USPS , new rule on backing up.

[lja440]

I thought I'd give  everyone a heads up.

Recently there was fatal accident involving a USPS LLV.  A grandmother was struck and killed when she crossed in back of a LLV  that was backing from a driveway after delivering a package. 

Country wide we are getting reports when we back up more than 50 feet  and it will result in a suspension if we get too many. We are now to park and walk packages to the houses (very hard to do with some of the huge and heavy  Amazon boxes), or leave notices if it is not safe to park and get out. 

This goes for us rural carriers in our own vehicles too. Maybe more so as we are often on one lane roads.  If your drive is wide enough to turn around it shouldn't affect you much. But if you get multiple packages or larger packages with some weight (up to about LFRB size) you may want to put up a larger mailbox or take other steps, like creating a pull off along the berm of your road to park in.

I know this is extreme for the casual buyer or seller but for those who daily get packages or have pick-ups, please consider it. And know this is not your carrier being a butt head, this is coming down from way higher up and nothing your lowly carrier or local Postmaster can do about it.

[dare-2046]

Reminded of this story.

[lja440]

Tragic story. My husband was a truck driver and that was a worry with his cab over, people walking out in front close to the truck. With the way they are you can't see what is directly in front of the cab. 

Always remember if YOU cant see the driver, they can't see you. If you can't see the mirrors from the rear the driver can't see you. There are 7 mirrors on the LLV's to reduce blind spots but there still are some. The closer you are to a vehicle like these the more danger you are in especially if they are backing or turning. 

[a_c_green]

They've issued those edicts on a regular basis around our area, too. The carriers observe the rule scrupulously at first, then everyone backslides on it, and eventually (every few years, in my experience, and we've been here over 20) they'll issue the notice again.

Our driveway doesn't require 50 feet of reversing, by my guess, and the neighbors' driveways are even shorter than that, so no one's been squished by a reversing vehicle as far as anyone can recall.

[muttlymob]

"USPS , new rule on backing up."

What is the new rule?

[soh.maryl]

Thanks for the heads up.  I'd never given this much thought.  Lucky for me my driveway is both wide and long, so there is no reason or need for back up.

It's a shame that all commercial vehicles are not required to be equipped with those "beep beep" warning signals like, for instance, a lot of construction vehicles have.  

[tools*]

As inexpensive as tiny high-definition digital cameras are today, why can't all trucks and tractor-trailers have them? Tractor-trailers in particular should have front, side, and rear cameras.

[lja440]

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@tools* wrote:

As inexpensive as tiny high-definition digital cameras are today, why can't all trucks and tractor-trailers have them? Tractor-trailers in particular should have front, side, and rear cameras.

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Yes, that is my thought also. It would help me a lot especially as my Jeep is often loaded to the point that I can't really use my mirrors.  Heck Friday I couldn't even sit straight for the first hour. Long package sticking up the middle of the Jeep overtop the console. Last week I had a similar one but it was like a 1inch or two too long hitting the windshield and wouldn't allow the back glass down. It wouldn't have been delivered until the last hour of the route. 

But back up cameras would cost money that we would have to ask Congress for a rate hike to implement.  Stating "YOU WILL NOT BACK UP!" costs them nothing.

I'm going to see if I can post a picture that I have on my phone. I don't usually post from my phone.

[nc-daydreamer]

Thanks fr the post and the pics. That is quite a wake-up call to me anyway. I had no idea that trucks were loaded like that some days. Will indeed keep those pics in my head and remember. How anyone can deliver all of that in one day is a mystery to me. Congrats on a job obviously well done. Be safe out there!

[lja440]

My route is assessed at 8.20 hours a day. We are not supposed to start until 7:30 but I usually get there around 6:30 and start casing. USPS does not take into account bad roads or heavy boxes. Only miles and number of mailboxes.  I am usually on the route 6 to 6 and a half hours a day. No way can I case the days mail in only a hour.