“Long-Life Vehicles” turned out to be a fully appropriate name for the fleet of 163,000 carrier vehicles the Postal Service first bought in 1987. Now looking to replace them, the Postal Service recently issued a Request for Information and Sources Sought notice for its “Next Generation Delivery Vehicle” (NGDV). Companies have until March 5, 2015 to submit their comments and pre-qualification responses. The Postal Service will then determine which companies will be eligible to receive the RFP for competitive prototype development.

The Postal Service anticipates making a single award to a supplier for up to 180,000 vehicles. With an anticipated price range of $25,000 to $30,000 per vehicle, that works out to a contract valued between $4.5 and $5.4 billion. But don’t expect the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and other bedrock federal procurement laws to apply to this purchase. The Postal Service is exempt from a wide-range of federal procurement rules and has its own purchasing policies called the Supplying Principles and Practices manual.

While the NGDVs are expected to share some design similarities with the current Long-Life Vehicle, the draft specifications describe many enhancements. The new vehicle must accommodate more package volume, have improved ergonomics and functionality, obtain better fuel economy, and produce lower harmful emissions. And, of course, neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night should stay these vehicles from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. If all goes to plan, the first delivery of 3,000 vehicles will be making their rounds by January 2018.