Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe has been saying for three years that his agency is in danger of running out of money because of declining mail volume. And since bills and greeting cards continue to be delivered six days a week, it’s little surprise that Congress has largely ignored his call for sweeping postal reform legislation.
Now time may be running out. There are expensive projects that the USPS isn’t tending to because it doesn’t have the funds. The agency’s inspector general earlier this month that unless the USPS replaces its aging fleet of trucks, it might not be able to deliver mail throughout the country after 2017. The report didn’t attract much attention; the USPS is an agency awash in bad news. But this is something that lawmakers should pay closer attention to.
The USPS has nearly 190,000 vehicles, one of the largest fleets in the U.S. Of that number, according to the report, 142,000 are custom-built mail delivery trucks expected to last 24 years. Many are approaching or have passed their expiration date. The inspector general says the current fleet consists of delivery vans that are “now between 20 and 27 years old.”
How aging trucks could doom nationwide mail delivery – Businessweek
USPS Delivery Fleet Replacement
WUSPS seeking supplier for intermediate walk through body delivery trucks
IT lacks Air Conditioning too. OSHA passed a law last year stating restaurants have to have air conditioning in their kitchens if the temp gets too high. Well, it’s hotter inside these Postal trucks. I’ve had a digital device record the temp as high as 130 degrees on the floor board where the manifold is located. The Temp on the dash, out of the sun light has gotten as high as 118 degrees on a mild day. OSHA refuses to address the issue since we are a government agency. Management tells us to take breaks but not if you can’t get back to the office on time. So we roast.