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Six vehicle manufacturers are in contention to claim a government contract to create and build a new mail truck for the United States Postal Service, one of which is Oshkosh. We recently spotted the Wisconsin-based truck manufacturer’s proposed mail truck testing on the streets.
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Compared to the unique styling of the Karsan and Mahindra proposals (AM General, Utilimaster, and VT Hackney are also competing for the contract), the Oshkosh mail truck takes a more cost-conscious approach. Rather than develop a purpose-built truck specifically for mail delivery, Oshkosh is taking a standard Ford Transit cargo van and modifying it for postal service.
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Changes include new doors that appear to widen the cabin and make it easier for the driver of the right-hand-drive van to get in and out of the vehicle. Additionally, Oshkosh has replaced the standard barn doors with a roll-up door, which ought to ease the loading and unloading of packages. A set of extenders on the front and rear bumpers should help limit damage to the van in a low-speed collision, while several additional mirrors help the driver better navigate his or her surroundings.
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Given that the USPS is requesting its new mail truck be diesel powered, we’d wager that Oshkosh’s Transit-based proposal will use Ford’s turbo-diesel 3.2-liter inline-five engine. With 185 horses and 350 lb-ft of torque, it ought to be plenty powerful enough for the low-speed job of mail delivery.
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- Volkswagen eT! Concept Theorizes a New Way to Haul the Mail
- Chrysler to Offer Electric Town & Country Minivans to U.S. Postal Service
- The U.S. Postal Service Is Going New-Truck Shopping
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The USPS is expected to decide by year’s end which proposal will be granted the contract to build and supply it with new mail-delivery trucks to replace the aged Grumman LLVs, which have been puttering about towns across America for more than a quarter of a century.
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