When you see a delivery truck driving down the road, it’s likely to be white, as this is the most common color for delivery vehicles. However, you may notice some delivery trucks in different colors like brown. So what companies use brown delivery trucks?
Several major delivery and logistics companies use brown trucks for some or all of their fleets. The most well-known company with brown delivery trucks is likely UPS, whose trademark brown trucks are familiar sights in many neighborhoods.
Beyond UPS, other delivery companies known for their brown truck fleets include DHL, some FedEx delivery vehicles, and OnTrac. The reasons why these companies opt for brown trucks have to do with branding, camouflage from dirt, and linkage to reliability or ruggedness.
UPS
The most ubiquitous brown delivery truck is likely the UPS package car. UPS first began using brown as a standard color for their fleet in 1916, and the pullman brown color has been a signature part of their brand ever since.
The origin of UPS’s use of brown has to do with the color availability of vehicles in the early 20th century. When UPS first began, their delivered packages via streetcars in Seattle, which happened to be brown. As the company expanded to motor vehicles for deliveries, they stuck with the brown color to maintain branding and familiarity.
Over 100 years later, the iconic UPS brown is synonymous with reliable package delivery around the world. UPS operates over 123,000 package cars, vans, tractors, and motorcycles worldwide, the vast majority of which are pullman brown.
This shade of brown helps promote public recognition of the UPS brand. Most people spotting a brown delivery truck on the road will immediately identify it as a UPS vehicle.
UPS claims the color brown also offers practical advantages. The dark brown color hides dirt and grime accumulated from deliveries. This prevents the need for frequent washing and touch up paint jobs to keep the fleet looking clean.
So when you spot a delivery truck that is pullman brown passing by, it’s almost surely a UPS driver making their rounds. UPS’s enormous global fleet of brown package cars ensures their color is the one most associated with delivery trucks.
DHL
Like UPS, DHL maintains a large fleet of delivery vehicles with a signature color for branding purposes. In DHL’s case, they have used different shades of yellow throughout their history.
However, DHL delivery trucks are not exclusively yellow. They also utilize many vehicles with a golden brown color for both package delivery and logistics trucks.
Particularly in North America, it’s common to see DHL delivery vans and larger trucks in dark brown on the roads. The brown provides their fleet with a similar dirt-masking functionality as UPS’s color.
DHL’s origins trace back to San Francisco in 1969. The company used several industrial colors like green and blue early on before transitioning to a yellow and red color scheme in the 1980s as their current branding emerged.
The brown trucks co-exist with DHL’s better-known yellow vehicles as signature parts of the company’s large global fleet. So if you see a darker brown delivery truck, there’s a good possibility it’s a DHL vehicle.
FedEx
FedEx is best known for its white trucks with the dark purple and orange FedEx logo. However, they also utilize some brown vehicles, primarily for larger delivery trucks.
FedEx operates over 100,000 motorized vehicles worldwide. Most of these are white or gray, but a portion are a darker brown for certain delivery needs.
The FedEx Express division uses these brown trucks, which help handle larger packages and freight. The brown coloring allows the FedEx branding elements to stand out clearly for recognition.
FedEx’s first delivery trucks used a variety of colors like white, orange, and lime green. Over time, the white and purple combo emerged as the standard for smaller couriers and vans. But the company has continually used a subset of brown vehicles, relying on their larger size rather than color for instant recognition.
So while seeing a FedEx brown truck is less common than a white one, they are a regular sight making deliveries in many locations. The brown trucks blend the FedEx logo and stylings with a rugged, professional truck design.
OnTrac
OnTrac is a regional courier company that operates in several Western U.S. states including California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.
OnTrac’s delivery trucks use a distinctive dark brown color, which stands out from the usual white or non-branded trucks most local couriers use. This makes OnTrac vehicles easy to identify as they deliver parcels and letters to homes and businesses.
The company adopted the unique brown fleet color after starting operations in 1991. OnTrac was looking to differentiate itself from larger competitors like UPS and FedEx, so went with a color that would stand out on the roads while still appearing professional.
OnTrac’s brown trucks are recognized throughout the Western states they serve, associating the brand with reliable parcel delivery services. The brown fleet numbering over 800 vehicles provides branding power through consistent use of an unusual delivery truck color.
So if you’re in the Western half of the country and see a brown delivery van, it likely belongs to the OnTrac network serving major metropolitan areas. The brown trucks connect OnTrac’s identity with dependability and customer service.
Associations with Brown Delivery Trucks
UPS, DHL, FedEx, and OnTrac all have specific reasons for incorporating brown truck fleets into their larger networks. The use of brown colors stems from tradition, branding, camouflage, and wanting to appear dependable or rugged.
Here are some key associations people often make when they see a brown delivery truck on the road:
– Reliability – Brown evokes a durable, utilitarian feel related to reliability. This can make brown delivery trucks seem hard-working and professional.
– Strength – Darker brown is sometimes connected with strength, sturdiness, and resilience, which are desirable associations for delivery companies.
– Dirt resistance – Brown does a good job hiding dirt and minor imperfections that accumulate on truck bodies. White trucks show grime much more clearly.
– Trustworthiness – Something about the brown color lends an honest, down-to-earth feel compared to flashier truck colors. This can suggest trustworthiness.
– Tradition – For companies like UPS with long histories, the classic brown reminds people of legacy and tradition, conferring a sense of experience.
– Natural feel – Browns carry an earthy, natural feel compared to metallic truck colors. This can make companies’ fleets blend in more and seem friendly.
– Maturity – Brown evokes maturity and wisdom due to associations with earth tones. This can lend a feeling of confidence in delivery companies’ services.
So while brown trucks are less common than white, black, or other standard colors, companies like UPS and DHL leverage associations with brown effectively to support their brand images. The brown fleets ultimately become company icons through decades of exposure and service.
Size Classes of Brown Delivery Trucks
Delivery companies operate different classes of brown trucks depending on package sizes and routes they need to service. Larger brown delivery trucks are used for freight and bulk deliveries, while smaller brown vans and cars handle local residential delivery routes.
Here are the main size classes of brown delivery trucks companies rely on:
| Class | Example Types |
|---|---|
| Light commercial vehicles | Minivans, pickup trucks, small vans |
| Medium trucks | Walk-in vans, single unit trucks |
| Heavy trucks | Semi-trucks, flatbeds, box trucks |
| Trailers | Semi trailers, tube trailers |
– Light commercial vehicles – UPS, FedEx, and other delivery companies use minivans, small vans, and pickup trucks to deliver small packages in residential areas and across cities. These light brown trucks can access neighborhoods and tight spaces.
– Medium trucks – For moving more substantial numbers of packages between facilities, walk-in vans and single-unit straight trucks are common. These medium brown trucks provide tons of cargo space.
– Heavy trucks – Bulk shipments, palletized goods, and larger packages are transported on heavy brown delivery trucks. These include semi-trucks, flatbeds, refrigerated trucks, and box trucks.
– Trailers – Companies pull a variety of specialized brown trailers like dry vans, curtainsiders, and tube trailers using a tractor. This supports efficient transport of all kinds of goods.
So while UPS and FedEx are known for small brown delivery vans bringing packages to homes, they also operate a huge network of larger brown trucks sending freight across states, countries, and internationally. The brown fleets include diverse vehicles tailored to transportation needs.
Top Brown Delivery Truck Models
Delivery fleets use proven, reliable truck models capable of withstanding the demands of daily driving and cargo hauling. Here are some of the most common brown truck models companies rely on:
| Truck | Class | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|
| Ford Transit | Light commercial vehicle | Ford |
| Mercedes Sprinter | Light commercial vehicle | Mercedes-Benz |
| Freightliner M2 | Medium truck | Freightliner |
| International CV | Medium truck | International |
| Freightliner Cascadia | Heavy truck | Freightliner |
| Kenworth T680 | Heavy truck | Kenworth |
– Ford Transit – The Transit full-size van is one of the most widely used small brown delivery trucks globally. The cargo version offers excellent capacity and accessibility.
– Mercedes Sprinter – Like the Transit, UPS and other delivery companies rely on the Sprinter van for its durability, loading ability, and drive quality.
– Freightliner M2 – The M2 medium-duty truck provides the versatility needed for moving substantial numbers of packages between facilities.
– International CV – International’s CV Series offers excellent reliability and customization options to suit companies’ route needs.
– Freightliner Cascadia – The Cascadia is a ubiquitous tractor model across brown truck fleets. Its aerodynamic cab design improves fuel efficiency.
– Kenworth T680 – Kenworth’s T680 is regarded as an exceptionally comfortable and high-quality tractor suited for long hauls.
Beyond these models, delivery companies also use other common trucks like the Ford E-Series, Hino 195h, Ram ProMaster, and various trailer types. But companies tend to stick with the proven reliability of models like Freightliner and International rather than risk breakdowns.
UPS Brown Truck Fun Facts
With its ubiquitous brown package car fleet, UPS has collected some interesting fun facts and statistics over the company’s hundred-plus year history:
– UPS first used brown trucks in 1916, starting with streetcars in Seattle.
– The official color name “UPS Brown” is pullman brown, a reference to railroad cars.
– UPS added the white logo to their brown trucks in 1961 to improve visibility.
– By 1924, the entire UPS fleet consisted of brown trucks to support branding.
– At its peak in 2007, UPS had roughly 104,000 package cars in operation globally.
– UPS package cars are engineered for a service life of 15-20 years before retirement.
– Over 8,600 UPS mechanics service their vast fleet at UPS maintenance facilities.
– A UPS truck takes an average of 20,000 steps a day during delivery routes.
– UPS’s first custom-built truck was manufactured in1929 to handle larger loads.
– Roughly 35,000 gallons of diesel fuel are needed to fill UPS’s trucks each hour.
– UPS debuted a 1,000 horsepower hybrid electric truck in 2020 for testing.
The sheer size and scope of UPS’s ubiquitous brown delivery truck fleet makes it a significant part of American culture and daily life. The company’s over 100-year attachment to the color brown seems poised to continue well into the future.
Conclusion
Brown delivery trucks on the roads represent some of the largest transportation and logistics companies like UPS, DHL, FedEx, and OnTrac. The brown fleets stem from a mix of tradition, branding, camouflage, and wanting to project a reliable image.
While most people associate the color with UPS, other major delivery providers also utilize brown trucks among their broader vehicle pools. The brown trucks of all sizes handle everything from residential packages to massive freight hauling.
Seeing a flash of pullman brown pass by inspires recognition of the daily hard work delivery companies undertake to transport goods worldwide. The trucks have emerged as icons of global commerce and the logistic networks that power it.
So if you were ever wondering about spotting brown trucks bringing packages, goods, and food supplies around neighborhoods and highways, you can rest assured they represent the backbone of companies focused on delivery reliability and performance. The brown fleets are hard at work 24/7 to fulfill our constant demands for goods at our doorsteps and storefronts.
