The internet is split over the new USPS "duck truck" design
Washington D.C.- Twitter users are split about the design of the new USPS mail trucks.
On Tuesday, U.S. Postal Service
announced a new ten-year multi-million dollar contract with Oshkosh Defense as part of their endeavor to transform the postal service. As part of the deal, the mail trucks are getting a long overdue makeover.
Many of the trucks currently on the road have been running their routes for the last 30 years.
The unveiling of the "Next Generation Delivery Vehicles" featured photos of the new design and they got plenty of attention online.
Some Twitter users had some pretty colorful comparisons, "It looks like a golf cart & a platypus had a baby." A survey by Politico reporter Sam Mintz revealed that most thought the new design was more of an "ugly duckling" than a "sleek and cool" design. Others compared it to artwork, "The new USPS vehicle design looks like my attempt to draw a truck in first grade."
But not everyone thought it was terrible – some were charmed by it: "... it's cute. It will probably need help crossing the street but other than that it'll probably be fine," wrote one person.
Does it look like a duck truck?
Even mail delivery workers got in on the discussion and shared their excitement about the upgrade, despite the design. One wrote that the old trucks don't have AC, which will make these new ones a lot better.
But the New Generation Delivery vehicles won't just be equipped with air conditioning, heat, and better ergonomics. They will also be more fuel efficient, with internal combustion engines or battery electric powertrains, as well as better traction control, airbags, 360-degree cameras, and a collision avoidance system.
The new trucks are expected to be on road by 2023, so there's plenty of time for everyone to get used to the new duck-like design.
Cover photo: screenshot/ twitter @U.S. Postal Service