The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) said it would order 60,000 electric trucks to deliver mail. These should be in operation by 2028. The USPS did not say that it should not need them. It is too large and already has too many trucks, people and post offices.
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The trucks do have some benefits for postal workers. They have air conditioning and safety technology.

The USPS already has 220,000 vehicles. It says this fleet is “aging.” Instead of replacing these, the USPS should not add any as they come out of service. It should let its footprint of vehicles shrink.

The USPS harbors several fantasies. The first is that it needs to have a fleet of vehicles that allow it to deliver mail quickly and six days a week. Because of email and email attachments, six-day-a-week delivery is not necessary. Many Americans pay their bills online. The USPS should encourage that.

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Another part of the core service the USPS offers and for which it needs trucks is to deliver junk mail. This mail is primarily a way to sell Americans something or get them to give money to someone. It helps the USPS make money, but it also helps its expenses to balloon.

The trucks are also needed to serve over 32,000 post office locations. Some are in towns as small as 3,000 people. These could be cut by thousands of locations. It is another way the USPS could cut people and transportation costs.

The USPS will add more electric vehicles. They are not needed.

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