The cost of a "rural" delivery has more to do with the fact that it is further from the ramp/station that services it, therefore it takes more mileage/fuel/man-hours to get the pkg there. Plus, routes that deliver these types of areas generally do very few stops in comparison to the in-town routes. I have one route that does 40 dels on a very heavy day. It's kind of like buying in bulk, the more you buy, the cheaper each unit is.
I understand the argument that couriers in "low-cost" areas do the same job, etc.....but look at it from the other side, UPS drivers in NYC/Chicago/etc are not making much in comparison to a UPS driver in Montana who does 1/4 of the stops they do and is living like a king. There are Pros and Cons to both systems, in the end you choose where to live and can transfer, if you so choose.[/QUOTE]
If you think a UPS driver in midtown Manhatten or the slums of Detroit can transfer to a nice scenic route in the lake country of Minnesota or the mountains of Colorado just because they have more seniority you are mistaken. It don't work that way.