Snail Mail; An Article

"Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available" (whoistheleader2) 08/11/2020 at 15:37 • Filed to: snail mail

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What were the all time greats of postal delivery fleets? After the horse was superseded by the far superior and usually less smelly automobile of course.

There is the classic Jeep DJ5 and the venerable Grumman LLV, about to be superceded by the mediocre and overpriced Mercedes Metris. But what about before that? This article is a good overview, but I had difficulty finding a comprehensive history in my five minutes of googling. 

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There have also been many failures; vehicles tested and found wanting. How the Ram Promaster has not become one of those I do not know.

What do you know, Oppo?

PowderHound > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/11/2020 at 16:07

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A lot of the routes I have lived around, the mail carrier uses more of a personal vehicle instead of the LLV. Back at my parents it was a RHD subaru wagon, current carrier uses a DJ-5? (I don’t know, it’s a RHD Jeep), and a friends dad delivered in an old buick with a bench seat that he sat in the middle of driving with the left foot and reaching out the passenger window to deliver.

There is one of those commuter electric cars for sale around here if you want to make a replica. I t’s listed in race cars which is hilarious :

https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/60784809

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > PowderHound 08/11/2020 at 16:26

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I don't believe I have ever seen a normal vehicle but RHD being used to deliver mail. Or even a normal vehicle. It's all LLVs. 

onlytwowheels > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/11/2020 at 16:26

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My earliest mem ories of mail delivery vehicles is an International Scout.

https://octanepress.com/content/international-harvester-scout-automatically-postal-truck

Dead_Elvis, Inc. > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/11/2020 at 16:59

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RHD Subarus (& non-DJ Jeeps) are typically used by rural route carriers  serving larger, sparsely populated areas, especially if there’s highway driving involved.

http://www.rightdrivejeeps4postal.com/list.php

I’ve seen far more RHD Wranglers serving this purpose than any of the Jeeps listed on that site.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Dead_Elvis, Inc. 08/11/2020 at 17:28

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Huh, that is really strange. The old Grummans were really made for suburban deliveries without large stretches of highway so can understand why a different vehicle would be beneficial. Why a Wrangler though?

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > onlytwowheels 08/11/2020 at 17:52

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Fa sci nating. IH was really close to getting that bid. Sure would have helped poor AMC. 

Dead_Elvis, Inc. > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/11/2020 at 23:50

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C ommon & cheap  in 1970s/80s rural New England.