I delivered mail as a Rural Carrier for 14 years. 7 in a POV, 7 with a LLV. I made more money using my own vehicle, per paycheck. You get paid a better rate on your DPS compared to when you deliver out of a LLV. The downside is all money you have to spend on maintaining your own vehicle, plus a back up vehicle too. I was very grateful to get a LLV. So even though were smaller I was better off. So yes it is cheaper for USPS to provide a LLV. The problem is rural routes are rough, you have hills, snow, and two lane state highways. It's not safe to out there sorting while driving box to box on a rural route. Trust me once you're in a LLV, you are expected to take DPS to the street, you will be working out of 3-4 bundles , sorting as you deliver. Spending almost twice amount of time on the street, as you did with a POV. Of course the parcel volume no longer fits in a POV. I have no idea how anyone can fit today's parcel volume in a POV now. LLV's are not safe on rural routes either, too slow, bad in snow, blind spots ETC. I had too many close calls, driving an LLV. To me it's not safe. Glad I resigned 3 years ago. I think USPS does save money converting POV routes to LLV routes, but LLV's are not safe on rural routes. Good luck to you all.

I am a rural carrier with a POV route. I would not be opposed to having a government vehicle, but the ones that the USPS currently provides (LLV, metris, etc) could not do my route year round. 4WD is a necessity in many areas that we deliver. If the USPS is serious about converting POV routes to GOV routes, then they need to get serious about the types of vehicles that are needed to perform the job safely and effectively and provide said vehicles. I feel they may need different vehicles for different areas of the country and until they do that, it is a fool’s errand to try and force the current vehicle options in certain areas.

I love my Llv route

It has become increasingly expensive to have a pov for my route. I am expected to maintain a vehicle, but can’t get a day off to service my vehicle. Then, when I break down on my route, I get in trouble for not providing a vehicle. HOW DOES THIS MAKE SENSE? We can’t keep RCAS because they don’t have appropriate vehicles, or can’t afford to fix their vehicle that they beat the crap out of on these very rural routes. Give me a Postal vehicle and you’ll take away a lot of the stressors of this job, and then maybe I’ll finally be able to get a RCA.

POV is most cost effective.

I started in a POV about cried when they gave me a llv but now I love it. With the amount of parcels we receive it is a necessity. Plus love not worrying about upkeep and maintenance.

Having a government vehicle is much easier on carriers, because we aren’t responsible for the upkeep. The problem with LLV’s and the new Mercedes’ vehicles, is that they are rear wheel drive and handle terrible in snow. I live in a state that has winters which last 7-8 months. We need vehicles that are snow capable, and that have heat.

I think getting rid of POVs will help keep RCAs and it would be more cost effective. The rural carrier wouldn't have to worry about the upkeep of a vehicle, rural carriers and subs wouldn't have to worry about having RHD. Less call outs due to broken down vehicles.

I use a pov and the amount of packages I receive on just a 43k I’m required to make second trips that costs the usps money plus that fact if I break done you end up paying me taking leave and a rca. Plus it seems to be an issue hiring people that are willing to use their own vehicle. I could never understand why they ok’d gov vehicles on auxiliary’s when you have full routes making second trips 2 or 3 times a week

I understand it is costing the post office millions by having the allowance for rural carriers using povs. However, for me personally as an RCA it is costing me. I am not receiving enough to keep up with the costly upkeep and gas. I have to pay to get unstuck when forced to deliver during a blizzard. It is just not worth it having my own vehicle. I want routes that use postal vehicles.

Love using a pov vehicle. I want absolutely nothing to do with llvs or the metris or any other usps supplied vehicle. I do my job best in my own custom vehicle that fits ME!

I recently received the Metris, after 26 years POV I can say it is harder to find vehicles to serve POV routes. The Metris is easy to use however I do miss my 4x4, a rear wheel drive vehicle is not practical for winter driving conditions. I am glad I no longer have to worry about providing a vehicle.

It is a better work experience for the carrier for sure. It is also more professional and brings more confidence in the consumer when a official government vehicle shows up on the middle of no where to deliver their parcel. Roll them out to all rural routes. We can use our personal vehicles on the heavy snow days.

I would love to have a USPS vehicle instead of my POV, if we actually had someone to take care of them close to our office. Our office just received USPS vehicle last year (it has yet to be serviced, by the way... over 10,000 miles) and when the tires wore out, they mailed some in to the office. The sub on the route that day had to change out the bad tire because it was a Saturday and the local tire shop was not open! If I have to maintain a vehicle, I will keep my POV but if there would actually be someone to do the maintenance, I will take a USPS vehicle.

What good is a postal provided vehicle with low ground clearance on gravel roads in all kinds of weather with no 4 wheel drive that'll be constantly in the shop?

I am in the Southeast. My office is small, and we have a great PM and Clerks and Carriers. I am an auxillary carrier and my route and another auxillary route at our RMPO received the first two vans. Our routes are only about 40 miles. At first we were perplexed, then a seasoned regular carrier explained that the auxie will finish early then the vans can be used by package runners or carriers who break down and such. That has turned out to be true and beneficial. For example, when I finish early I can assist others and we recently had an accident 30 minutes from our office, I was able to leave my home which is close to the PO, grab the van and scanner go to the accident site, take the mail and such from the carrier so she and our PM could settle everything with the the Highway Patrol. The next three vans we received was on routes with 110 to 120 or so miles. That makes sense to the USPS organization. The carriers of those routes were very impressed by the vans but was worried about the Cage being a nuisance for not being able to put alot of packages up front. They also were a bit worried about loosing the EMA of course. Two of these carriers were single parents without spouses to come to their aid on the route in case of breakdowns. This was a hugh plus to them. Of course they saved on over all repairs, tires,oil changes, breaks, bogging down, many normal things we POV drivers deal with. One of them immediate results even in the South was we began bogging down and having to get a tow truck. In our POV we have tires with better treads and some have four wheel drive. I got bogged down in a subdivision turning around in the yard that had NO standing water. They have since replaced the tires with better ones and it has helped alot. Another issue has been pep[;e who dont tend to take good care of their POV also dont take good care of their Metris. Maybe in the selection process give the Postmasters more input than just looking at mileage because there are bad roads close by the PO and good roads farther away? Everyone in our office loves the vans. The people who dont have on wants one. I really dont see in the long run how the PO will benifit from providing a vehicle. In this instance as in so so many in the Postal world, the USPS FAILS miserably at getting the facts from the"people who are actually delivering the mail". This is why i am writing so much in detail because you asked me, a carrier. Whats gonna happen when carriers say ok once we are given a Government vehicle, you must always provide us one? People are selling their POV's. Not me i dont trust for a minute you will continue to provide them and here you are asking what we think, so clearly you are already thinking it will not last. My two cents? As we say in the south? The weather in the north does not sit well with these vans with snow and ice and no four wheel drive. Also in many places the long wheel base when carriers are not trying to care for them will not last on dirt pot holed roads gravel and mud and deep ditches and small narrow cowpath roads and such. However they are better suited to areas with decent warm tempers mosto of the year. So, let the office management give opinions about who should have them, we have one carrier who beats the hell out of her vehicle so why hand her a new Mercedes? Let the people "in the trentches help decide who gets the vans" Ask the people in the trenches...... thank you for your time........

I am a Regular Rural Carrier in a POV route. I feel more comfortable in my own car. I know how it will react to different situations on the route. I like to do my own maintenance on my car, that way I know it’s done right. The new vans are rear wheel drive and really suck in the snow. Maybe a better van would work better. BMW is the most expensive brand to repair.

Would love to have USPS provided vehicle. Ema does not equal to what I pay in maintenance a year.

As a rural letter carrier and having to use my own vehicle, it is definetly not cost productive. It is getting more difficult to find vehicles that will even work for delivering the mail. Most vehicles are made with consoles and do not really allow for delivering. And the prices of converted vehicles are outrageous. With the prices of parts going up, the vehicle allowance barely covers gas, oil changes and brakes. Heaven for bid if you have any other part failures, such as a transmission replacement. I would definitely change to a postal vehicle if i had the opportunity. Granted in Northern states they really ought to look at an all wheel drive for carriers.

I love my POV. I wouldn’t want the metris. We are a 2 route office. The other route has the metris. It’s horrible. Absolutely full of dust. Breaks down all the time. Constantly having flat tires and she has to wait hours on hours waiting for maintenance. The metris is not a rural vehicle. It cannot go down muddy roads or driveways without getting stuck. Carriers should have a option on staying POV if they want I hope I never get the metris. Plus. The metris is a Mercedes. The most expensive vehicle and parts. What was the PO thinking. . Hope I get to keep my POV for a long while.

From out in the field, the solution would be more cost effective if the Postal Service provided vehicles that could manage on rural routes. For example 4x4, front wheel drive, etc. The Metris van or LLV that most have converted to has caused health problems for carriers, serious accidents, or deliver did not occur for days due to weather conditions.

The concept of USPS vehicle routes are great.....on paper. Most of the vehicles, well all the vehicles the USPS has bought to use on rural routes are not designed and built for the strain and conditions. They are rear wheel drive, so they won't pull gravel hills, snow, and even spin in wet leaves. The problem is no one asks the true rural routes what they need in a vehicle. No carrier in a mountain region or a snow region would ever ask for a front wheel drive van that has no weight and a short wheelbase. The Mercedes vans will be destroyed and lose more money than they "save" within the next 10 years. They lose alignment every month, wear thru tires at twice the rate as a POV and are abused on a daily basis since the carriers have no concern with repair cost or missing work when it's being serviced.

I retired last May as rural carrier of 30 years. All POV. I liked using my own car, but the 1st 8 years I reached across. Nearly ruined my left hip. Get car companies to make RHD That makes all the difference

I was one route that went from pov to a metris van. My route was only 23miles. I was losing money every month with ema vs vehicle basic maintenance. I also view the use and conversion of pov vehicles to rhd a safety issue that the usps has ignored.