MrFedEx
Engorged Member
How often has your manager asked you to take an extended break? Recently, one courier had his truck breakdown on route and was ordered to immediately go on break. To his credit, he refused, and management didn't go any further with it, but to even ask is ridiculous. Since when is it your problem when your piece of crap truck breaks down. That is a FedEx problem.
Here's another example from a friend who is a full-time RTD. He had made his AM run to a station about 60 miles away from the ramp. Bad weather and a fatal accident made getting the PM CTV to the station on-time a questionable proposition, so they asked him to stay all day at the station and bring-back the outbound. He was also told to take at least a 3 hour split. This driver also refused, and told management he'd be happy to just return to the ramp and let the manager fret over getting the PM CTV there. Again, management relented, but to even ask illustrates the way in which they think of us, which is as units of production and miniature cost centers. The RTD is willing to do FedEx a major favor, and then they try and screw him by forcing an extended lunch.
And then there's Code 43 time, which means "Wait For Aircraft/CTV". If you look on the back of your timecard, you won't find it, because they don't want you using it. It's a valid code, so why not list it? They'd much rather put you on break, OR try an old FedEx trick that is actually illegal in many states, which is to have you call-in to a recorder that gives you a modifed start time based on a projected aircraft or CTV arrival. Again, it isn't your problem that the CTV is in the ditch or that the aircraft had a maintenance issue, but FedEx is still going to try and screw you out of 15 minutes or even a couple of hours if you're dumb enough to fall for it.
Go to your station, clock-in at your regular time, and tell them you're available to work. At that point, you've fulfilled your responsibility, and if they want you to wash trucks or sweep floors, that's just fine. At least you are getting paid. If they have nothing for you to do, enter a Code 43, the one that "doesn't exist". Like I said, most states don't allow this practice, but it doesn't keep FedEx from trying it.
Don't play their game. Beat them at it with their own rules.
Here's another example from a friend who is a full-time RTD. He had made his AM run to a station about 60 miles away from the ramp. Bad weather and a fatal accident made getting the PM CTV to the station on-time a questionable proposition, so they asked him to stay all day at the station and bring-back the outbound. He was also told to take at least a 3 hour split. This driver also refused, and told management he'd be happy to just return to the ramp and let the manager fret over getting the PM CTV there. Again, management relented, but to even ask illustrates the way in which they think of us, which is as units of production and miniature cost centers. The RTD is willing to do FedEx a major favor, and then they try and screw him by forcing an extended lunch.
And then there's Code 43 time, which means "Wait For Aircraft/CTV". If you look on the back of your timecard, you won't find it, because they don't want you using it. It's a valid code, so why not list it? They'd much rather put you on break, OR try an old FedEx trick that is actually illegal in many states, which is to have you call-in to a recorder that gives you a modifed start time based on a projected aircraft or CTV arrival. Again, it isn't your problem that the CTV is in the ditch or that the aircraft had a maintenance issue, but FedEx is still going to try and screw you out of 15 minutes or even a couple of hours if you're dumb enough to fall for it.
Go to your station, clock-in at your regular time, and tell them you're available to work. At that point, you've fulfilled your responsibility, and if they want you to wash trucks or sweep floors, that's just fine. At least you are getting paid. If they have nothing for you to do, enter a Code 43, the one that "doesn't exist". Like I said, most states don't allow this practice, but it doesn't keep FedEx from trying it.
Don't play their game. Beat them at it with their own rules.
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