Six vehicle manufacturers are in contention to claim a government contract to create and build a new mail truck for the United States Postal Service, one of which is Oshkosh. We recently spotted the Wisconsin-based truck manufacturer’s proposed mail truck testing on the streets.
Compared to the unique styling of the Karsan and Mahindra proposals (AM General, Utilimaster, and VT Hackney are also competing for the contract), the Oshkosh mail truck takes a more cost-conscious approach. Rather than develop a purpose-built truck specifically for mail delivery, Oshkosh is taking a standard Ford Transit cargo van and modifying it for postal service.

Changes include new doors that appear to widen the cabin and make it easier for the driver of the right-hand-drive van to get in and out of the vehicle. Additionally, Oshkosh has replaced the standard barn doors with a roll-up door, which ought to ease the loading and unloading of packages. A set of extenders on the front and rear bumpers should help limit damage to the van in a low-speed collision, while several additional mirrors help the driver better navigate his or her surroundings. Given that the USPS is requesting its new mail truck be diesel powered, we’d wager that Oshkosh’s Transit-based proposal will use Ford’s turbo-diesel 3.2-liter inline-five engine. With 185 horses and 350 lb-ft of torque, it ought to be plenty powerful enough for the low-speed job of mail delivery.

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