WARRENVILLE, Ill. — International Truck and Engine Corporation has reached an agreement to deliver more than 1,700 International 4000 Series medium-duty trucks to the U.S. postal service.

Under the terms of the agreement, International will manufacture approximately 1,700 International 4400 model medium-duty trucks, which will be deployed in 2004 by the USPS as the newest additions to its fleet of cargo vans.

Utilimaster Corporation will act as subcontractor for the manufacture and installation of the van bodies, which will be in 18- and 24-ft. configurations.

"The U.S. Postal Service operates one of the most sophisticated transport and delivery fleets in the world, so we’re particularly pleased that our vehicles have been able to exceed their expectations for efficient, reliable operation and outstanding performance," said Dee Kapur, president of International Truck and Engine Corporation’s truck group

The agreement between the two organizations also will allow the U.S. Postal Service to upgrade part of its medium-duty truck fleet to International DT 466 diesel engines compliant with stricter emissions requirements that went into effect on Jan. 1, 2004. The agreement calls for all 1,700 vehicles to be equipped with 2004 emissions-compliant engines.

The vehicles manufactured for the U.S. Postal Service also will offer International Diamond Logic Technology, the multiplexed electrical system that self-diagnoses problems in the operation of a truck or its equipment, and helps reduce overall repair troubleshooting time by as much as 80 per cent.

Additional information is available at www.InternationalDelivers.com