Whether it be a UPS delivery vehicle or a USPS mail truck, you may have noticed that occasionally it seems like these trucks don’t have doors. But, that is not necessarily the case. Typically speaking, delivery vehicles do have doors, but many drivers opt to leave them open. And that is for several reasons. 

Do mail trucks have doors?

Generally speaking, trucks like the Grumman LLV and other delivery vehicles do have doors. But, for the job that these trucks do, doors are not necessarily practical. For starters, during the summer months, delivery trucks can become extremely hot. And that is especially true for UPS trucks. 

Many UPS vehicles lack air conditioning, as does the Grumman LLV. And because of that, it makes sense to drive with the doors open in order to keep the cabin cool. The Oshkosh NGDV, which is the new mail truck of the United States Postal Service, will have air conditioning. But it seems like UPS has no plans to equip its fleet with the feature.

That helps explain why during winter months, in cold regions, you will typically see the doors of these vehicles closed. That way, workers can keep the heat in. According to AutoTrader, a USPS mail truck can lose heat fast.

Mail carriers and delivery drivers make frequent stops

When it comes to being a USPS mail carrier or delivery driver for a private company, you are going to be making frequent stops. Because of this, opening and closing doors can quickly become a time-consuming task. By leaving the truck doors open, drivers can easily enter and exit the vehicle without needing to constantly mess with the doors. 

While for normal drivers, closing and opening car doors only takes seconds, those seconds quickly add up when you are doing it so frequently throughout the day. 

Should you buy a delivery truck?

In recent years, van life has become incredibly popular. And some hobbyists have even looked into converting things like a FedEx truck into an adventure vehicle. By design, these vehicles are often easy to stand up inside of, and they offer a fair amount of space for living equipment. 

These vehicles are not the easiest to buy. In the case of the Grumman LLV, you need to look to government auctions in order to purchase one. Plus, they do not come up for sale all that often. 

Why are delivery vehicles right-hand drive?

If you pay attention to mail trucks and delivery vehicles, you might notice that some drivers sit on the opposite side of the vehicle. This is known as right-hand drive or RHD, and it is extremely helpful to those who make deliveries. With RHD configuration, the driver sits closest to the curb when stopped, eliminating a constant need to navigate around traffic. 

In the United States, we are used to left-hand drive. So RHD vehicles do stand out from the crowd. In fact, Jeep still sells a RHD Wrangler for use by rural mail carriers. That way, they can reach mailboxes without needing to exit the vehicle.