Peak Meltdown at Express

[MrFedEx]

This peak really looks like it's going to be "The One". While there are exceptions, most stations seem to be experiencing far heavier volumes than forecast by our stellar upper management team. Apparently, their calculations were just a bit off...like 50% or so.

At my station, we're thousands over projected volume, with far too few couriers and no real plan to deal with the extra volume. No runners, no temporary handlers...nothing. We're just supposed to work harder and suck it up. Bad plan, because there is a point at which you cannot "suck it up". Factor-in late freight, pulsed freight, on-road meets and bad weather, and you have a recipe for meltdown.

We're already experiencing massive DEX 01's, which others have also mentioned on this forum. We have also had several CTV's miss the outbound aircraft, and ramp shuttles do the same. Not good.

The management response? Blame the employees, of course. We just aren't "efficient" enough, and it's time to crack the whip harder. The problem with that is that nearly everyone knows how screwed-up management is, especially at the upper levels of the company, and no matter how hard they whip us, there are still going to be major problems.

Again using my station as an example, we have numerous new couriers, who can only do about 50-75% of the work of an experienced, competent courier. These are the people who leave the building with 100 stops and still have 50 to go at 1630. Pickup routes go uncovered, and customers get told to go to the drop box because "the courier isn't going to make it by close time". These are the folks who work through their pretend "break" as well...just to try and keep-up. Every afternoon, the experienced couriers get called-on to bail-out the weak links and "B Team" players, and most of them are smart enough to manage their day so they are unavailable to help anyone...a smart call.

Overall, there is a very high potential for the type of meltdown where thousands of packages sit undelivered at stations at or near Christmas. Add-in some weather, and it looks even worse.

Go to Hell, Fred.

 

[thedownhillEXPRESS]

Sounds just like my station....

 

[Rhoderunner]

Yeah thought he was talking 'bout my place to. WOW Peakageddon !!!!!

 

[MrFedEx]

Yeah thought he was talking 'bout my place to. WOW Peakageddon !!!!!

It will be glorious watching the debacle unfold. Don't worry, Happy Hands has the situation "under control". Right now, it's kind of like when everything falls apart for Dr. Evil and the hidden evil fortress starts exploding. Pretty soon, Matt is going to have to head to the escape module before the L-A-S-E-R brings the whole place down. All of the minions are running around and will be killed, but Matt will live to make more mistakes. Buhahahaha, Buhahahah, Buhahahah!!!

 

[DOWNTRODDEN IN TEXAS]

"Peak Planning Sessions: uncut 2012"

Dr. Evil - Preparation H - YouTube

 

[MrFedEx]

"Peak Planning Sessions: uncut 2012"

Dr. Evil - Preparation H - YouTube

Preparation M?

 

[NonyaBiznes]

There's a station closing and their incoming/outbound freight has surpassed expectations. It's too late to renew the lease ... * facepalm *

Just today, one of the busiest stations ran out of vehicles (no van, sprinter, grumman .. NOTHING). Rentals ... nope, nada, none!

 

[MrFedEx]

There's a station closing and their incoming/outbound freight has surpassed expectations. It's too late to renew the lease ... * facepalm *

Just today, one of the busiest stations ran out of vehicles (no van, sprinter, grumman .. NOTHING). Rentals ... nope, nada, none!

Sounds about right. A major cluster.

 

[DOWNTRODDEN IN TEXAS]

There's a station closing and their incoming/outbound freight has surpassed expectations. It's too late to renew the lease ... * facepalm *

Just today, one of the busiest stations ran out of vehicles (no van, sprinter, grumman .. NOTHING). Rentals ... nope, nada, none!

That is N N Y!! Most days we have at least 4-5 vans and a couple Sprinturds just sitting around. Add that to the grip of rental vans and bobtails and we actually have trucks available...that means I keep a radio all day.

 

[bbsam]

Send it to Ground. I'll find room on my vans.

 

[59 Dano]

This peak really looks like it's going to be "The One". While there are exceptions, most stations seem to be experiencing far heavier volumes than forecast by our stellar upper management team. Apparently, their calculations were just a bit off...like 50% or so.

At my station, we're thousands over projected volume, with far too few couriers and no real plan to deal with the extra volume. No runners, no temporary handlers...nothing. We're just supposed to work harder and suck it up. Bad plan, because there is a point at which you cannot "suck it up". Factor-in late freight, pulsed freight, on-road meets and bad weather, and you have a recipe for meltdown.

We're already experiencing massive DEX 01's, which others have also mentioned on this forum. We have also had several CTV's miss the outbound aircraft, and ramp shuttles do the same. Not good.

The management response? Blame the employees, of course. We just aren't "efficient" enough, and it's time to crack the whip harder. The problem with that is that nearly everyone knows how screwed-up management is, especially at the upper levels of the company, and no matter how hard they whip us, there are still going to be major problems.

Again using my station as an example, we have numerous new couriers, who can only do about 50-75% of the work of an experienced, competent courier. These are the people who leave the building with 100 stops and still have 50 to go at 1630. Pickup routes go uncovered, and customers get told to go to the drop box because "the courier isn't going to make it by close time". These are the folks who work through their pretend "break" as well...just to try and keep-up. Every afternoon, the experienced couriers get called-on to bail-out the weak links and "B Team" players, and most of them are smart enough to manage their day so they are unavailable to help anyone...a smart call.

Overall, there is a very high potential for the type of meltdown where thousands of packages sit undelivered at stations at or near Christmas. Add-in some weather, and it looks even worse.

Go to Hell, Fred.

I remember someone (who shall remain nameless) all but writing it in stone that Peak 2012 was going to be monumentally light and that there would be a widespread lack of hours for couriers.

 

[MrFedEx]

I remember someone (who shall remain nameless) all but writing it in stone that Peak 2012 was going to be monumentally light and that there would be a widespread lack of hours for couriers.

"The Plan" has only been delayed, not eliminated. This peak is looking like a true cluster. Disagree, Herr Lackey?

 

[59 Dano]

Fred is so greedy that he's leaving money on the table?

I'm going by the claims that you made about this year's peak, and not all of them had to do with the Big Switch of Doom. I recall the discussions pointing out that volume was down for the year and that peak would be even lighter than last year -- and that was without figuring in the switch that never happened. Now there's too much volume!

I have to admit that your style is impressive. You predict every possible outcome and whichever one it ends up being, you complain about it. You get the gold medal in contradictory posts.

 

[MrFedEx]

Fred is so greedy that he's leaving money on the table?

I'm going by the claims that you made about this year's peak, and not all of them had to do with the Big Switch of Doom. I recall the discussions pointing out that volume was down for the year and that peak would be even lighter than last year -- and that was without figuring in the switch that never happened. Now there's too much volume!

I have to admit that your style is impressive. You predict every possible outcome and whichever one it ends up being, you complain about it. You get the gold medal in contradictory posts.

Spin-it however you want. If the October Surprise had been fully implemented, peak would have been a non-event. They had to pull-back. That doesn't mean that the overall plan has changed....just delayed. Volume is far above their forecasts, reflected in how deeply they have cut-back...way too far.

E2 and XS will still be going over to Ground.

 

[vantexan]

Spin-it however you want. If the October Surprise had been fully implemented, peak would have been a non-event. They had to pull-back. That doesn't mean that the overall plan has changed....just delayed. Volume is far above their forecasts, reflected in how deeply they have cut-back...way too far.

E2 and XS will still be going over to Ground.

Everything that has happened suggests Express will still offer those services, but FedEx will emphasize the cost savings of Ground to get shippers, especially volume shippers, to switch. It doesn't look to be all or nothing, just a gradual reduction of Express volume and shrinking the Express workforce through attrition. R1a was blowing things up to scare people, and many of us, myself included, fell for it. Where is he to prove and defend his position?

 

[TUT]

Everything that has happened suggests Express will still offer those services, but FedEx will emphasize the cost savings of Ground to get shippers, especially volume shippers, to switch. It doesn't look to be all or nothing, just a gradual reduction of Express volume and shrinking the Express workforce through attrition. R1a was blowing things up to scare people, and many of us, myself included, fell for it. Where is he to prove and defend his position?

You would think their software would do route optimization and let you know when you can get the same delivery day for ground as you would with the selected Express service. That way they can get it into the more profitable operating company. Why would they not do this? They actually try to stifle that, which goes against Ground>Express.

 

[vantexan]

You would think their software would do route optimization and let you know when you can get the same delivery day for ground as you would with the selected Express service. That way they can get it into the more profitable operating company. Why would they not do this? They actually try to stifle that, which goes against Ground>Express.

Might have something to do with keeping the opco's completely separate to comply with the RLA but who knows?

 

[MrFedEx]

Everything that has happened suggests Express will still offer those services, but FedEx will emphasize the cost savings of Ground to get shippers, especially volume shippers, to switch. It doesn't look to be all or nothing, just a gradual reduction of Express volume and shrinking the Express workforce through attrition. R1a was blowing things up to scare people, and many of us, myself included, fell for it. Where is he to prove and defend his position?

R1a was absolutely not blowing things up, especially not for the purposes of scaring people. The agenda is still there, only slowed-down a bit because they don't have the capability of implementing it....yet.

 

[vantexan]

R1a was absolutely not blowing things up, especially not for the purposes of scaring people. The agenda is still there, only slowed-down a bit because they don't have the capability of implementing it....yet.

To go to the extremes R1a was saying would spook a lot of customers. Nothing will happen on a large scale until FedEx sends out a mass mailing to customers explaining their actions. If we don't see a mass mailing then it'll be attrition and gradual shifting. Much of that has already happened anyways, thus the shift to smaller vans and station closings. R1a was going too far, pretty much saying that FedEx was in effect going to torture couriers into quitting. Super long splits, canceling guarantees, harassment, layoffs...if that's not fearmongering what is? I urged caution and patience which he blew up over. He was telling people they'd better quit as soon as possible, go find that new job now. If he was just a troll getting his jollies then he'd have to be one of the most successful trolls in the history of the Internet.

 

[bbsam]

What I am hearing at Ground is that we have a substantial list of very, very large shippers coming on board right after Christmas. They were to come on just before peak, but were put on hold due to servicing concerns. Subsequently,we are not expecting a large drop off come January.