Peak 2017

[bbsam]

Got a call today. Station 3 hours from us is desperately seeking drivers to come in and help. Our building has become a revolving door in the last few months so I just kinda laughed at them. If they're struggling that much for drivers now, peak will destroy them.

Two questions:

1. Is this a widespread problem?

2. When will Pittsburgh/Memphis figure out that it really is about the money?

 

[Tired Driver]

All supervisors drove today. Will file on Monday.

 

[Operational needs]

Got a call today. Station 3 hours from us is desperately seeking drivers to come in and help. Our building has become a revolving door in the last few months so I just kinda laughed at them. If they're struggling that much for drivers now, peak will destroy them.

Two questions:

1. Is this a widespread problem?

2. When will Pittsburgh/Memphis figure out that it really is about the money?

Revolving door st my station.

 

[Star B]

from what I've been hearing.... it's been starting at mine.

 

[bacha29]

Got a call today. Station 3 hours from us is desperately seeking drivers to come in and help. Our building has become a revolving door in the last few months so I just kinda laughed at them. If they're struggling that much for drivers now, peak will destroy them.

Two questions:

1. Is this a widespread problem?

2. When will Pittsburgh/Memphis figure out that it really is about the money?

Perhaps this might have something to do with it. As we converse an average of 12,000 boomers are heading off to retirement and will do so everyday 365 days a year for the next 17 years. The end result is that not all of those jobs are being eliminated. And yes it is the money. As you know a contractor needs a reserve of trucks and part time manpower that they can deploy on an as needed basis, The problem is when a person comes into the station they in almost every case in desperate of need full time family sustaining employment with benefits which is what they have come to believe they will find at a high profile, high image company like Fedex. However, word spreads fast and the word is out as far as Ground goes and the result is fewer people make inquiries at Ground. And so here's the dilemma. A contractor caught between a company that want every damn dollar the box generates and a diminishing pool of qualified people willing to work for what that contractor can offer.In fact the terminal I helped get started has inquired about me being on standby in case short daylight, bad weather and record volume has them in a bad way.

 

[Star B]

In fact the terminal I helped get started has inquired about me being on standby in case short daylight, bad weather and record volume has them in a bad way.

100$/hour wet lease.

No? Oh well!

 

[bacha29]

100$/hour wet lease.

No? Oh well!

I told them ,"Look I'm 64 years old and I have enough titanium in me to make yourself a set of golf clubs and so it's going to take an act of Congress or an act of the God to get me to climb back into one of those tin coffins on wheels again. But, just to drive them crazy I'll take my completed I-9 and my new medical card up to them on Monday.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Peak sneaks up out of no where every year at UPS.

 

[MAKAVELI]

Got a call today. Station 3 hours from us is desperately seeking drivers to come in and help. Our building has become a revolving door in the last few months so I just kinda laughed at them. If they're struggling that much for drivers now, peak will destroy them.

Two questions:

1. Is this a widespread problem?

2. When will Pittsburgh/Memphis figure out that it really is about the money?

Oh they know it's about $. The real issue is they won't do anything about it until it starts costing them serious $.

 

[Fred's Myth]

Peak sneaks up out of no where every year at UPS.

That's because the timing of when peak actually occurs is so erratic. Extremely difficult to hit a moving target.

 

[STFXG]

Just get that entry level driver program going. Hire cheap 21 year olds since it's such a pain to find qualified drivers. Then laugh when your accident rates go through the roof and they threaten termination. Fun times.

 

[silenze]

They are going to have to give major incentives to attract seasonal hires

 

[OrioN]

As vantexan pointed out on another thread, Amazon hiring early on had thin the herd...

There's 3 major fulfillment centers in my area, with 3 more north of me & I'm not in a huge state... having bennies from day one just working inside a warehouse is a better incentive than being out on the road in bad snowy weather & in the dark

I'm already passing the word around to customers that my route will split into 3 routes by thanksgiving & asking for any suckers, err, supplemental drivers to join team eggplant for the holiday season.

Quick research online will open their eyes that this is a dead end job, no OT, no bennies, no paid vacation or holidays, etc... it's gonna be tough to attract the decent wheel guys n gals who like being outside

 

[Serf]

Perhaps this might have something to do with it. As we converse an average of 12,000 boomers are heading off to retirement and will do so everyday 365 days a year for the next 17 years

I do agree with you. It will be ugly. I'm not sure the way the system is set up currently that it could sustain this.

 

[vantexan]

As vantexan pointed out on another thread, Amazon hiring early on had thin the herd...

There's 3 major fulfillment centers in my area, with 3 more north of me & I'm not in a huge state... having bennies from day one just working inside a warehouse is a better incentive than being out on the road in bad snowy weather & in the dark

I'm already passing the word around to customers that my route will split into 3 routes by thanksgiving & asking for any suckers, err, supplemental drivers to join team eggplant for the holiday season.

Quick research online will open their eyes that this is a dead end job, no OT, no bennies, no paid vacation or holidays, etc... it's gonna be tough to attract the decent wheel guys n gals who like being outside

Kind of ironic that Amazon is hampering Fed's ability to deliver Amazon. Better not build that wall after all!

 

[vantexan]

Perhaps this might have something to do with it. As we converse an average of 12,000 boomers are heading off to retirement and will do so everyday 365 days a year for the next 17 years. The end result is that not all of those jobs are being eliminated. And yes it is the money. As you know a contractor needs a reserve of trucks and part time manpower that they can deploy on an as needed basis, The problem is when a person comes into the station they in almost every case in desperate of need full time family sustaining employment with benefits which is what they have come to believe they will find at a high profile, high image company like Fedex. However, word spreads fast and the word is out as far as Ground goes and the result is fewer people make inquiries at Ground. And so here's the dilemma. A contractor caught between a company that want every damn dollar the box generates and a diminishing pool of qualified people willing to work for what that contractor can offer.In fact the terminal I helped get started has inquired about me being on standby in case short daylight, bad weather and record volume has them in a bad way.

I have a feeling a lot of boomers will be working until at least 70.

 

[vantexan]

I do agree with you. It will be ugly. I'm not sure the way the system is set up currently that it could sustain this.

Boomers were born when, 1946-1964? By the time the youngest retire at 67-70 most of the older ones will have passed away. It'll be a strain, but not forever.

 

[bacha29]

Boomers were born when, 1946-1964? By the time the youngest retire at 67-70 most of the older ones will have passed away. It'll be a strain, but not forever.

Good points. The results of a recent survey says that 62% of boomers have less than $50,000 set aside for retirement.Remember too when a person reaches their full retirement age in most cases age 66 they can work as much as they want and earn as much as they want unencumbered There are also other programs and rules. In fact in my case over a span of the next 22 months until I reach full retirement age there are 9 months of my choosing within that span where I can work and earn as much as I want with no benefit penalty. The reason being is that on the advice of professionals in the field I went out on Social Security Disability .Yes a person on disability can be called in for a medical review as early as 3 years after going on disability but in my case I will have reached full retirement age by that time.

 

[Oldfart]

Good points. The results of a recent survey says that 62% of boomers have less than $50,000 set aside for retirement.Remember too when a person reaches their full retirement age in most cases age 66 they can work as much as they want and earn as much as they want unencumbered There are also other programs and rules. In fact in my case over a span of the next 22 months until I reach full retirement age there are 9 months of my choosing within that span where I can work and earn as much as I want with no benefit penalty. The reason being is that on the advice of professionals in the field I went out on Social Security Disability .Yes a person on disability can be called in for a medical review as early as 3 years after going on disability but in my case I will have reached full retirement age by that time.

By the time a person reaches 66, there should be NO need financially for him to work. Unless you find some job that you just love and would do for free, having been in the workforce for 45 or 50 years should have provided enough retirement income to retire comfortably.

 

[vantexan]

Good points. The results of a recent survey says that 62% of boomers have less than $50,000 set aside for retirement.Remember too when a person reaches their full retirement age in most cases age 66 they can work as much as they want and earn as much as they want unencumbered There are also other programs and rules. In fact in my case over a span of the next 22 months until I reach full retirement age there are 9 months of my choosing within that span where I can work and earn as much as I want with no benefit penalty. The reason being is that on the advice of professionals in the field I went out on Social Security Disability .Yes a person on disability can be called in for a medical review as early as 3 years after going on disability but in my case I will have reached full retirement age by that time.

Full retirement age for us youngsters is 67. Wouldn't surprise me if it's moved up to 70 at some point without the increase in benefit 70 brings now. Of course one can work as much as they want at 62 also as long as they don't take SS. What I'm weighing is should I take SS at 62 and put the entire check into savings, or wait until I'm 67 for a bigger monthly check? If I wait I may get screwed out of SS at some point and wish I had that savings.