We might be immersed in a digital revolution, but when it comes to sending important messages there are times when only an old-fashioned letter will do.
Now a new stamp from the U.S. Postal Service has been released that aims to send an extra message with your mail: to check your tire pressures.
The stamp, which shows a man checking the tires on his car alongside the instruction “maintain tire pressure”, is part of a sixteen-stamp series under the USPS’ “Go Green Forever” slogan.
With the largest civilian fleet in the world of nearly 214,000 vehicles, the USPS knows how important having correctly inflated tires can be.
Even a drop in gas mileage of one mile per gallon due to poor maintenance, driving habits or under-inflated tires on every one of its vehicles would equate to an astronomical increase in its annual fuel bills.
“The Postal Service is building a culture of conservation that benefits our workplace and the communities we serve,” said Thomas Day, USPS chief sustainability officer. “We believe the tried and true tips our letter carriers use to conserve fuel when delivering mail can also help motorists during the summer driving season, and year round.”
Its list of green driving tips contains all the usual suspects --such as not speeding, ensuring correct maintenance and trying not to idle -- but it’s nice to see the USPS try to pass on its own experiences of green driving in this unique way.
Talking of fleets, the USPS makes a point to note in its press release that it currently has 41,000 alternative fuel vehicles in its fleet, including those powered by ethanol, biodiesel, compressed natural gas and electric, 125 percent more than it had in 2005.
The tire pressure stamp, as well as others in the Go Green Forever series, can be purchased at the USPS website, or by visiting your local post office.
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