Huffman: “Our nation’s largest civilian fleet should serve as a global leader in efficiency and innovation”
WASHINGTON—Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), joined by Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), today introduced a bill to help modernize the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) inefficient and outdated vehicle fleet. The Federal Leadership in Energy Efficient Transportation (FLEET) Act of 2014 (H.R. 3963) would require the USPS to reduce their petroleum consumption by 2% each year over the next 10 years. This Act will increase cost savings by reducing expenditures on petroleum fuel and maintenance and sets benchmarks to make the USPS fleet a global leader in efficiency and innovation. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, implementation of the FLEET Act would save the Postal Service an estimated 150 million gallons of fuel over the next ten years—about $400 million.
The Postal Service owns and operates the world’s largest civilian vehicle fleet: 192,000 mail delivery vehicles that are driven 4.3 million miles per day. More than 141,000 are aging Grumman LLVs, which average only 10 miles per gallon. This vehicle first entered service in 1987, and the majority have reached the end of their 24-year operational lifespan. Fueling these vehicles comes at a high cost: in FY 2010, the petroleum fuel bill for all postal transportation totaled $1.7 billion. And, since 2005, the Postal Service has marked a 6.4% increase in petroleum use.
“The Postal Service is crippled by an inefficient, outdated fleet, and the vast majority of these vehicles are reaching the end of their operational lives,” Congressman Huffman said. “The FLEET Act will help us invest in a modern, efficient Postal Service fleet. Our nation’s largest civilian fleet should serve as a global leader in efficiency and innovation.”
Huffman also spoke about the FLEET Act on the House floor earlier this month
The FLEET Act sets minimum fuel economy and tailpipe standards for the purchase of new vehicles. Under this bill, all newly purchased vehicles would be required to have an average fuel economy of 34.1 mpg and emissions of carbon dioxide may not exceed, on average, 250 grams per mile, bringing the Postal Service in line with industry average requirements set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.
While the rest of the federal fleet is making critical strides to reduce petroleum consumption, the Postal Service is exempt from an Executive Order signed by President Obama in 2009 requiring the federal vehicle fleet to reduce petroleum use by 30 percent by 2020.
The FLEET Act also provides tools to help cover the cost of upgrading their fleets. The Act allows the Postal Service to enter into Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs), public-private partnerships between the USPS and private companies to improve and implement efficiency programs while paying for the measures with the anticipated savings over time. ESPCs are routinely used by the Department of the Army, Department of Energy, and other federal agencies.
A summary of the FLEET Act may be found below:
Requires the United States Postal Service (USPS) to reduce their petroleum consumption by 2% every year over the next 10 years, saving an estimated $400 million, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Sets minimum fuel efficiency and tailpipe emission standards for all new fleet vehicles (34.1 mpg, CO2 emissions may not exceed, on average, 250 grams per mile,)
USPS shall incorporate new technologies into postal routes that increase fuel economy or reduce tailpipe emissions. The use of new technologies shall be used to inform purchasing decisions.
USPS must replace old vehicles that require large amounts of costly unscheduled maintenance.
USPS is provided some funding tools to help cover the cost of upgrading their fleet, such as Energy Savings Performance Contracts.
USPS must report to Congress annually on their progress.
“Despite having to rely upon an aging fleet of vehicles desperately in need of repair or replacement, the USPS continues to change to meet its demand for increased deliveries and a growing parcel market. However, to be able to adequately meet these needs in the future and best serve the American Public we are in need of a new modern fleet of vehicles, one which can handle increased volume of mail and parcels and reduce fuel costs,” said John Beaumont, President, California State Association of Letter Carriers.
“U.S. Postal Service vehicles travel millions of miles delivering the mail. All Americans will benefit from reduced carbon pollution and lower costs when mail carriers drive the most efficient possible vehicles. And all drivers will benefit when the Postal Service is using its buying power to help automakers push the technological boundaries and supply those vehicles. Federal leadership on high-efficiency fleets is another way that the Postal Service can save money, reduce carbon pollution, and deliver for the American people,” said Gina Coplon-Newfield, Director of Future Fleet and Electric Vehicles Initiative, Sierra Club.
“The postal service operates one of the world’s largest vehicle fleets. Reducing fuel use from its 200,000 vehicles — which travel more than a billion miles a year — is a great way to cut our oil consumption,” said David Cooke, vehicles analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “This is an excellent opportunity for Congressman Huffman and his colleagues to save taxpayers money and reduce global warming emissions. Overall, better transportation policy could cut our projected oil consumption in half over the next twenty years. This bill is a step in the right direction. ”
“By encouraging the U.S. Postal Service to operate a more fuel-efficient fleet, the FLEET Act would cut the service’s operating costs and reduce its carbon pollution. This is a win-win proposition. And Congress should deliver, “said Franz A. Matzner, Associate Director of Government Affairs, Natural Resources Defense Council.
The FLEET Act has been endorsed by the following organizations: The California State Association of Letter Carriers, Union of Concerned Scientists, National Resource Defense Council (NRDC), the Sierra Club, and the Federal Performance Contracting Coalition (FPCC)
A transcript of Congressman Huffman’s speech on the House Floor may be found below:
“Thank you Madam Speaker.
Improving the fuel efficiency of our cars and trucks is one of the most important things that we can do to fight climate change.
And thanks to an Executive Order signed by President Obama, the federal vehicle fleet is becoming more efficient. By 2020, it will reduce petroleum use by 30 percent, saving money and cleaning the air.
But the United States Postal Service—which owns and operates the world’s largest civilian fleet—is exempt from this critical effort and is headed in the wrong direction on fossil fuel consumption.
141,000 of their vehicles, nearly three quarters of their delivery fleet, are aging Grumman LLVs, the old mail truck we see in our neighborhoods every day. Most get less than 10 miles per gallon and they’re reaching the end of their operational lifespan. To save money and cut emissions, the Postal Service desperately needs a modern, efficient fleet.
And that’s why I am introducing the FLEET Act—Federal Leadership in Energy Efficient Transportation—to close the fuel efficiency gap between the Postal Service and other modern fuel-efficient fleets.
A quarter of our nation’s greenhouse gases are emitted in the transportation sector. It’s time to take our worst fleet and make it into our best fleet.”
I definitely support this new bill proposal. Honestly, I’m quite surprised to hear that USPS isn’t already using fleet vehicles (or effective ones anyway). Many businesses have adopted fleet trucks to increase productivity, cut costs, and to be more eco-friendly. Perhaps if USPS follows suit, they won’t have half as many financial problems. It would certainly be a step in the right direction for them.
So how much money is Congress giving the post office to modernize the fleet?
The thing these geniuses fail to realize and take into account is that these vehicles are used to deliver mail. This entails driving to the mail route and then either delivering a route that is “mounted(curbside)” or “park and loop” delivery. Mounted delivery consists of driving from mailbox to mailbox, stopping at each one and then heading to the next box often a few hundred feet away. This is far worse than city driving when considering gas mileage. Park and loop style delivery is where the carrier drives to the route, parks the vehicle on the street and then walks from house to house making delivers. The carrier then returns to the vehicle and drives it around the corner to the next street and repeats this procedure multiple times until the route is completed. Start/stop, start/stop…. equals poor gas mileage regardless of what vehicle is being used. Drive your Prius like that and see what kind of mileage you get.
The eastern Area and WPA district is known for this Scott: That’s what happens when leadership is filled through ass kissing, nepotism and the buddy system rather than actual qualification. Like so much industry, the truly productive worker is left on the workroom floor, the factory line or out on the streets to get the critical work done because without them incompetent and corrupt managers have no job. They’re freeloaders in the worst sense.
They do only get ten or less to the gallon, and this includes a good mix of highway miles. My route is 37 miles a day, half of which is at 55 miles an hour, to get to and from my route. I’ve been monitoring my mileage for a year now, and thought something must be wrong, or, the gearing is set up that way. Hard to believe a 4 cyl. engine would be designed to do so poorly on fuel.
If this congress had not passed the PAEA of 2006 that requires USPS to make annual payments of $5 billion to the US treasury, then the postal service would have been able to start replacing the LLVs right on the schedule. RFPs would have gone out in 2008 or 2008 and the first of the new vehicles would have gone in to service in 2012.
If this same congressman had not voted for the PAEA of 2006 that requires USPS to make annual payments of $5 billion to the US treasury, then the postal service would have been able to start replacing the LLVs right on the schedule. RFPs would have gone out in 2008 or 2008 and the first of the new vehicles would have gone in to service in 2012.
Reduce vehicle need by operating cost effective by eliminating 6 day street delivery. UPS loves to deal in logistics and has business plan to get most return for dollars spent which includes no Sat. delivery for standard delivery. Delivery outside normal operating procedure cost customer and not the company. USPS operating in a business realm such as this would result in breaking a costly has been tradition. DUH politicians in general play post office. Issa should be CEO of the USPS and use economic principals to determine services not political tradition that went out with Barney and Mayberry 60 years ago.
So I did a little research and found the LLVs are about 2700 lbs. This is very light for a vehicle with so much room. They can carry as much as 1000 of cargo (including passenger). City MPG is 16, Highway 18.
The body is aluminum and these vehicles are very sparse. On many of these vehicles the heater and defroster do not work at the same time. It is one or the other.
So I agree with dennis, where is the money coming from to replace 140,000 LLVs? If the new vehicle is to have the same safety construction as other vehicles on the road, what will the new weight be? Currenly LLVs have no crumple zone, antilock brakes, or air bags.
I have nothing to say. But if I was to say something I would say Study the facts before opening Your mouth Mr Congressman. Postal Vehicles may be the only vehicle that is driven the way it is. The LLV has more than paid back what was spent on it. Everyone should be trying to save on the Fuel Bill But the Post Office has a twisted way of figuring things.How about lets include the Contractors in on the Math. Oh! now things change, Don`t they ?
It’s been suggested many times before. The right hand drive ford transit connect has been in use in Europe since about 2006 in an all electric version. Get an agreement with ford to manufacture them for us here in the usa and this goal will be easily achievable.
If Congressional action is what it takes to replace this decrepit and dangerous fleet so be it. LLV’s were fine for a while, but one thing that was inexcusable and cost millions due to ignorance on the Grumman design and the Service’s accepting it is an improper front end alignment that features a front axle that is shorter than the rear, causing the tires to skid as the vehicle turns, ruining tires in about three months time. Plus, they are terrors to drive on slick roads even with chains due partly to the bad alignment and almost always threadbare tread.
LLV’s slip out of gear, whether they’re parked and shut off or not. They blast huge clouds of black smoke when you start them, backfire and go through starters and radiators like a kid goes through a bag of potato chips. Appearance wise, the decals are worn off, there are the inevitable scrapes and scuffs and the insides are usually filthy with piss poor ventilation. It’s embarrassing to drive these pieces of shit. They are a terrible public image of the Service. UPS and FedEx routinely update their fleets, while the USPS’ fleet looks like junkyard rejects.
The USPS could save millions over time with smarter more efficient vehicles, but the short sightedness that makes them legendary has forced Congress to act because the USPS can’t manage anything without thoroughly screwing it up. That’s what happens when leadership is filled through ass kissing, nepotism and the buddy system rather than actual qualification. Like so much industry, the truly productive worker is left on the workroom floor, the factory line or out on the streets to get the critical work done because without them incompetent and corrupt managers have no job. They’re freeloaders in the worst sense.
Where is are the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ coming from?
10 MPG on a 4 cylinder engine? i’m not sure anyone should trust gov’t figures.
piece of cake, another big bonus
These rocket scientists that call themselfs “Congressmen” do not realize that an LLV is not a small car. The best milage a replacement would get with current technology might be somewhere around 20 miles to the gallon. This vehicle would have so little power it is unlikely you would want to take it on the freeway.
Maybe these gentlemen should talk to engineers at one of the Big Three before opening their big mouths.