I am a USPS rural carrier and i believe the post office would be more efficient and reliable if they provided all carriers with Vehicles.We would have less trouble staffing routes and retaining employees since carriers would not be required to provide a vehicle.

In my opinion I would much rather have a vehicle provided to deliver the route. After years of using my own vehicle and being in offices where carriers have to provide their own it puts an added layer of stress to the job that is not quite worth the compensation in my opinion.

I personally can’t imagine doing my 73 mile rural route without my AWD POV and the ability to choose my own winter tires. I get a lot of ice and snow on my gravel roads and some of them are shaded with trees on both sides and usually don’t thaw out until March. I’m more than happy with the EMA arrangement we have currently. I don’t think that the post office will save money deploying government vehicles to these remote routes, especially the Metris vans, because from what I understand the maintenance isn’t done in house so they will have to go back to Mercedes Benz every time they have an issue. These vans weren’t designed with remote rural roads in mind and I think it would be a mistake to keep deploying these. The safest vehicle for long rural routes are AWD or 4x4 SUVs with snow tires.

I have been a rural carrier for 15 years. I drove an LLV for two years on my previous route and the LLV was so much more efficient. I also had chains in the winter and was always able to deliver all my mail and packages. Also a big plus with the LLV is that if you break down or have to wait on service, you build O day time. I am currently on a POV route. For years I drove two old jeep cherokees and was always stressed--not knowing when I would break down-- not knowing if I would be able to finish the route --always having to call tow trucks (or my husband if he was home), and then not being able to find parts to fix them. Paid out way more than what I earned in EMA and I always felt penalized when I was broke down because I couldn't subtract that time--ended up with 9 and 10 hour days! I finally had to buy a new jeep wrangler and although I do not have the stress of breaking down, I do have the financial stress of payments and general maintenance.

I have two cars currently in the shop. One because it's hard to find the proper part, the other is going to cost quite a bit of $$ due to lack of used parts (nothing new at all). By the end of this month, I'd be spending ~$7600 keeping these things running just to have my job. That's a little under 1/2 my entire yearly EMA, and if I include gas I'll have ~$3500 the rest of the entire YEAR (and it's only February) for tires, brakes, suspension, etc. @ ~80 miles a day, there's a pretty good chance I won't be keeping a POV route because it'll be impossible to keep a vehicle running within the EMA allowance.

Also, I did have a Metris on an Aux route last year. Completely useless in any non-perfect road conditions. No traction, no weight, a turbo that spins out all grave/dirt mailbox areas.

I have been a Rural Carrier for 27 years. 15 years I drove my POV (Personally Owned Vehicle) and 20 of those years were as a As Needed Driver Safety Instructor. In my area management did a horrible job deploying over 300 Mercedes Metris RHD vans. Headquarters chose and created a list of Rural Routes for these vehicles to be assigned. Drivers Training created a spreadsheet of the chosen routes, pulled training records of all assigned carries and Operations instructed us NOT to deviate from the list. As we trained the Regular Rural Carrier assigned the Metris, the VMF was notified to deploy the vehicles to the assigned Rural Route. Managers/Postmasters were given the chance for at least two RCA'S that knew these routes to be trained to help with scheduling issues. Our VMF got behind on deploying vehicles after about 4-5 weeks. RHD Mercedes Metris vans began to pile up in the Processing Facility parking lot. Soon Drivers Training started to receive phone calls from Post Offices on our deployment list and not on our list. The VMF took it upon themselves to deploy vehicles. Now Post Offices in this area do not have the correct number of vehicles. Some Rural Routes who were supposed to get vehicles have not received them and vice-versa. Post Masters and Managers have also not assigned some of these vehicles to any routes and are using them as spares for Rural and City Routes. So EMA is still being paid out, some offices who were anticipating getting vehicles don't have them. No one seems to care. So, in reading the article I do not agree the Postal Service's strategy to permanently assign GOVs to EMA routes was generally effective for this district. The Metris is a fair weather vehicle and with more RHD vehicles assigned to Rural Routes it most definitely will help with RCA's retention rates.

I have been a Rural Carrier for 27 years. 15 years I drove my POV (Personally Owned Vehicle) and 20 of those years were as a As Needed Driver Safety Instructor. In my area management did a horrible job deploying over 300 Mercedes Metris RHD vans. Headquarters chose and created a list of Rural Routes for these vehicles to be assigned. Drivers Training created a spreadsheet of the chosen routes, pulled training records of all assigned carries and Operations instructed us NOT to deviate from the list. As we trained the Regular Rural Carrier assigned the Metris, the VMF was notified to deploy the vehicles to the assigned Rural Route. Managers/Postmasters were given the chance for at least two RCA'S that knew these routes to be trained to help with scheduling issues. Our VMF got behind on deploying vehicles after about 4-5 weeks. RHD Mercedes Metris vans began to pile up in the Processing Facility parking lot. Soon Drivers Training started to receive phone calls from Post Offices on our deployment list and not on our list. The VMF took it upon themselves to deploy vehicles. Now Post Offices in this area do not have the correct number of vehicles. Some Rural Routes who were supposed to get vehicles have not received them and vice-versa. Post Masters and Managers have also not assigned some of these vehicles to any routes and are using them as spares for Rural and City Routes. So EMA is still being paid out, some offices who were anticipating getting vehicles don't have them. No one seems to care. So, in reading the article I do not agree the Postal Service's strategy to permanently assign GOVs to EMA routes was generally effective for this district. The Metris is a fair weather vehicle and with more RHD vehicles assigned to Rural Routes it most definitely will help with RCA's retention rates.

Worked as a youth on RFD's. Father was a postmaster. Cost effectiveness for USPS vehicles has generally been seen since the 60's when I helped with the routes. However in some terrains it can be less effective. depends on the circumstances.

Government vehicle would be best one caveat they need to be AWD. I just had snow on treacherous roads for a month in the mountains.
You can get most of your packages in a LLV or Van. You also have room for three trays in a Gov vehicle.
No worries for the carrier on maintenance. I had engine and a transmission replaced in same year. A lot of undo stress.
And lastly no more sitting in the middle or having to put in a conversion kit. I still have back pain from sitting in middle. Who can afford 2400 on a conversion. That eats up your EMA in a hurry when your an RCA.

I am a rural carrier in Florida. Route2 has a Metris van assigned to the route. Most of the route goes well, but there are some sugar sand roads where the Metris can get stuck. I drove it on my route (RT 1) once, and the only way to deliver it is at places where you know you will get stuck, you jump out, walk to the mailboxes and deliver. The Metris is not the answer for a truly rural route. We need AWD with good all terrain tires. I have a couple of old Jeep Cherokees that are factory RHD. It is difficult and expensive keeping them maintained, not to mention stressful. And you have to pay for your gas too. RCA's have a horrible time delivering from the middle, and having a vehicle that can get through dirt roads, mudholes etc. I have no RCA again because she can't provide a vehicle. I really love this job, but worrying about a vehicle is quite simply the most stressful part of this job. Bottom line is that the vehicle needs to conform to the requirements of the route. USPS tends to ignore that when acquiring vehicles for the rural side.

LLV’s are a must to keep new carriers. The new generation of young rural carriers have zero concept on using their own vehicles. New hires say no way and walk right out the door in a week. Plus, POVs are too small for todays parcel volume. Also, vehicles we used that had shifters in the steering column no longer really exist anymore. So yes, we need to go 100% postal provided vehicles for routes to help retention!

I have been a rural carrier for 27 years, and have seen what the city carriers use. I can not imagine delivering mail on rural roads in freezing rain and severe snowstorms in an LLV without chains, or van that doesn't at minimum have studded snow tires. When I first started, the LLVs had chains on them in the winter. Not now. In my office these vehicles are always having issues, from catching on fire to transmissions. Simply put, they are crap. The EMA is totally inadequate, but that is a seperate issue. The only way I would want a Gov vehicle if it was something four wheel drive outfitted in the winter with studded snow tires, such as a Honda Pilot or CRV

It is impossible to purchase a personal vehicle that can be driven from the passenger side UNLESS you can afford $30-50,000 for a RHD Jeep.
It is UNREALISTIC to expect a new hire to put out that kind of money.
Government vehicles are the only way to go. The carrier is behind the wheel, belted in not stretched across the front seat with their left foot pushing the gas and brake pedal. Government vehicles can have better signage and strobing lights to alert other drivers.

The postal service should do a better job of evaluating where they could receive the most benefit of placing a USPS vehicle versus a PV vehicle. Instead, they have just issued blanket statements of over 108 miles or under such such miles. Some rural routes are much tougher on a vehicle than others. I was assigned a Metris spring of 2021. First set of brakes went out at 5k miles. Next set of brakes & first set of tires wore out at 13k miles. I'm currently at 23k+ miles and brakes are starting to squeal plus a tire is wearing bad on 1 side. I estimate maybe another 2k to 3k miles before both will have to be replaced again. Then when it's time to service the Metris they have to tow it 2 hrs to the nearest facility. This also doesn't include wait time charged to the USPS on defrosting & tire problems on the route. The Metris will not go in inclement weather and it is a safery hazard during those times. The Metris is easy to deliver out of though. It is comfortable but the mail tray should be raised a couple inches. I can definitely see the benefits of placement on a lot of certain routes but I'm not sure they are going to hold up long term on rugged routes.

I'm a rural carrier serving a route with 114 miles, over 30 of those miles are gravel. I use my own vehicle and after hearing LLV and Metris horror stories, I'd like it to stay that way. I know my POV is safe and properly maintained. I can't trust a postal vehicle would be.

A GOV would be a huge improvement, however AWD or 4 wheel drive is an absolute necessity in a lot of areas. If you are just going to pass down the wore out old LLV's then done bother. Also, adequate cargo space is a must. For safety and visibility, windows, blind spots around the LLV are terrible.

What is cost effective? In order to purchase a commercial warranty on a vehicle, it needs to be new. And you will need a warranty. Over $40,000 out of pocket to do a job that pays just a little over that.

And why the metris? Why not ford's van in England? Or royal mails van? Or Honda or Toyota vans from Japan? Or Nissan truck from Australia? Why can't we use already in production RHD diesel vehicles that get 30-40mpg? UPS and FEDEX have no issue using these vans.

From my records. Using a POV cost me $2,700 a year out of pocket on a new vehicle. I can't imagine what it costs usps to run the metris let alone an llv.

Hello, I am a regular rural carrier and have been for almost 20 years. I have been driving a private owned vehicle for about 21 years and have been through several vehicles because of the wear and tear. I had the experience of driving a postal vehicle for about 2 years. Loved the idea of driving until the cut in pay took effect because of the EMA and because I had no choice to choose high option because of I was shy of the 10-year mark. While driving a private owned vehicle my credit cards have took a big jump because of so many repairs in order to get the mail delivered. I would prefer to drive a postal owned vehicle because I would not have to worry about the repairs, and it is much safer because most of have to straddle to deliver and less painful. I feel that more rcas would stay to do the job if they didn't have to worry about supplying their own vehicles for wear and tear. There are however some carriers that cannot afford to take that $10000 or more pay cut after having got in debt to do the repairs. I recently just bought a van and had the conversion kit put in it and because of amazon that is not even big enough for my route. If I didn't get the package help, there would be several days I would have to make a second trip.

Seems real fair even if your on a pov route you still get an LLv and keep the pay from your routes evaluation from 2018 for your route so cost effective lol your paying for an pov on a route that was counted as having a pov but letting them use an llv lol letter count was .0232 dps llv .0333 with pov

It’s hard to justify any savings at all when we are spending more in gas to drive all the increased Amazon packages to the door. We should be delivering their smaller packages to the mailboxes that we already deliver the mail to. I see Amazon pulling up to the same house I am at, at the same time and they have a small little spur and I’m dragging a mini fridge out of my truck! Makes NO sense especially when supreme gas is almost $4 a gallon!

I have done both types of routes. The biggest issue with the POV is the lack of appropriate and affordable vehicles. I am on a very rural route with harsh winters and need a 4wd or AWD. Using a RHD converted Jeep grand Cherokee now but with the increase in amazon (4 years since last mail count) it is no longer large enough to handle the package volume without multiple trips which involve a minimum of 15 minutes drive time to go back to the office. Providing an AWD van or minivan with RHD would be great for my route. There would still be some days where weather prohibits delivery but not that many. The biggest reason to provide government vehicles in to aid in hiring and retention of new employees. Not many people can afford to buy a vehicle large enough and capable of delivering out the right hand side on $19/hour for 1-2 days a week. The EMA reimbursement only covers costs if you have almost no breakdowns or can do some of your own maintenance. Plus it is paid after the fact so it take quite some time to save enough for a more appropriate vehicle.
The solution is simple, more GOV routes will equal more new hires and higher RCA retention. Provided the USPS actually gets vehicles that work in all climates. They may need some 4WD, some AWD and some can still be 2wd or front wheel drive. Common sense should be a guide here.

Rural Carrier is on the hook for vehicle insurance say 1000k to 2000k as a route vehicle & repairs tires 500 & general repairs. & maintenance brakes oil 1000k.
I'd say a no brainer to allow carrier to handle all that.
If a carrier receives 9000k in ema, I would guess its prolly close to a wash when factoring in above stated expenses. If the carrier has to replace their vehicle or has to pay for major repair transmission or engine then carrier exceeds the 9000k estimated ema in a given year. Fuel is approximately 4$ a gallon current times. id say 6000k for a 50mile a day route serviced days a week.

We need vehicles to keep subs, that can’t afford to buy a vehicle and insurance for a part time job. It’s dangerous to drive from the middle of a vehicle also. Something needs to be done

The problem is as a RCA getting hired they don’t have the funds to buy a right hand drive therefore when we hire new RCA’s we let them come in because we are desperate and give them a chance to buy a vehicle then they won’t do it we seem to cater to that as a rule carrier the pay for your vehicle maintenance allowance does not equal what we actually spend in the wear and tear of the gas and expenses that we put to our vehicles that is why I bid on a LLV route when it came available

If the Post Office is going to continue to deliver Amazon. They really need to supply vans for delivery. However the Metris is a total disaster in ice and snow.
The reality is there is no options for a rural carrier to deliver in but older cars and a few suvs. There is only 1 new right hand drive option available to us and its a 50k jeep.
About time for the Postal service to become a truly professional organization and supply vehicles to all delivery routes.