# What's up with the UPS "bus?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 31, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-ups-bus/601421 "2011-10-31T20:09:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-ups-bus/601421/1 "2011-10-31T20:09:53Z")
I just saw one of [these](http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1137/528583714_803de7a830.jpg) in Portland, OR: a UPS delivery truck that had sliding windows in the side and seats (with passengers) in the back. Anyone know what it is? It didn’t seem likely that it was simply a 3rd-party re-use (as with ex-police cruisers or ex-U-Haul trucks that have been sold and turned to other purposes), as the UPS logo was still fully visible. (And I wouldn’t swear to it, but I think that the driver had a UPS uniform on.) Was it some sort of transport to move employees between different UPS facilities in town/the region? Something else I’m not imagining? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-ups-bus/601421/2 "2011-10-31T22:07:12Z")
Here’s a page with a pic and a discussion: [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/1137/528583714_803de7a830_b.jpg "UPS Bus") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/southerncalifornian/528583714/) ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-ups-bus/601421/3 "2011-10-31T22:11:00Z")
Yeah, I saw that page; just didn’t see the second-tier discussion all the way at the bottom! > [@](#): > > **tavelkyosoba** > I thought those were used for driver training. They stuff all the trainees into the back and go for a spin. > > **diamondreo90** > This is a driver training vehicle for The “Smith System” of space and visibility during driving. No cites for their assertions, but they seem likely. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-ups-bus/601421/4 "2011-10-31T22:21:41Z")
Okay. It’s mentioned briefly in this article: [http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-04-08/business/fl-ups-jobs-training-20100408\_1\_ups-driver-jobs-training](http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-04-08/business/fl-ups-jobs-training-20100408_1_ups-driver-jobs-training) “On a recent day, UPS students at Integrad moved through “kinetic learning” modules. In one corner, they practiced loading and unloading packages from a UPS truck with clear sides, timed by instructors.” That’s a valid cite that proves they are used, at least in part, for training. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-ups-bus/601421/5 "2011-10-31T22:27:49Z")
Nice! Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-ups-bus/601421/6 "2011-10-31T22:29:22Z")
The vehicle depicted in the link in post #2 hardly has clear sides, just little windows. You won’t be able to see much about how trainees are loading it through those. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-ups-bus/601421/7 "2011-10-31T22:31:27Z")
Good save, consider my post retracted. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-ups-bus/601421/8 "2011-10-31T22:36:21Z")
True, but it is more circumstantial evidence re: UPS’s apparently extensive training program… ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-ups-bus/601421/9 "2011-10-31T23:24:56Z")
So they’re not delivering people now? ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-ups-bus/601421/10 "2011-10-31T23:40:56Z")
My wife suggested they were delivering mail-order brides. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-ups-bus/601421/11 "2011-10-31T23:42:25Z")
The first person with a Soylent Brown joke is getting kicked in the shins. Just sayin’… ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-ups-bus/601421/12 "2011-11-01T01:02:41Z")
> [@toadspittle](#): > > Was it some sort of transport to move employees between different UPS facilities in town/the region? Something else I’m not imagining? Probably is just that. Anyplace that has a decent # of employees like a good sized UPS distribution center is gonna have need to occasionally cart 5-10 of them off for drug tests, dmv stuff for drivers, classes, bringing out a small crew to transfer loads off a broken down truck, whatever. Since UPS trucks are not set up to legally transport more than 1-2 people, having a parade of UPS trucks go individually would be silly. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-ups-bus/601421/13 "2011-11-01T15:24:34Z")
Looks like we have our answer but I thought I’d add that (it is my understanding) UPS doesn’t offer their used trucks for sale and re-use. Several cites: [(Google search results)](http://www.google.com/search?client=opera&rls=en&q=ups+truck+used&sourceid=opera&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&channel=suggest) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-ups-bus/601421/14 "2011-11-01T15:35:24Z")
“What can brown do for you?” Umm, gimme a lift?