Community Chat

[Trailrun23]

I would think anyone who had been walking 8 miles a day on his route for so many years would be in good shape for age 66...but anyone is vulnerable in these humidity/ heat conditions....especially someone at his age. 

[Trailrun23]

He was a federal gov't employee that has a powerful union, so am sure he was at least already eligible for  pension benefits; he had worked there 40 yrs. The cause of death has not been officially announced...but the record humidity that day caused many 911 calls through the area, many who were hospitalized for heat stroke or heat illness....so hard to imagine the heat was not a factor. 

[Cakers3]

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@Trailrun23 wrote:

UPS just confirmed they will begin putting a/c in their trucks, have not seen anything about USPS doing the same. The main problem for USPS mail carriers in residential areas is that many of them must park their trucks and walk house-to- house to deliver the mail. The man who died walked 8 miles a day on his route, according to his wife. For the UPS trucks, they are open to the elements for quick access so it will be interesting to see how and when they follow through with their promise to the union. 

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@Trailrun23  From what I read the new UPS vehicles purchased after January 1st 2024 will have A/C and they plan to distribute them to hotter areas where possible. They will not have enough vehicles right away for all locations.

It's a start long overdue.

The older vehicles will be fitted with exhaust heat shields to keep the floors cooler and another system to increase airflow in cargo areas.

A second fan in truck cabs will be installed, too.

Interesting USPS vehicles do not have air bags. I'm not sure if newer ones have them but older models do not.

[icezeus]

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@on the bay wrote:

I have an inlaw who has been a mail carrier for many years. I was shocked to learn their trucks have no air conditioning at all and the heat can build in there and outside as well.

But I just read that starting next year the trucks will have AC.

The heat in the winter is not always reliable right now either.

That is so sad that this man lost his life.

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@on the bay 

Are you thinking of UPS? The brown trucks. That's one of the concessions that the Teamsters were able to negotiate and UPS begins installing them next year, beginning with the hottest parts of the country. 

[on the bay]

@icezeus,

I think you are right. I think i read that ups was getting ac but in reading further I read this-

"Last year, USPS announced a plan to purchase up to 165,000 vehicles over the next ten years. The Peggy Frank Memorial Act will require USPS to include climate control units within three years."

It was horrible to read that there have been more deaths in these usps trucks due to heat exhaustion. This is so barbaric. I just can't understand this. They have been cited and warned by OSHA for exposing over 900 employees to illness and DEATH due to heat exhaustion.Trucks can reach 128 degrees inside.