USPS investigating drone delivery options

The agency’s drone operations, to be regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), will support various missions, including “Long Driveway Delivery,” in which a launches from vehicle, makes a delivery and returns to the vehicle while the delivery truck continues on its route, according to the proposal. USPS is also considering a “Ride-Sharing Model” where customers can access the agency’s drone fleet for business-to-customer delivery.

“Successful and competent testing will lead to limited testing in real-world delivery environments identified by USPS and with the consent of FAA and local governments,” the agency stated. “The overall testing goal is to bring a valued and safe service to the United States that is expandable and sustainable.”

USPS said it is considering drones on delivery routes that are costly to operate and would therefore provide the most benefit for drone deployment. It plans to operate drones a minimum of eight continuous hours per day over hilly terrain, water, semi-improved roads, and eventually over city streets. The initial plan calls for drones making an average four flights and deliveries per day of mail and packages and using as many as three per hour, according to the proposal.

In addition to providing mail delivery services, the agency also wants to use UAS systems as a way to collect geospatial and sensor data to create “useful three-dimensional mapping for use in autonomous vehicle initiatives,” the agency stated. USPS and self-driving truck startup TuSimple announced plans earlier this year to test USPS long-haul trailers between Phoenix, Arizona, and Dallas, Texas.

Proposal submissions must be received no later than November 4 and submitted via email to: maryellen.mcgowan@usps.gov.