I would have been mildly pissed. Might have asked to return them, or figure it's not worth the effort. I'm glad that at least you got what you needed.
I'm thinking in generalities because this is a common issue. So, I posed the question to Ms. Google. Here is a typical response:
This post includes more information that I didn't share here.
This is what my mailbox looks like:
It's about a short city block down the street. I check USPS Informed Delivery to find out if anything interesting was delivered.
My mailbox is Kool & the Gang, baby. A slot in the door of a mostly underground garage.
And just thinking about how the mail is moved, I'm not buying a delivery truck at all, and I'm not sure about a trailer, either.
But, thinking the whole process through, there's definitly one way I could easily accept that it could happen. If somebody dropped the package in a blue curbside mailbox for pickup, yes, I bet it could get hot enough in there.
I'm thinking in generalities because this is a common issue. So, I posed the question to Ms. Google. Here is a typical response:
https://www.quora.com/Do-US-mail-trucks-not-have-air-conditioningNope.
They generally have a pretty good fan, with duct work extending the length of the vehicle, so the air is not coming directly from the vehicle's hot engine.
Honestly, I think it would be counterproductive to have AC in those vehicles. They are little more than a tin can, with absolutely NO insulation, and the huge windows are usually open on both sides. Plus, as long as it's safe, we can roll with the door open as well. (Of course, the PO has defined, pretty clearly, what a “safe situation” looks like)
Also, with all the stopping and starting, there's no way (I believe) to keep an Air Conditioning functioning on a consistent basis. Maintenance for it would eat into time needed to fix more important safety issues, like breaks or replacing bald tires. The official “mail trucks” are maintained by a Vehicle Maintainable Facility (VMF), which serves all the vehicles in their local area. Their management has been instructed to limit hours just like (apparently) everybody else.
This post includes more information that I didn't share here.
This is what my mailbox looks like:
It's about a short city block down the street. I check USPS Informed Delivery to find out if anything interesting was delivered.