Ford Model AA 1-Ton Parcel Post Truck (photo)

This 1931 Ford Model AA truck was used primarily for carrying parcel post packages. Through the 1920s the US postal truck fleet was a mess—43 different vehicle types made by 23 different manufacturers. Parts and repair costs were draining the budget. In 1929 Congress agreed to fund a standardized fleet of postal trucks. Over the next few years thousands of new trucks were purchased to carry mail and parcel post. Strained finances during the Great Depression and World War II forced postal officials to keep these trucks on the road as best they could into the early 1950s.