Build back better proposes 6 billion to electrify post office fleet 70%

[Hersbird]

Originally Posted by JSH

When the city updates sidewalks to make them ADA compliant the individual mailboxes are removed.

In our town they just move the boxes inside the sidewalk so you have to park and get out at each and every box. It even has it's own code in the manual called a "hop". I wish our bosses had the balls of the bosses in your town to push back and make compromises in such situations. It's a super dangerous, body breaking practice to have 100s of "hops". Curb the tires, set the brake, put it in park, turn it off and remove the key, unbuckle the lap and shoulder belt, the door, step out with a twisting step motion, hope for no ice or dogs, then walk 3 feet and deliver the mail. Reverse the cycle, move 200 feet and repeat, repeat, repeat...

We get paid by the hour so the joke always is, "I can't believe they keep coming up with ways to make me more money!"

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

In my country, mail carriers often use motorcycles, and normal cargo vans of different sizes for parcel delivery. I'm not sure if community mailboxes would work here, yet in some areas reported as too dangerous the parcel delivery is done at the nearest post office.

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I feel like deliveries of all sorts aren't well planned. It's like nobody realized people will get something delivered even though that's been standard for over a hundred years. It's like how homes are still built with no consideration for where things like TVs will go.

Consumers are an unorganized, rambunctious lot. They should aggregate their purchases or queue up or something. But the built environment can be criticised too.

Since the end of the l9th century there have been numerous detail changes of the network inside Paris but only one tube has gone outside Paris: that to Neuilly opened in 1914. It had been intended to extend the tubes widely through the suburbs but the 1914-18 war suspended the project and it was never revived. Nevertheless, in 1907 the transport of pneumatic mail beyond the limits of Paris was made possible by the employment of special messengers operating in 19 suburban areas. By 1916 these messengers were on bicycles and operating in most of the towns of the department of the Seine and also in Enghien-les-bains, Sevres, and St Cloud in the department of the Seine et Oise. Raincy was added in 1921.

www.cix.co.uk/~mhayhurst/jdhayhurst/pneumatic/book1.html

So 100 years ago, last mile was by bicycle.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

Curb the tires, set the brake, put it in park, turn it off and remove the key, unbuckle the lap and shoulder belt, the door, step out with a twisting step motion, hope for no ice or dogs, then walk 3 feet and deliver the mail. Reverse the cycle, move 200 feet and repeat, repeat, repeat...

That is the life of a UPS driver but in addition we had to pull in the side mirror and instead of 3 feet it is to the front door (or maybe the back door if that was were the customer wanted their packages). It is also 3 steps up and down for every delivery. I walked 10 - 12 miles per day.

[Hersbird]

Originally Posted by JSH

That is the life of a UPS driver but in addition we had to pull in the side mirror and instead of 3 feet it is to the front door (or maybe the back door if that was were the customer wanted their packages). It is also 3 steps up and down for every delivery. I walked 10 - 12 miles per day.

I hear you, but realistically how many stops? If a route was 100% hops it would probably have 600-900 of them at the Post Office in addition to 100-200 packages every day to the door average, off months being 50 and peak Christmas being 400. My brothers best friend is currently driving for UPS in our town and I asked him how many stops and he said 200-300 in an 8 hour shift.

[redpoint5]

I know that performance metrics can be annoyingly rigid and not account for many other variables, but if someone is getting paid by the hour, I can't feel sorry for how long each stop takes except for my penchant towards seeking efficiency.

[Hersbird]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I know that performance metrics can be annoyingly rigid and not account for many other variables, but if someone is getting paid by the hour, I can't feel sorry for how long each stop takes except for my penchant towards seeking efficiency.

The key is you have to slow way down, follow all the steps, and be deliberate about avoiding repetitive motion injuries or poor ergonomic practices that will kill knees, shoulders, backs ect over what likely will be 40 years of doing it.

Usually the first thing that goes is the curbing of the tires, then no seat belt, etc. Next thing you know the guy is driving door open, no seatbelt, and the truck is sitting there running while he hops. That can go on for years because that guy is beating all estimates and making himself and bosses look good. Then one day something happens and the truck drives off with out him and he's hero to zero in 5 mins and 20 years of hero forgotten.

[Piotrsko]

I wondered about not taking all those parking steps. I would think the seatbelt latch fails pretty regularly, and am in awe of those starters.

[redpoint5]

The delivery vehicle should have automatic start/stop and be a hybrid. Then the ignition should be enabled/disabled with a proximity fob worn by the driver. That would eliminate stopping/starting the engine and all but ensure 100% compliance with those rules, and save a lot of time in the process.

That's what I'm saying though, is that it appears almost no thought was given to efficiency with regards to ubiquitous and routine tasks like delivering stuff to people's residence.

It amazes me that we continue to modify existing platforms to perform a function rather than purpose build them. School buses should be designed to perform their function efficiently and be mass produced on a highly automated manufacturing line, for instance. They should be electric by now. Whoever successfully builds one and solves the infrastructure problem stands to be a billionaire, as there's how many busses in the world as a market?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

The delivery vehicle should have automatic start/stop and be a hybrid. Then the ignition should be enabled/disabled with a proximity fob worn by the driver. That would eliminate stopping/starting the engine and all but ensure 100% compliance with those rules, and save a lot of time in the process.

Something like the dead-man switch of a jet-ski? BTW another feature which could also eventually make a comeback is the stand-up driving ability.