UPS announced Tuesday it had reached an agreement on new heat safety measures for employees, which include air-conditioning in delivery vehicles and cab fans.
“We care deeply about our people, and their safety remains our top priority. Heat safety is no exception,” said UPS in a press release.
The delivery company said its always remained open to solutions that keep its employees safe on hot days and air conditioning has always been a top priority for its team members.
The agreement includes adjustments to package cars that improve airflow and create new heat barriers that will help reduce heat in the cargo area.
Technical details of the agreement include:
- Air Conditioning – We have agreed to equip all newly purchased U.S. small package delivery vehicles with air conditioning starting January 1, 2024. Where possible, new vehicles will be allocated to the hottest parts of the country first.
- Cab Fans – In response to our employees, we’ve worked to install cab fans in our package cars, providing additional airflow for drivers. Package cars will have a cab fan retrofitted within thirty days of contract ratification. We’ll install a second fan in vehicles without air conditioning by June 1, 2024.
- Exhaust Heat Shields in Cargo Floor – Exhaust heat shields minimize heat conduction from the powertrain into the floor of the vehicle. Preliminary tests show that these shields can reduce the floor temperature by up to 17 degrees F. We have agreed that these will be included in the production of new package cars moving forward and retrofitted into existing package cars within 18 months of contract ratification.
- Cargo Area Forced-Air Induction: Scoop Air Intake – The forced-air induction system brings fresh air from the front of the vehicle into the cargo area. Adding an air intake vent on the passenger side feeds fresh air to the cargo bay and creates a forced induction that helps increase the airflow velocity. We have agreed that these will be included in the production of new package cars moving forward and retrofitted into existing package cars within 18 months of contract ratification.
