US Postal Service electric trucks are finally here and drivers love them

silence7@slrpnk.net to News@lemmy.world – 692 points –
US Postal Service electric trucks are finally here and drivers love them
electrek.co
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EVs for service vehicles that do a lot of local starts and stops is a no-brainer. Should have been done a long time ago. It's no wonder that they're getting good reception, after years of working with worn out equipment. I regularly see tow trucks with a Grumman.

Trump’s guy Louis deJoy did his damndest to prevent USPS from adopting EVs.

It's Biden's guy too, did nothing to change him.

Do some reading on why Biden can't get rid of him. It'll make you smarter, I promise.

https://www.federaltimes.com/federal-oversight/2022/08/24/can-biden-fire-us-postmaster-general-louis-dejoy/

Nobody is asking Biden to fire DeJoy. But Biden has had the ability to replace him since May 2022. The Board of Governors decides the Postmaster General. A simple majority vote can change the Postmaster General. The current make up is

  • 3 Republicans
  • 3 Democrats
  • 1 independent
  • 2 vacancies

Only two of those people are Trump nominees. Biden nominated a Republican and a Democrat in May 2022 when he could have just nominated one Democrat which would have given Democrats the majority. Only six governors are required for quorum.

So yes, DeJoy is absolutely Biden's guy too. The annoying thing is that Democrats in the Senate are fine with it. Biden has two nominees that have been waiting on confirmation for a while now.

Let's not provide cover for bullshit. USPS governor confirmations cost no political capital.

So Obama let it happen. Based on the history of the positions not being filled. Democrats let Trump have the right to select DeJoy.

Same story as the SCOTUS.

"On November 14, 2014 (with effect on February 1, 2015), the board appointed Megan Brennan postmaster general, to succeed Patrick R. Donahoe. In December 2014, the extended term of Mickey D. Barnett was to expire, while the Senate had still not confirmed five nominees submitted by then-president Obama.[6]"

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Board_of_Governors_of_the_United_States_Postal_Service

There's a bunch of electric garbage trucks in my city. My kid is obsessed with any heavy machinery these days so we were watching one and I got to talking to the driver. He told me that he absolutely loves them. They are easy to operate, they accelerate fast, they seem to break down less.
I have seen them accelerate, they go hard. And it's just so fucking cool to have a big dump truck be silent?! I cannot get over how happy it makes me that they're just chilling silently when they're stopped. Makes my mornings more peaceful.

I'm surprised (and very happy) that the driver loves it. Getting truckers on board with electric semis is a huge challenge, so if other heavy truck drivers like their electrics that will hopefully help win them over.

Most of the drivers of these are also waste collectors. He told me he appreciates that it's less hassle to operate. No gear shifting, no noise, good acceleration, they feel more nimble.
I suppose range and accessible of charging ports in particular would be a concern for a long haul drivers but that's not an issue if you have a relatively (range wise) tour through the city, and get back to and central hub every day.

I'm not too surprised. It must be quite unpleasant working around a noisy piece of machinery like that.

American truckers especially love their FREEDOM to a stupid degree. I do get the lifestyle of being a road cowboy never knowing where your next haul is going to.

But they’re also a dying breed, new drivers want to get home now and then and not live in a truck for months without seeing their family.

There was a good documentary about this a while ago, can’t remember where.

And it’s just so fucking cool to have a big dump truck be silent?! I cannot get over how happy it makes me that they’re just chilling silently when they’re stopped. Makes my mornings more peaceful.

This in itself is worth the change, reducing noise in residential areas (and others) would be a huge improvement in quality of life for both people and wildlife.

They and transit buses should have been the driver (heh) for hybrids at least.

The last Grumman LLV rolled off the assembly line 30 years ago, and has been probably been driven six days a week, except federal holidays, ever since. I’m not surprised they’re on their last legs.

Yes, credit where it's due for them lasting. Those are like the COBOL running banks and government stuff, never intended to last forever, yet still being used because it's easier and cheaper (well, probably not in the long run).

Honestly anything would have been better than those old iron dukes. They were dated in the 80’s