Who Makes USPS Trucks And Where Are They Manufactured?

• Cars

The latest generation of USPS trucks will be produced by Oshkosh Defense. The contract, awarded to Oshkosh in February 2021, saw an initial order placed for 50,000 of the NGDV, or Next Generation Delivery Vehicles, in March 2022. The total amount of NGDVs that could be produced under the current contract is up to 165,000 units over 10 years. 

The NGDV is a major advance over the previous vehicles that had been procured by the USPS, the LLV and FFV. Among the upgrades found in the new USPS mail trucks are air conditioning, airbags, parking sensors, 360° cameras, cupholders, infotainment controlled by a touchscreen, plus a heads-up display. There's even an automatic emergency braking system that can step in whenever needed. In terms of interior space, the NGDV offers 263 cubic feet of cargo space, with a maximum of six feet, four inches of height, allowing most mail carriers to stand up while working inside the truck. 

Larger side windows have been incorporated into the design to make it easier for carriers to reach nearby mailboxes, improving their efficiency and comfort. Compared to the LLV, the NGDV is two feet higher and is longer by five feet, giving it more than double the cargo capacity. This is in line with the USPS' recently-acquired role as a low-cost package delivery service for shippers nationwide. The NGDV tallies in at $59,600 apiece, and like the LLV and FFV, it won't have license plates. The first batch of 50,000 NGDVs will come in at a total cost of $2.98 billion.

Where are USPS trucks manufactured?

The latest trucks being manufactured for the USPS by Oshkosh are being produced in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Oshkosh will hire more than 1,000 employees to work on NGDV production, with additional employment coming from Oshkosh's suppliers that are located on-site. The company plans to repurpose a large warehouse into a manufacturing facility that, in Oshkosh's words, "meets the technical requirements of producing cutting-edge vehicles for the USPS."

According to the most recent information provided in November of 2025, around 70% of the NGDVs produced for the initial order of 50,000 units will have a battery electric powertrain, which combines a 94 kWh battery pack with a 201-horsepower electric motor driving its front wheels. The vehicle weighs 6400 pounds and has an EPA-estimated range of approximately 120 miles. Recharging should take around six hours using a Level 2, 240V charger. A driving impression of a prototype electric NGDV by Car and Driver noted its excellent visibility, easy maneuverability, smooth power delivery, and great air conditioning. 

The remaining 30% of the first batch of NGDVs will be powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder ICE engine supplied by Ford. These will be used for routes that are longer or in extreme climates. Some will be equipped with all-wheel drive, based on their routes. Fun fact — the design of the 'duckbill' nose on the NGDV is considered the USPS' intellectual property. Oshkosh Defense is free to sell the NGDV to other delivery companies, but the front of the vehicle must have a different design for non-USPS buyers.

What else should you know about USPS trucks?

The newest Oshkosh Defense-produced NGDV will replace the very long-running LLV, or long-life vehicle that perfectly embodies its name and was the previous USPS delivery vehicle to serve mail carriers. The LLV, shown above, was the first purpose-built vehicle ever to be put into service by the USPS. The first of its kind landed in the USPS fleet in 1986, with production continuing through 1994 as a total of 99,150 LLVs were built. The result of a competition between American Motors, Poveco, and the team of Grumman and General Motors who ended up winning, the LLV's bodies were made by Grumman while the chassis were produced by GM. 

Each LLV cost the USPS $11,651, with a total contract value of more than $1.1 billion. The LLVs still in the USPS fleet, which are at least 31 years old, require annual repairs that cost the USPS $10,000 each and every year. Of course, time and costs march on, making the original cost of the LLV look like a bargain in retrospect. 

In between the LLV and the NGDV was the FFV, a postal vehicle that was produced from 1999 to 2001 in a smaller quantity of 21,239 by Ford and Utilimaster. The FFV was developed in response to The Energy Policy Act of 1992, which required that 25% of government vehicles had to run on alternative fuels, increasing to 75% by 1999. Its body was similar to that of the LLV, but it could run on either gasoline or E85.