Does FedEx have safe driving rules?

*****cleared*****

Active Member
Once your stuck there is no getting out. Time to call the tow. It's pretty pathetic when the tow truck driver shows up to get you out of a driveway that has 3 inches of snow. Bet that is a joke of the day for him and his friends. Now if we could just throw the packages out without stopping, we would never get stuck! Keep moving and your good to go.
 

MAKAVELI

Well-Known Member
Are you talking about not being able to disable the traction control? Or did express mess with the computer so you can't gas it?
The traction control in those older Sprinters is a very crude system which only makes getting stuck easier. Couple that and the pos tires FedEx uses makes them the worst trucks to drive in inclement weather. My guess is the Canadian Sprinters have better tires and/ or the option of switching off the traction control.
 

STFXG

Well-Known Member
Switching off the traction control makes a huge difference in the snow. It now makes sense that you guys can't get going. Lol
 

dezguy

Well-Known Member
The traction control in those older Sprinters is a very crude system which only makes getting stuck easier. Couple that and the pos tires FedEx uses makes them the worst trucks to drive in inclement weather. My guess is the Canadian Sprinters have better tires and/ or the option of switching off the traction control.
My current sprinter has the factory tires on it but we do have weights bolted to the floor, behind the rear tires. We also don't have the option of turning off traction control, it is enabled at all times. We also have rev limiters.

Funny story about being stuck in a driveway, though. Back when I was just a young buck, the station I was at had a bunch of rental vans and unfortunately my route was one of the routes that was assigned one. I'm at a resi stop in the country and the driveway is packed snow. Not centimetres deep but packed down snow. At the end of the drive, there is a lip of snow maybe 5 center manager from where the plow went by and the people living at the home didn't clear, also packed down. I spent 30 minutes at that damn stop because every time I got to the end of the driveway, I couldn't get over that lip. I'd get a running start but couldn't make it over.

I was about to call for a tow (which would have been embarrassing as hell) when the neighbour came over, pulled his pickup into the driveway and pushed me out, laughing the whole while.
 

UPSmechanicinblue

Well-Known Member
I have had the old Dodge Sprinters and the new Mercedes Sprinter and I have never had an issue with them in the winter. I actually think the Mercedes is near impossible to get stuck in snow. We had a couple major storms here this past winter and never once did I feel like I was going to get stuck.

Given the option between a W700 and a Sprinter in the snow, I'd take the Sprinter every time.


UPS only tried the sprinters for about 6 or 7 years. They said the cost to maintain was way to high so we crushed them all. We never bought any again. being a mechanic for UPS I noticed replacement parts where extremely high.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
UPS only tried the sprinters for about 6 or 7 years. They said the cost to maintain was way to high so we crushed them all. We never bought any again. being a mechanic for UPS I noticed replacement parts where extremely high.
They've only gotten worse with horrible DPF and DEF systems. Great fuel mileage but crap beyond that.
 

Operational needs

Virescit Vulnere Virtus
My current sprinter has the factory tires on it but we do have weights bolted to the floor, behind the rear tires. We also don't have the option of turning off traction control, it is enabled at all times. We also have rev limiters.

Funny story about being stuck in a driveway, though. Back when I was just a young buck, the station I was at had a bunch of rental vans and unfortunately my route was one of the routes that was assigned one. I'm at a resi stop in the country and the driveway is packed snow. Not centimetres deep but packed down snow. At the end of the drive, there is a lip of snow maybe 5 center manager from where the plow went by and the people living at the home didn't clear, also packed down. I spent 30 minutes at that damn stop because every time I got to the end of the driveway, I couldn't get over that lip. I'd get a running start but couldn't make it over.

I was about to call for a tow (which would have been embarrassing as hell) when the neighbour came over, pulled his pickup into the driveway and pushed me out, laughing the whole while.

Wow. You guys have weights in yours? That sure would make a huge difference. I noticed a few times when I had pkgs over 100 lbs in my Sprinter, that it drove right through the snow with ease. Without, it was slipping and sliding all over the road.
 

dezguy

Well-Known Member
UPS only tried the sprinters for about 6 or 7 years. They said the cost to maintain was way to high so we crushed them all. We never bought any again. being a mechanic for UPS I noticed replacement parts where extremely high.
They still have a bunch of them up here. The ones modified with the boxed rear. I haven't been seeing them as much as they are starting to bring in the propane step vans. Sprinter parts are pretty ridiculous though. I had a windshield wiper that needed to be replaced this winter. Our mechanic told me each wiper costs upwards of $90.
 

UPSmechanicinblue

Well-Known Member
They still have a bunch of them up here. The ones modified with the boxed rear. I haven't been seeing them as much as they are starting to bring in the propane step vans. Sprinter parts are pretty ridiculous though. I had a windshield wiper that needed to be replaced this winter. Our mechanic told me each wiper costs upwards of $90.
probably with the arm- every engine sensor was 300+, at the time couldnt buy new universal joints-had to buy the whole driveshaft- they explained to me it's like buying a u-joint and getting the driveshaft for free. but seriously beyond the stopping and taking off we used them on shuttle only where they run to make one pickup daily 2 runs 500+ miles daily they where trouble free and I think around 30MPG
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
They still have a bunch of them up here. The ones modified with the boxed rear. I haven't been seeing them as much as they are starting to bring in the propane step vans. Sprinter parts are pretty ridiculous though. I had a windshield wiper that needed to be replaced this winter. Our mechanic told me each wiper costs upwards of $90.

$90 for the blade or for the whole wiper assembly?
 

BigTex61

Well-Known Member
That's right, I've done this. Leave the station, try to do 1 stop, tell dispatch via power pad it's unsafe, head back in. Managers act all butt hurt but nothing they can do.
 
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