[tingletech]

weird, rural route carriers are independent contractors who provide their own vehicles, or at least that is how it used to work.

[jjtheblunt]

still works that way even in the north end of the phoenix metro area in the foothills of the mountains, where we live. and this is not like the boonies, just the edge of suburbia abutted with mountains.

[zerocrates]

Could be just longer routes in rural areas that caused the effect in the analysis rather than necessarily actual designated "rural routes."