Hey American modern pick up truck heads. Notice how normal the bonnet is? Notice how you can SEE enough to not run people over? This is a true utility vehicle. Look how massive this bad boy is without being a death machine 👍
but it doesn’t have enough sharp edges i feel like. what if i want to slice a kid in half?
I have a mini cargo van as my everyday car that can move quite a bit of cargo, but I also bottom out if I go on a road that’s too bumpy.
The family truck has the clearance to go off the pavement.
A video which puts all the arguments better than I ever could: https://youtu.be/jN7mSXMruEo
But the notion you can only have high clearance by making your hood so massive to the point you can’t see your child as you run them over in your own driveway, doesn’t make sense.
I’d strongly encourage you to give the video a go.
These trucks are now infesting my streets to (Australia) to a lesser degree. It’s an arms race that really needs to be stopped. I hope you consider some of the points made in the video.
have air conditioning
have air conditioning
I read the whole article because I had a sneaking suspicion this was probably the biggest (and most important to drivers) upgrade. Although I will be fair and say the ability to walk through the vehicle to get packages instead of having to circle around to the back is pretty fucking sweet as well.
basically how i see it with delivery trucks, you need a few things.
heated/air vented seats for driver comfort along with AC.
easy access to the back of the truck
as well as room to stand in the truck, because the driver is going to have to constantly get in and out of the driver seat, so being able to get out easier/faster is good.
High visibility is probably a good idea for a vehicle designed for residential deliveries.
Yes, I’m 6ft and have to hunch over in the back of the LLV, or squat down while re-sorting packages. The inner compartment door is one of the best things about the LLV since the heaters suck and it helps keep the heat in the cabin, plus the ease of access.
I haven’t gotten to use one of these new trucks because I’m in a smaller office which will likely be one of the last to get them but they did try and get us the newer Metris vans which are horrible. No inner compartment door so you have to constantly get out and no adjustability to the mail tray.
EVs for service vehicles that do a lot of local starts and stops is a no-brainer. Should have been done a long time ago. It’s no wonder that they’re getting good reception, after years of working with worn out equipment. I regularly see tow trucks with a Grumman.
Trump’s guy Louis deJoy did his damndest to prevent USPS from adopting EVs.
Do some reading on why Biden can’t get rid of him. It’ll make you smarter, I promise.
There’s a bunch of electric garbage trucks in my city. My kid is obsessed with any heavy machinery these days so we were watching one and I got to talking to the driver. He told me that he absolutely loves them. They are easy to operate, they accelerate fast, they seem to break down less.
I have seen them accelerate, they go hard. And it’s just so fucking cool to have a big dump truck be silent?! I cannot get over how happy it makes me that they’re just chilling silently when they’re stopped. Makes my mornings more peaceful.
And it’s just so fucking cool to have a big dump truck be silent?! I cannot get over how happy it makes me that they’re just chilling silently when they’re stopped. Makes my mornings more peaceful.
This in itself is worth the change, reducing noise in residential areas (and others) would be a huge improvement in quality of life for both people and wildlife.
I’m surprised (and very happy) that the driver loves it. Getting truckers on board with electric semis is a huge challenge, so if other heavy truck drivers like their electrics that will hopefully help win them over.
Most of the drivers of these are also waste collectors. He told me he appreciates that it’s less hassle to operate. No gear shifting, no noise, good acceleration, they feel more nimble.
I suppose range and accessible of charging ports in particular would be a concern for a long haul drivers but that’s not an issue if you have a relatively (range wise) tour through the city, and get back to and central hub every day.
American truckers especially love their FREEDOM to a stupid degree. I do get the lifestyle of being a road cowboy never knowing where your next haul is going to.
But they’re also a dying breed, new drivers want to get home now and then and not live in a truck for months without seeing their family.
There was a good documentary about this a while ago, can’t remember where.
The last Grumman LLV rolled off the assembly line 30 years ago, and has been probably been driven six days a week, except federal holidays, ever since. I’m not surprised they’re on their last legs.
This article does that annoying thing where it uses acronyms Initialisms without previously using the full verbiage at least once.
BEV - Battery-Electric Vehicle
NGDV - Next Generation Delivery Vehicle
LLV - Long Life Vehicle
Who the hell calls a BEV a woman’s name?
Bev sounds like you’re shortening Beverly. BEV and you know it’s a vehicle.
To translate further:
BEV - self explanatory never mind
NGDV - Oshkosh Next Generation Delivery Vehicle, The new mail truck that looks like a duck
LLV - The Grumman Long Life Vehicle, the classic mail truck.
and as a bonus
FFV - The Ford-Utilimaster Flexible Fuel Vehicle, the early 2000s mail truck that looks like the LLV that you buy from wish.
