Parcel Delivery by Bike

Utility cycling. Something many of us commuters have delved into of recent. Found an interesting post and clip of a beta test that UPS is doing for local delivery.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3RzshYYefc

Interesting to note that the expected 25-50 daily deliveries was surpassed by some riders. Even with the inclement weather!

7 replies
  1. Keri
    Keri says:

    Way cool!

    Having hauled around a trailer full of professional camera gear for a week when Robert and I were shooting for the Law Enforcement Toolkit, I feel qualified to say that Tina is a stud! That trailer gets heavy at the end of the day, even when it’s dropping weight!

    Go UPS! Go Tina!

  2. fred_dot_u
    fred_dot_u says:

    Ya gotta love her attitude too! That’s the kind of job many cyclists would like to have, although I can’t lift the package weights that UPS drivers have to manage. I took delivery of a UPS package yesterday, 102 pounds of air conditioner. That might be one of Tina’s deliveries, but not much left to add in the trailer gross weight after that.

    Did y’all notice the friendly dog near the end of the video? He just wanted to say hello.

  3. Bryan
    Bryan says:

    I had two thoughts.

    1) I’d be pissed if my package was being delivered that way; unsecured in an open trailer, open to the elements–while it’s raining?

    2) You can that winter?

    • Rodney
      Rodney says:

      Bryan,

      1) Check the video at ~2:48. Packages are protected from the elements. Throughout the video, packages are under constant control of the rider, even during drop offs.

      2) Sure you can in the winter. The postal service still delivers mail on foot, even in winter, so why can’t UPS or others do the same by bike?

      Check out the history of USPS using bicycles since 1894.
      http://www.utilitycycling.org/2009/12/mail-delivery-by-bike/

      • Bryan
        Bryan says:

        Sorry for the confusion, that was a typo. I meant “you CALL that winter?”

        As in, that is not winter by any measure I would use. There’s no way you could pull a 200 lb trailer through the winter terrain around here, that’s for sure.

        I’m still not convinced about being sheltered from the elements either. I just took delivery of a piece of original art from one of my favorite artists. Had that package been delivered in the rain in a plastic covered bicycle trailer, I absolutely would have lost it on that delivery person.

        Besides, it’s still an unsecured open trailer that she has to turn her back to at the door. At least packages are locked in the truck normally. And what’s that with using her garage as a depot?

        I’ll be going out of my way to make sure that I don’t use UPS in the future if this is the direction they’re going.

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