Postal Jeeps make a comebackWhen Jeep returned from WWII, it immediately started manufacturing postal jeeps, also known as mail jeeps and jeeps for the agricultural industry. Jeep was and is considered to be the ultimate utilitarian vehicle. It is nice and compact and can go just about anywhere.
The postal market requires a vehicle with capability and versatility. As off-road, four- wheel drive vehicles, jeeps can handle the weather and rough terrain and still be fun to drive. The credo of being able to deliver mail anytime, anywhere and in all seasons means that postal jeeps need to be sturdy vehicles. The Jeep Dispatcher (DJ3A) was one of the first postal jeeps built for the U.S. Postal Service. This leader of jeeps was based on the Jeep Universal (CJ3A) introduced in 1949. The DJ3A was built from 1955 to 1964 and was equipped with a flat four engine to cut costs. These original two wheel drive jeeps featured hard tops and sliding doors.
Next in the line of mail jeeps was the Jeep Dispatcher DJ5 model produced from 1965 to 1983. It was based on the Jeep CJ5, which was one of the most popular civilian Jeeps ever. It saw major improvements in power, axles, transmission and seating comfort. It also featured a rounded body contour. The last postal jeep sold was the 2001 Jeep Cherokee, which has been since then discontinued. In 2002, the Chrysler Group reintroduced mail jeeps. The 2003 jeep Wrangler right-hand drive was to be the model for the latest postal jeeps. While sporting the same signature Jeep grille and round headlamps, as the historic jeeps, the new Jeep Wrangler has some exterior differences. The new jeeps have hard tops with full metal doors and roll up windows to keep the mail safe. The interior has rear removable seats to create ample space for bulk mail and packages.
Other standard features of the new postal jeeps include the interior with front cloth seats and dual easy access as well as a flush-mounted AM/FM cassette radio with four speakers. The exterior features of the jeeps include a Dana 44 heavy-duty rear axles with TracLokTM, P215/75R15 Wrangler all-terrain tires, full-face wheels and a full-size spare tire. Thus, it is a tribute to the robust nature of the Jeep that continually makes it the perfect vehicle for delivering the mail.
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