As a fleet fuel card company, we know that the vehicles you choose for your fleet are important. Both the USPS and the NYPD have opted recently to try out a new vehicle in order to make their fleet safer and more efficient.
USPS
When you think of the United States Postal Service, you probably think of the loud, boxy, white trucks that travel through your neighborhood delivering your mail. Those trucks were introduced in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and they’re finally being replaced.
Over the past several years, USPS has been losing revenue, and just last year, the organization spent almost $540 million on fuel for their trucks. Many of their trucks are not only old, but they’re too small and incredibly inefficient (getting around 10 miles to the gallon).
In a Wall Street Journal article, USPS spokeswoman Sarah Ninivaggi says, “Though the existing fleet has served the Postal Service well, it has become expensive to continue to maintain the aging vehicles.”
To save on their expenses, USPS is looking for an automaker to supply a new fleet. In the 1980s, General Motors built the chassis for the old trucks, so the company has shown interest in revamping them for a modern update. If chosen, GM could bring in between $5 billion and $6 billion in revenue through the project. USPS is also looking at commercial vans from Ford, GMC, and Chevrolet.
The projected update includes 180,000 new trucks (to replace the current 163,000) that are larger and have improved logistics, better gas mileage, more safety features, and better engines. They hope to have them up and running by January of 2018.
NYPD
Another company looking to update their fleet is the New York Police Department. For ** years, the organization has relied on three-wheeled scooters to navigate through the crowded streets of the city. But because of both age and safety, the NYPD wants to replace them with Smart Cars made by Mercedes-Benz.
The single-passenger cars will not only be safer for officers (with anti-lock brakes and actual airbags), but will also be cheaper than the current scooters. The department will be testing out the Smart Cars before they make a final decision. Right now, nine are painted with the NYPD logo and are being used in Central Park, parking enforcement areas, and school safety divisions. If they decide the vehicles will be successful, up to 100 could be bought and used.
*Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org
