The USPS is replacing the squat little vans you're use to seeing around the neighborhood, and is now trying to find a replacement. This sketch has just been released as an idea of what the Postal Service has in mind.


In a presentation to prospective suppliers that the USPS made last week (and posted online a few days ago) America's next mail truck would need total cargo space of 330 to 400 cubic feet, a minimum clear floor space of 72" by 108", 76" of headroom, and a clear bulkhead passage that's 30" wide.


The USPS is looking for an ambitious 18-20 year planned service life, right-hand drive, AWD availability, and a minimum payload capacity of 1,500 pounds.

Prescribed dimensions are a total length of 230", width of 85", and a towering 106" of height which gives it a fatter footprint than a modern four-door pickup truck. As the USPS themselves are providing these images as a guide, it seems like a safe bet that whoever wins the rights to build America's next mail truck will execute something pretty similar to this:


A six-month prototype vehicle testing phase is slated to commence in a year, after which we might start seeing these things on the street.