just after seated or standing. Haines started carrying The Zip Van is powered by a 170-cc the mail for the Post overhead six-cylinder 112-horsepower Office Dept. (POD) in engine and a Warner three-speed auto- Seymour, CT, in 1962. matic transmission. At 143 inches long, Haines with his new The Zip was right-hand with an 84-inch wheelbase and a gross renovation project: a ’50s-era Mailster. drive with a sliding door vehicle weight of 4,350 pounds, the Zip on the driver’s side, a Van isn’t a race car or a long-distance

16 The Postal Record August 2017 ride. Haines drives it only to local car a Zip Van at an international show pan was rusted, but it wasn’t anything shows or around town. for 25 years. It isn’t perfect, but I don’t that couldn’t be fixed,” she said. Then “It’s a very slow truck,” he said. want to make it perfect.” came modifications, including swap- “Even when they were brand new, they At a 100th anniversary celebration of ping out the original 2.5 liter General didn’t go very fast. They were made for the opening of the Seymour Post Office Motors Iron Duke four-cylinder engine stopping 500 times a day.” this year, Haines’ van made a perfect for a 305 small-block V8, The POD bought 4,238 Zip Vans centerpiece for the memorabilia on rebuilding the 904 transmis- and kept them running into the early display. sion, adding a new rear end capable of 1970s. They were likely named to echo Haines is building on his hobby—he hauling ice cream carts and installing the new Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) recently bought a 1950s-era Westcoast- an on-board ice cream freezer. code system that the department er mailster, a one-seat, three-wheel de- Unlike a standard “dingaling” ice had just introduced, with the help of livery vehicle that was more cart than cream truck that drives through neighbor- cartoon character “Mr. Zip” to promote truck. He plans to restore it, but it will hoods selling treats, Moonie Icy Tunes it. Haines carries a plywood sign bear- take more work than the Zip Van did. caters events such as birthday parties, ing Mr. Zip’s image to car shows. The Whether at shows or just driving picnics and business meetings. “That plates on Haines’ van, MRZIP, have through his town, everyone loves the Zip little ice cream Jeep holds more than caused locals who see him driving it to Van. “I get very good reactions,” Haines 1,200 pieces of ice cream,” Crosetto said. bestow the nickname on him. said “I got very lucky to find one.” Having been stored on a farm in the Sharon Crosetto with high desert of Oregon where rainfall Frozen delivery her restored Jeep DJ-5. is scarce, the van required very little restoration. Many a Seattle-area child, and plen- “The body was in great shape,” ty of grown-ups, cheer when they see he said, “which was good, because I the Moonie Icy Tunes ice cream truck. don’t know anything about fabricating The premium ice cream caterer deliv- steel—I’m just an old mailman.” ers its frozen product in a refurbished Haines estimates that his truck is right-hand drive postal Jeep DJ. about 98 percent original. The only Owner Sharon Crosetto bought the major restoration work required was 1982 American General Jeep DJ-5, a rebuilding the engine. Haines and his version of the original postal Jeep son-in-law removed the engine and introduced in 1965, from a private left the rebuilding to a professional. seller. First she had to fix standard The seat belt—the Zip Van was the first wear and tear, such as rust. “The floor postal truck to have them—is the original. It also was the Crosetto uses the restored Jeep first postal vehicle to have to deliver premium ice cream. a backup alarm, which still works in his truck. Even the decals on the dashboard are original. When an international Studebaker show came to nearby Rhode Island last year, Haines took his van to it. De- spite all the gleaming, perfect- ly restored, fancy on display, Haines’ utilitarian postal van won the prize for best truck. “I was blown away,” he said. “They told me they hadn’t seen

August 2017 The Postal Record 17 Using an old vehicle takes Crosetto’s customers back to their childhood. Jim Bye and his postal rat rod. “People want that nostalgia and the memories of what they had as a kid,” have trouble using the right-hand drive, even keeps his old satchel and a few she said. But unlike many of the ice though—“I don’t think it’s a big deal.” boxes with fake mail inside for added cream trucks that ply the streets, A self-described car person, Crosetto effect. Crosetto’s Jeep serves fancier treats, in- keeps up with other fans of postal ve- Despite its speedway style, the cluding desserts for adults with names hicles. “People who are into the postal vehicle is street legal and Bye likes to like “flute limoncello” (served in a Jeeps are really into them,” she said. drive it around town. As an unexpect- champagne glass) or “coppa pistachio ed postal vehicle, the rat rod attracts crema,” along with premium ice cream Hottest mail jeep ever attention. “You can’t go anywhere sandwiches, popsicles and other without drawing a crowd,” Bye said. novelties that kids love and adults One guy who is really into his postal Jeep has turned it into something alto- “It’s a hit at cruise-ins, car shows and remember from childhood. gether different. parades.” “The Jeep is very popular in the Se- Retired letter carrier Jim Bye of Unlike many owners of cars, attle-Tacoma area,” she said. Crosetto Camillus, NY, bought an old Jeep DJ-5 Bye welcomes people to touch or get often serves clients hosting meetings on eBay and transformed it into a in the rat rod. “Climb right in there in a nearby convention center. “We head-turning postal hot rod—or rather, and put the mailbag over your shoul- bring the Jeep right inside the build- a “rat rod,” exaggerating its original der and take your picture,” he tells ing,” she said, “because she’s so cute design. them. “Most of these cars that are at and clean and she doesn’t leak oil.” “It was in pretty rough shape, but it shows have a $40,000 paint job and The Jeep is high-tech, too. Crosetto was going to be a rat rod, so that didn’t people don’t want anyone breathing brought her experience working with the matter,” Bye said. “After knocking on them, let alone touching them. But Microsoft automotive group to her ice some of the dents out of it, we removed I say climb right in there, I’ll take your cream business. “I knew that the general the body and welded up the frame.” picture, because it’s a rat rod and you public was still looking for the nostalgic The body is original but the front can’t hurt it. It’s a fun vehicle.” memories of an ice cream truck,” she and rear are fabricated—the front end Despite a modest investment, Bye’s said, “but the business had to change is an open “speedway”-style compart- creation won accolades at the Syracuse and soon the technology took over. ment with a two-inch drop showing off Nationals auto show. “Although it’s not “The ice cream Jeep has its own wi-fi a 292-cubic inch, six-cylinder engine fancy, it was picked as one of the top 100 hotspot, so we take full advantage of from a 1985 GMC truck. cars out of 8,500,” he said. “It just goes more than a handful of car computing “It has zoomy pipes with motorcycle to show you that you don’t have to spend technologies to help run the business baffles in them, but it still rumbles $45,000 to have a car people want to more efficiently,” she said. pretty good,” said Bye, a member of see. If I said I have $5,000 in this car, I’d The Moonie Icy Tunes Jeep is tracked, Syracuse, NY Branch 134. He built his probably be overestimating.” too. “GPS navigation and Bluetooth are own pickup box and combined it with Bye recently capitalized on the of course a necessity these days to run the rear end from a American Motors attention at the auto show to benefit a delivery-based business,” she said. Gremlin, adding distinctive Mickey the Muscular Dystrophy Association “How fast are my drivers going, where Thompson tires in the back to com- (MDA), NALC’s official charity. His they are, et cetera.” She even monitors plete the look. branch set up a booth next to the car the freezer temperature remotely to Bye’s rat rod proudly sports a Postal and asked for donations, raising more ensure quality. Service paint scheme and related lo- than $4,800 in three days. Even though her Jeep isn’t used to sell gos—the current USPS logo on the left “I built it as homage to my postal ice cream in the street, it still has the side and the older one on the right. It career,” he said. “I had a great time be- original right-hand drive from its postal sports the original postal paint scheme ing a letter carrier, made a lot of good days. Crosetto said her employees rarely of white with red and blue stripes. Bye friends and fun memories.” PR

18 The Postal Record August 2017