The latest generation of USPS trucks will be produced by Oshkosh Defense. The contract, awarded to Oshkosh in February 2021, saw an initial order placed for 50,000 of the NGDV, or Next Generation Delivery Vehicles, in March 2022. The total amount of NGDVs that could be produced under the current contract is up to 165,000 units over 10 years.
The NGDV is a major advance over the previous vehicles that had been procured by the USPS, the LLV and FFV. Among the upgrades found in the new USPS mail trucks are air conditioning, airbags, parking sensors, 360° cameras, cupholders, infotainment controlled by a touchscreen, plus a heads-up display. There’s even an automatic emergency braking system that can step in whenever needed. In terms of interior space, the NGDV offers 263 cubic feet of cargo space, with a maximum of six feet, four inches of height, allowing most mail carriers to stand up while working inside the truck.
Larger side windows have been incorporated into the design to make it easier for carriers to reach nearby mailboxes, improving their efficiency and comfort. Compared to the LLV, the NGDV is two feet higher and is longer by five feet, giving it more than double the cargo capacity. This is in line with the USPS’ recently-acquired role as a low-cost package delivery service for shippers nationwide. The NGDV tallies in at $59,600 apiece, and like the LLV and FFV, it won’t have license plates. The first batch of 50,000 NGDVs will come in at a total cost of $2.98 billion.
