As of 2004, there were 188,613 delivery vehicles in service in the United States. These white vehicles are common neighborhood sights. We watch and wait as carriers use them to help bring us our share of the over 600,000,000 pieces of mail processed in the U.S. each day.
Photograph courtesy of Utilimaster.
In the 21st century, demands on postal vehicles remain great. A new set of challenges faces the postal service. Vehicles must not only be able to help carriers improve delivery service, but must also help the Postal Service lower their reliance on fossil fuels. The latest postal delivery vehicle is the Flexible Fuel Vehicle, or FFV, manufactured by Ford Motor Company, which has delivered 21,239 right-hand drive FFVs to the postal service. The vehicles use an Explorer SUV platform and a specially designed durable aluminum body from Utilimaster. They can be operated on 85% ethanol fuel, gas, or any combination of the two fuels in the same tank.
