So the USPS is getting new trucks and they look like ducks and maybe that sucks… or maybe it wucks. Like “works,” if a duck said it. Just give me this one please.
Anyway.
I don’t know how mean I can be here – there has to be something said for objective journalistic integrity – but I have a feeling most people are going to have a rather sarcastic reaction to the new design. I’m not so sure I can blame them – it has a kind of stubby little nose with a shortened hood and a boxy frame and super tall windshield, which gives the wheels a disproportionately large look compared to the rest of the silhouette. It’s sort of like a Nissan Cube but less millennial cool, which A) is discontinued (so maybe not so cool), and B) is not the car that had those giant hiphop hamsters running around, but I’m still going to link to it anyway.
Elon Musk must be breathing a sigh of relief right now.
The contract was awarded to Oshkosh Defense (which I was thrilled to find out is NOT the adorable kid’s clothing company, even though I personally think that would be hilarious if there was a factory making overalls for tiny humans alongside tactical defense trucks) and officially announced on February 23rd, 2021 to the tune of $482 million. Seriously though, someone is going to mix those up for the rest of all time and eternity; I’d never not think about my own baby pictures if some contractor from Oshkosh Defense showed up.
The release mentions that, “The historic investment is part of a soon-to-be-released plan the Postal Service has developed to transform its financial performance and customer service over the next 10 years through significant investments in people, technology and infrastructure as it seeks to become the preferred delivery service provider for the American public.” It’s called the NGDV – Next Generation Delivery Vehicle, which I happen to adore, and will pronounce as Nugduv, and you can’t stop me anyway. The old one was called the Grumman, by the way.
Some credit this as a radical change, and keeping in mind that radical doesn’t necessarily denote positive or negative, it seems like the perfect word to use here. Then there are those who correctly identify “a mixed bag of responses,” sort of like when you get a bag of candy at Halloween that has at least one thing no one likes. Some call it strange, while others defend it as something every new big vehicle should look like (this is where – as one of many – I found it called a “duck” which oh man do I love, quack quack).
We can also hit up the ever fair public opinion of Twitter, because why wouldn’t we?
This is how I would draw a car. That is not a plus for this design
I really can’t get over that last one. But I mean, whoa. That’s quite the spectrum. There’s less disagreement on pizza toppings I think. But luckily I think we’re safe there – Domino’s makes people drive their personal cars.
Taking a step back and putting snide commentary away for a moment, there’s some areas that should be discussed. First – and what should probably be obvious – there was a laundry list of requirements and restrictions from the USPS, which made Nir Kahn – design director from custom carmaker Plasan – offer up his own tweets that give some insight on dimensions and design:
I was involved in an early proposal for the USPS truck so I know the requirements well. They pretty much dictated the proportions – this package sketch shows that to meet the ergonomic and size requirements, there wasn’t much freedom 1/2 #USPS pic.twitter.com/Fk35g98Z83
Kahn mentions that “there wasn’t much freedom,” but also that “it could have looked much better,” and this sort of underlines the entire discussion I think – there were goals in place, and possibly some more aesthetically pleasing ways to meet them, but the constraints won out and drove (hehe) the design more than style did.
Certainly, there are other concerns – the ability for USPS drivers to reach a mailbox while seated is paramount. Others have pointed out that this design – with its large windshield and shortened front – should help with safety around small children (all the better if they are wearing Oshkosh B’gosh, because that implies they are tiny and may not be at all concerned with the dangers of streets). The open field-of-vision will aid in making sure drivers can navigate places that might be frequented by any number of pedestrians, so that’s a plus.
Further, if you get struck by one of these, you’ll basically “just” get kneecapped versus taking it square to the torso. The duck article is the one making this call, and I think there’s some merit there (though it makes me question how the USPS fleet is going to do against the SUVs and big trucks out in the wild). It then goes on to point out that this design has more cargo space, fitting into the idea of “rightsizing,” where the form and function of the vehicle meet in a way that is downsized, but still punches above its weight.
“From smaller fire engines to nimbler garbage trucks, making vehicles better scaled to urban tasks can make a huge difference, not only for keeping other cars moving on narrow streets, but also to ensure that humans on those same streets can access the bike lanes, sidewalks, and curb cuts they need to get around.”
I didn’t try too hard to find stats on crashes in mail trucks, but seems like something that should be addressed.
Maybe the biggest point here is that we sort of have to get new trucks – they are outliving their 24 year expectancy and catching on fire. On FIRE. I mean a mail truck might be the worst place for a fire. I’m not even sure I can’t think up a better answer… Ok maybe toilets would be worse.
The new vehicles can be either petrol or electric powered, have 360 cameras, airbags, and automatic braking. Oh, and air conditioning, which the old vehicles did not have. So yes, literally the worst place to have a fire. But due to the taller vehicles, someone can stand in them now! So escape is even easier! Hooray!
A series of delays pushed back the introduction of new vehicles from their 2018 projected date, with poor initial prototypes and the pandemic being major setbacks. Aggressive bidding led to extended deadlines, which had been narrowed down to a small list of candidates that included Workhorse (who unfortunately suffered a large stock plunge following the announcement). It’s been in the works for at least six years.
In the end, I don’t think we can discount all the advantages here – more efficient vehicles that are safer and provide drivers with modern amenities. That’s a LOT of good. I think once the initial goofy shock is over, the design will be accepted. Everyone thought Nintendo’s Wii was a hilarious name (still pretty much is regardless of being in the public book of acceptable nomenclature), and Cybertruck sales are brisk, so I think we can set a lot of this aside. The Edsel these are not.
So hey, new USPS vehicles in 2023, like an exceedingly late birthday present. All I want to see is a bunch of baby ducks following one of them around oh please let that happen. The USPS kind of has an identity crisis in the modern era, so maybe a funny little cute silly boxmobile is just the right way to get some attention.
Eric Hempler
June 15, 2010 at 12:47 am
I thought this was really interesting. I think to some degree I’m doing this by accident. I have a routine I follow Monday – Thursday and Friday I pretty much do what I want. Saturday and Sunday I might also work on something otherwise I go do something unrelated to work.
I have never gotten anything out of motivational speeches. It’s basically the same thing said over and over. I’m someone that is motivated by how to do something. If I’m taught a system that produces certain results I’ll run with it. However, if I read someone that goes on and on or listen to a speaker going on and on trying to motivate me I just get tired. I need an actual task of some kind that I will do to be motivated.
As for loyalty…I would say I’m still loyal even if I move on to something, but it’s more along the lines of I have respect for that person or business.
Jeffrey Douglass
June 15, 2010 at 1:40 am
Lani, Thank you for the post, I saw this video several weeks ago and skipped it. Tonight after reading your post I took the time to watch it and re-read you post. I think there is a powerful message here about human behavior and why many brokerages are in big trouble.
Purpose, mastery, and autonomy, what wonderful words!
Joe Loomer
June 15, 2010 at 6:07 am
Wow Lani. You’ve outdone yourself on this one. The video is also quite powerful. We did a major community service event on the 13th of May, with well over 70% of our agents participating. I couldn’t put my finger on why the office seemed to leap forward over the last month with new energy – everyone hugging and motivated and SWITCHED ON. It’s as you say – they did something FOR FREE, that had PURPOSE!
Furthering your argument is NAR studies that show that clients don’t give a toss about your brand – they care about the agent (those who seek Mastery).
Navy Chief, Navy Pride
Cindy Marchan
June 15, 2010 at 7:19 am
It is interesting to see what many have “thought” actually put into words. As it applies to real estate, I think my brokerage does get it, for the most part. The autonomy is probably with most brokerage company’s…it is probably why we are real estate agents. The mastery is definitely with mine, education is at their core. Purpose is also important to them; although improvement is probably needed.
What I like most about your video is that it explains my husband! He is a programmer and he never cares about the money and now I get it!
Ken Brand
June 15, 2010 at 8:01 am
I wonder how many beliefs about human behavior we (I) have completely backwards, as illustrated in this video.
The thing is, in the wide world of motivations for becoming an agent, there are massive numbers of people who are simply hoping to make a few extra dollars, the approach is sorta like selling those big Pirate Flags and Tiger Rugs on the side of the road on weekends. Big lazy brokers have the perfect system, provide nothing, charge a small fee and everyone’s happy. The market for that is huge and likely to be around for a while.
Like you’re sharing, and anyone who cares to think about what they see every day, the disconnect/fail springs up when the broker doesn’t offer anything of value and way over charges for it.
Remember, the average age is 54, there are still 100s of thousands of people who want their private office, plaques, awards, etc. This won’t change dramatically until theres a natural generation sea change. Right now, it’s primarily Baby Boomer tradition. I wonder what the average age of these new independent/boutique brokers is? Or if this small/boutique has nothing to do with physical age, maybe it’s the young at heart & mind + friction free technology?
Personally, I don’t think it matters if your’re a big broker or a boutique, to me a more accurate label would be does the broker, big or tiny have talent/innovation/leadership/dedication, if you have that, it doesn’t matter if you’re a big broker or a boutique, you’ll attract like minded people and succeed. If you’re lame, doesn’t matter if you’re a boutique or a big broker, you’re gonna struggle and flail.
In any event, I am constantly reminded that more challenging the environment, the more important it is to reinvent, improve and press forward. And, we have to keep an open mind, most everything we believe is at most only half true, and the other half won’t be true in 6 months.
Thanks.
BawldGuy
June 15, 2010 at 1:49 pm
This is insanely rich post material. Lani, you’ve addressed some foundational issues, two of which, paradoxically, are falsely based. Not by you, but by those in the ‘industry’ who wanna make listing/selling homes akin to puttin’ a man on the moon.
I know there will be more than one sequel to this post — I’m very interested in what more you’ll have to say. My view? Most are lookin’ at ALL these issues from the wrong end of the telescope.
Maybe your most helpful post of the year so far.
alicefromdallas
June 15, 2010 at 5:53 pm
I have been with my company for about 7 years. I’ve been in the business for about 25. I only wish I had started with my company sooner.
What keeps me here is not the fact that it is a big company (it is). It’s not that we have a big marketshare (we do). It’s because at the heart of my company, at its very core, is a concern about it’s agents as individuals. Now keep in mind that in our area we have approximately 1,557 agents, in about five market centers. I don’t feel like I get lost in a large organization because I chose to get involved and plug in to all that it has to offer.
I’ve seen the concern about our community, the larger one being Austin, or the smaller one being our agents, who have health issues or other catastrophies and need a little help. That does more to make me proud to be associated with our company than any profit sharing could ever do. Allthough I do profit share and try to share our culture with others.
Our written volume is up 18% YTD compared to 2009 (almost a Billion dollars – that’s with a “B”). Our closed units are up 25% compared to 2009. Our closed volume is up 26% this year. So, I think we’ve got it figured out how to be successful. Now we just have to share it with others.
I guess my feeling is that whether you’re in a large company or a small, boutique brokerage, plug in and be proud of where you are–or move on.
Stephanie Crawford
June 16, 2010 at 2:10 am
I recently made a switch in brokerages from boutique to boutique. Technology was the driving factor for me. Learning about new technologies is one of the main things that brings me to the RE.net blogosphere night after night. I enter each evening hopeful that I will crank up my Google RSS and find some new (cool, free or cheap) solution to help me streamline my business.
Russell Shaw
June 16, 2010 at 3:54 am
Genius post, Lani – one of the very best I’ve seen all year. Loved the video!
Brandie Young
June 16, 2010 at 11:47 am
Winner, winner chicken dinner! Lani, this post ROCKS!!! The beauty being it translates to any company/industry. Thanks!
Mark Jacobs
June 16, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Great post on this one!
Joe
June 16, 2010 at 11:51 pm
Old school brokerages are dinosaurs. Simply search ‘kennewick wa homes’ and see who comes up #1 or #2 over brokerages with 200 agents.
Fitchburg real estate
June 18, 2010 at 2:51 am
Fabulous article, Lani! And in case anyone thinks only Gen X & Y’ers are going solo these days, guess again. I went solo at age 46 (I’ll be 48 this summer) and several “old-timers” in my market also recently became independent brokers. For me it was clear that, with their expensive overhead and rudimentary understanding of technology, big box brokers (at least in my area) couldn’t begin to offer me a reasonable return on my investment.
Matthew Rathbun
June 21, 2010 at 2:41 pm
This is the type of post that got me excited about reading real estate blogs in the first place… I wish we could all do more of this.