NGDV / duck trucks

Lyra · Monday at 12:19 PM

The new duck trucks are such a POS, the door is like 40 lbs..opening and closing it is gonna throw your rotator cuff at some point.

the AC? what a joke! closing the middle door turning in the fan it’s 97 inside, it’s just a full dust ball like 4 inches of dust per day no matter what you do. The left window doesn’t even roll down it’s permanent just a window

the only nice thing about it is the room.. other then that it’s trash.

I absolutely hate this truck!

Unclewolverine · Monday at 1:52 PM

Just wait until they get miles on them; my prediction has always been that they will be in the shops more than llvs.

jaymacgthree · Monday at 4:30 PM

Lyra said:
The new duck trucks are such a POS, the door is like 40 lbs..opening and closing it is gonna throw your rotator cuff at some point.

the AC? what a joke! closing the middle door turning in the fan it’s 97 inside, it’s just a full dust ball like 4 inches of dust per day no matter what you do. The left window doesn’t even roll down it’s permanent just a window

the only nice thing about it is the room.. other then that it’s trash.

I absolutely hate this truck!

Just curious, is yours electric, hybrid or ice(just gas)?

Lyra · Monday at 5:07 PM

ATCBigE · Monday at 6:22 PM

Unclewolverine said:
Just wait until they get miles on them; my prediction has always been that they will be in the shops more than llvs.

100% agree with this. LLV were actually well-built. These NGDV were just thrown together.

hockey94 · Monday at 7:15 PM

Unclewolverine said:
Just wait until they get miles on them; my prediction has always been that they will be in the shops more than llvs.

I will take that bet ! Call them SLV’s, Short Life Vehicles

!

Gotrope · Monday at 9:48 PM

and quite a few fixed object accidents already due to height.

Unclewolverine · Monday at 10:25 PM

ATCBigE said:
100% agree with this. LLV were actually well-built. These NGDV were just thrown together.

Literally parts bin junk that already has known flaws. What could wrong?

Ally · 2026-09-01T04:57:05-0500

in our office we have submitted a statement listing all the reasons as to why we don't want the duck mobiles and the issues driving a larger vehicle. In the statement it was also shows that another office in the area that their VOMA deemed them unsafe for rural carriers. (so that office sent them back) We also stated that it could have an impact on our evaluation in RRECS because of the larger size and harder to maneuver in long driveways and a long dirt roads that have ditches. Don't know if this will help us, but at least we have it on record.

jaymacgthree · 2026-09-01T06:51:31-0500

It sounds like they repeated all the same shortsighted mistakes they made with the garbage LLVs. I'm surprised the VMF assigns them to rural routes at all.

ATCBigE · 2026-09-01T07:15:41-0500

jaymacgthree said:
It sounds like they repeated all the same shortsighted mistakes they made with the garbage LLVs. I'm surprised the VMF assigns them to rural routes at all.

I wouldn't call LLV garbage. Almost 40 years old and still going strong for a few of them.

jaymacgthree · 2026-09-01T08:24:14-0500

ATCBigE said:
I wouldn't call LLV garbage. Almost 40 years old and still going strong for a few of them.

I will based on the fact that each have required several hundred thousands in repairs during their lifetime to keep them going when we could have replaced them for less and cut losses. None are in complete SAFE working order, partly because them VMF doesn't know how to repair properly and partly because of the GM parts bin. Add to that it's normally $600-$700 round trip towing them back and forth to the VMF 10-20 times a year. Yeah if you throw enough money at any vehicle you can make them run forever but does it make any sense?

Being someone who started with a route POV and still uses it when all the LLVs simultaneously breakdown might tint my views a little bit, especially given my POV has way more miles on it

DohnJalton · 2026-09-01T12:05:45-0500

jaymacgthree said:
I will based on the fact that each have required several hundred thousands in repairs during their lifetime to keep them going

Imagine calling a 40 year old vehicle garbage because it can be repaired.

ATCBigE · 2026-09-01T14:36:59-0500

jaymacgthree said:
I will based on the fact that each have required several hundred thousands in repairs during their lifetime to keep them going when we could have replaced them for less and cut losses. None are in complete SAFE working order, partly because them VMF doesn't know how to repair properly and partly because of the GM parts bin. Add to that it's normally $600-$700 round trip towing them back and forth to the VMF 10-20 times a year. Yeah if you throw enough money at any vehicle you can make them run forever but does it make any sense?

Being someone who started with a route POV and still uses it when all the LLVs simultaneously breakdown might tint my views a little bit, especially given my POV has way more miles on it

Should I add up the total i have put into my POV for you over 10 years?????

Worve · 2026-09-01T19:24:35-0500

ATCBigE said:
Should I add up the total i have put into my POV for you over 10 years?????

Which one

, you know all of us have multiple PoV.

muttleycrue · 2026-09-01T20:05:15-0500

jaymacgthree said:
I will based on the fact that each have required several hundred thousands in repairs during their lifetime to keep them going when we could have replaced them for less and cut losses. None are in complete SAFE working order, partly because them VMF doesn't know how to repair properly and partly because of the GM parts bin. Add to that it's normally $600-$700 round trip towing them back and forth to the VMF 10-20 times a year. Yeah if you throw enough money at any vehicle you can make them run forever but does it make any sense?

Being someone who started with a route POV and still uses it when all the LLVs simultaneously breakdown might tint my views a little bit, especially given my POV has way more miles on it

Just wait and see the money spent on repairs for the NGDV, in just the first few months or years. These things will be lucky to see 30-40 months, much less years.
They aren't designed or built for SAFE working order - rolling off the line they are already unsafe at any speed. Does VMF know how to repair them?

ATCBigE · 2026-09-01T20:49:46-0500

Worve said:
Which one , you know all of us have multiple PoV.

I know that feeling. Currently have 5 POVs with one of those ready to go the ole scrap yard.....

jaymacgthree · 2026-09-01T21:29:56-0500

muttleycrue said:
Just wait and see the money spent on repairs for the NGDV, in just the first few months or years. These things will be lucky to see 30-40 months, much less years.
They aren't designed or built for SAFE working order - rolling off the line they are already unsafe at any speed. Does VMF know how to repair them?

I've seen no evidence to suggest the VMF knows how to repair the vehicles they service. After 5 or 6 visits for the same issue they either throw enough parts at them to make it go away or the carrier gets writer's cramp from filling out 4565s.

The NGDVs will have warranties unless USPS intentionally voids it immediately the way they did with Metris vans.

jaymacgthree · 2026-09-01T21:41:42-0500

DohnJalton said:
Imagine calling a 40 year old vehicle garbage because it can be repaired.

Nah I call them garbage because they are always leaking, broken and frequently catching fire. It's literally the vehicle you are most likely to be killed or injured in because of mechanical failures. Out of concern for my fellow carriers I would never wish a LLV on any of them. There are better alternatives to repairing them while USPS is bleeding red ink and squeezing Rural Carrier salaries.