Editing Grumman LLV (section)

==History==
In the [[United States of America|United States]], the Grumman LLV is the most common vehicle used by letter carriers for curbside and residential delivery of [[mail]], replacing the previous standard letter-carrier vehicle, the [[Jeep DJ|Jeep DJ-5]]. Curbside delivery from a driver seated in a vehicle to a [[Letter box#United States|curbside mailbox]] is sometimes termed "mounted delivery", in contrast to walking delivery.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Righter|first1=T.L.|title=Restructuring the Postal Service for the 21st Century|url=http://postalmag.com/editorial9.htm|publisher=postalmag.com (an independent site and is not affiliated with the USPS, its labor unions, or any other postal organizations.)|access-date=12 October 2014|quote=Mounted delivery is on average 50% more efficient than walking door to door.}}</ref>

The Grumman LLV was the first vehicle specifically designed for the [[United States Postal Service]] (USPS); the USPS provided a specification and three teams created prototypes that were tested in [[Laredo, Texas]], in 1985: [[Grumman]] in partnership with [[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]], Poveco (a joint venture of [[Fruehauf]] and [[General Automotive Corporation]]), and [[American Motors Corporation]].<ref name=PopeLLV/> The main design points of the vehicle in contract competition were serviceability, handling in confined areas, and overall economical operation. Prototypes were each subjected to a {{cvt|24000|mi}} road test, including frequent starts and stops, gravel surfaces, cobblestones and potholes, hauling a payload of up to {{cvt|2000|lb}}.<ref name=PopeLLV/>

Previously, Grumman had built a limited number of [[KurbWatt]]s, a [[battery electric vehicle]] with an aluminum delivery van body, which was tested by the USPS in the early 1980s.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a30104793/electric-postal-van/ |title=This Cute Box on Wheels Is an Ultra-Rare Electric Postal Van From the Gas Crunch |author=Hogan, Mack |date=December 7, 2019 |work=Road & Track |access-date=6 February 2023}}</ref> At about the same time, Grumman also built 500 KubVans, which used a similar lightweight aluminum delivery body on a [[Volkswagen Caddy|Volkswagen Pickup]] diesel chassis and also underwent testing by the USPS. These designs influenced Grumman's candidate body design for the LLV.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/10/kubside-classic-1983-grumman-kubvan/ |title=KubSide Classic: 1983 Grumman KubVan |author=Niedermeyer, Paul |date=March 9, 2011 |work=The Truth About Cars |access-date=6 February 2023}}</ref> Grumman won the competition and was awarded a $1.1&nbsp;billion contract to produce 99,150 LLVs in April 1986;<ref name=AP-86>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=W_xNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iIsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6779%2C4061698 |work=[[The Free-Lance Star]]|title=Mail van built for long life|author=Robert Byrd|agency=[[Associated Press]]|pages=11|date=9 April 1986}}</ref> USPS also held an option for an additional 54,000 LLVs.<ref name=UPI-87>{{cite news |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/05/13/New-postal-trucks-designed-to-last-24-years/9571547876800/ |title=New postal trucks designed to last 24 years |author=Singleton, David |date=May 13, 1987 |work=UPI Archives |access-date=6 February 2023}}</ref>

===Production===
The vehicles were assembled by the Allied Division of Grumman in [[Clinton Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania|Clinton Township]] in [[Lycoming County, Pennsylvania]]. The first vehicle was completed in April 1986. At peak production, 95 LLVs were completed each day, at a rate of approximately one every five minutes.<ref name=UPI-87/> Grumman invested $28&nbsp;million into the factory, doubling its size to {{cvt|213000|ft2}} and increasing the workforce from 250 to 600.<ref name=UPI-87/>

The USPS purchased more than 100,000 of these vehicles, the last one in 1994.<ref name="afvs">{{cite web |url=http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/pdfs/usps_cs.pdf |title=Nation's Largest Alternative-Fuel Fleet Delivers the Goods for the U.S. Postal Service |author=Argonne National Laboratory |author-link=Argonne National Laboratory |publisher=[[U.S. Department of Energy]] |access-date=January 8, 2014}}</ref> As its name suggests, the Grumman LLV is easily capable of a long life. The required lifespan specified by the U.S. Postal Service was 24 years, but in 2009, this was extended to 30 years. The Grumman LLV can easily last over 200,000 miles on its original engine and transmission before needing an overhaul.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.motorbiscuit.com/exactly-how-many-miles-usps-mail-truck-last|title=Exactly How Many Miles Does a USPS Mail Truck Last?|work=MotorBiscuit|date=2023-02-14|access-date=2023-02-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2007/html/pb22207/news.2.4.html|title=Going the distance: This LLV puts long into life|work=[[United States Postal Service]]|date=2007-05-24|access-date=2023-02-17}}</ref>

[[File:LLV and FFV in Houston.JPG|thumb|right|1987 LLV (left) and 2000 [[Ford-Utilimaster FFV|FFV]] (right)]]
The USPS acquired 21,000 [[Ford-Utilimaster FFV|Ford–Utilimaster FFV]]s in 2000 and 2001 to supplement the LLV fleet. The FFVs have a similar aluminum body and also are right-hand drive, but ride on a chassis built by [[Ford Motor Company]] with a body built by [[Utilimaster]].<ref name=GAO/>{{rp|12}}

In 2010, approximately 140,000 LLVs remained in the USPS delivery fleet;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mreed.umtri.umich.edu/mreed/pubs/Reed_2005-01-2675.pdf |title=2005-01-2675. Application of Digital Human Modeling to the Design of a Postal Delivery Vehicle |first1=Matthew P. |last1=Reed |publisher=[[University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute]]/[[Society of Automotive Engineers]] |first2=Kristy |last2=Satchell |first3=Aris |last3=Nichols |access-date=January 8, 2014}}</ref><ref name="GAO">{{cite report |first1=Phillip |last1=Herr |first2=Kathleen (Assistant Director) |display-authors=2 |last2=Turner |first3=Nicola |last3=Clifford |first4=Bess |last4=Eisenstadt |first5=Laura |last5=Erion |first6=Tim |last6=Guinane |first7=Kenneth |last7=John |first8=Alexander |last8=Lawrence |first9=Joshua |last9=Ormond |first10=Robert |last10=Owens |first11=Matthew |last11=Rosenberg |first12=Kelly |last12=Rubin |first13=Karla |last13=Springer |first14=James |last14=Ungvarsky |first15=Crystal |last15=Wesco |first16=Alwynne |last16=Wilbur |date=May 2011 |title=Report to Congressional Requesters: UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE: Strategy Needed to Address Aging Delivery Fleet |url=https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-11-386.pdf |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=[[Government Accountability Office]] |id=GAO-11-386 |access-date=19 August 2020}}</ref>{{rp|12}} retirement and attrition had reduced that to 126,000 by 2021.<ref name=ngdvFEIS/>{{rp|Table 4-6.13}} A number were also sold to Canada, Mexico, and several other countries.{{Citation needed|date=June 2010}}