USPS's new trucks deemed adorable

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Originally published at: USPS's new trucks deemed adorable | Boing Boing

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Those actually look really comfortable to drive.

Also, dawww.

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A local company, Oshkosh Corporation, a military contractor, won the contract! They also make crash and rescue trucks for airports, fire trucks, and garbage trucks.

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i wonder if these are airconditioned, the old long life vehicles (llv) were not leading to occasional heat exhaustion incidents at the texas post office my wife worked at for 35 years.

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Any truck that looks less likely to roll over (as has happened in postal vehicle accidents around here) is a good thing!

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I wonder if they are all wheel drive? The local postal employees have been complaining that the Grumman LLV’s that they recently inherited suck in the snow compared to the old jeeps they used to have.
Yeah, I live in the sticks. Our local carriers just got the LLVs 2-3 years ago. They had a couple ancient postal jeeps and personal RHD vehicles previously.

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“As the American institution that binds our country together, the U.S. Postal Service can have a bright and modern future if we make investments today that position us for excellence tomorrow,” said Postmaster General and USPS Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy. “The NGDV program expands our capacity for handling more package volume and supports our carriers with cleaner and more efficient technologies, more amenities, and greater comfort and security as they deliver every day on behalf of the American people.”

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I’d argue they’re ugly but probably way more practical than the current ones that are straight out of the 1980s. Not that I really have the right to have a strong opinion.

Also, if these are made where I think they will be, I’m wondering how facebook conspiracy theorists are gonna spin it when they see trains full of those headed through the Chicago area (after the “MARTIAL LAW IS COMING” freakouts from last year when trains full of their military vehicles were seen heading through the Chicago area)

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With its “small, yet tall” look and big, rectangular cabin, I’m getting strong Suzuki Lapin vibes from this:

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You need to insert a comma after ‘not’, for clarity.

Also, these trucks need 2 big cartoon eyes drawn over the windscreen, for maximum effect.

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Yep, plus they have air bags!

I’m really digging the unobstructed forward visibility afforded by that low hood. I think it’s criminal how all the big truck manufacturers are building pickups with dangerous, ludicrously tall hoods purely as a styling choice, so anything that goes against that trend is good.

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  1. Yes, cute
  2. Hopefully better than what they have
  3. I trust Dejoy about as far as I can throw him
  4. Expect to find out he’s good friends with company owner, hence the deal
  5. Also expect built in failure points so Postal Service gets even worse
  6. Sorry, I’m being too pessimistic… these are adorable!
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i hope it has a toilet in the back so they don’t have to use gatorade bottles anymore.

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I wonder if we’ll get them locally. Our PO pays contractors to deliver mail so there have been a variety of right-drive vehicles (Jeeps, vans, etc.) over the years. Unfortunately the contractors aren’t especially detail-oriented, and our last one got called out when she literally dumped a box of junk mail into my neighbor’s trash can (it was hundreds of addresses over a few month period). Also, at the least it should have been recycled. LOL.

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Looks designed by Pixar. Lots of room for giant eyes on the windshield. Voice by Ratzenberger.

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Originally published at: 'Next Gen' US Postal Service truck compared to a clown car | Boing Boing

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Yeah, even military vehicle manufacturers can make cute and adorable vehicles.
Oshkosh teamed up with Ford on this one, and made their own modifications to the Transit platform.

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When you do throw him, please send video, don’t be too picky about where / what he lands on, for me please.

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Why is DeJoy even still there? I am getting a little impatient with the current administration. I get they want to unite (gag), but leaving DeJoy where he is is like uniting the chickens with the foxes.

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It needs round headlights. Then I will be satisfied.

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