The Duvall Post Office has just received six new postal vehicles that will replace the carrier-owned cars that have been the longtime staple of Postal Service rural delivery.

The Post Office received one vehicle, called LLV’s, for each route, said Postmaster Pete Bower.

The change, however, will mean rural route residents will have to adjust their mailboxes so they will be 44 inches above the road. Most mailboxes are currently lower so the letter carrier can reach them from the car.

The Carnation Post Office has not yet received any new vehicles, but expects to sometime in the future, said Carnation Postmaster John Dale.

“Allocation is based on the size of routes,” he said. “The plan by the Postal Service is to eventually furnish new vehicles nationwide to the rural Post Offices.”

Letter carriers are compensated for the use of their own vehicle, he said.

“But even so, we have lost a lot of good applicants because they have to use their own car,” he added.