The Ground Professional

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
This happened a few weeks ago, but I thought I'd share. I was in a 2-hole dock at a large institution delivering my usual 75 pcs, and UPS Brown was next to me. A Roadway semi and UPS Freight semi were in the street, waiting their turn at the dock. SOP is to take the dock if it's open, and if not, to handtruck-in the freight from the street.

Anyway, we're off-loading, and here comes FedEx Ground. He cuts past UPS Freight and Roadway, and pulls into the dock nose-first, blocking me and UPS Brown. The truck is running, and he makes 3 or 4 trips from the back of the Sprinter with his pkgs. and throws them on the dock in a jumble. He gets a signature, and starts backing toward the street..no horn, no back-up alarm. The pissed-off Roadway driver pulls ahead to block him in and teach him a lesson so the Ground guy backs over the sidewalk directly into traffic, almost getting hit by a car. Oh, and about 5 of the packages were for the institution's other location, a few blocks away.

Totally professional. This is the future of Express.
 
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MrFedEx

Engorged Member
The sad part is that your obvious disdain for Ground reduces your credibility to zero. In other words, I call BS on your little story.

Whatever you like. It's true, and I'm sure there are plenty of similar anecdotal stories out there. At my last pickup today, the Ground guy (different one) parks in the center of the street with engine running and dashes-in to make his delivery. Clear and open load zone right in front of the customer location. Several cars blocked for no good reason.

I'm glad you love Ground so much. Looks like your company does too as they just stand-by and watch them take market share.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
The Ground business model makes a lot of sense. Keep your operating costs low and undercut your competition by 10% (or more). The Ground driver and I were at the same pickup today and he had more pieces to pickup and on his pkg car than I did.

Would I want to work there? Of course not but if the need ever arose I would not think I was above the job.

Look, I know that what is happening to you guys sucks, but as someone on the outside looking in I can tell you that it makes a lot of sense.
 

Dracula

Package Car is cake compared to this...
The sad part is that your obvious disdain for Ground reduces your credibility to zero. In other words, I call BS on your little story.

Sorry, but he's right. Fed-Ex ground has always been unprofessional. Countless times, I've been cut off in traffic, at freight elevators and and have been subject of their rudeness. On my city route, the FedX ground guy would double park in front of 30 story high rise, get out, and leave his truck running while he went inside. Doors open, keys in the ignition and trash piled up in his cab. Hey, you get what you pay for.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Here's my challenge. Go back through the years. Has Ground always been dismal in these areas? If the answer is "no", have they gotten better? Worse? And if the answer is "yes they have always been terrible", then what does it say about what the customer truly values? Is it all price? Probably not. Post office is cheaper. Ground is doing alot right but I doubt you will acknowledge it. Doesn't matter. The path is set.
 

DontThrowPackages

Well-Known Member
Sorry, but he's right. Fed-Ex ground has always been unprofessional. Countless times, I've been cut off in traffic, at freight elevators and and have been subject of their rudeness. On my city route, the FedX ground guy would double park in front of 30 story high rise, get out, and leave his truck running while he went inside. Doors open, keys in the ignition and trash piled up in his cab. Hey, you get what you pay for.
That would really suck if someone moved his truck around the corner and down the block.
 

Dracula

Package Car is cake compared to this...
That would really suck if someone moved his truck around the corner and down the block.

Or simply stole his vehicle. That's what we always thought would happen. It wasn't a bad area, but there was always a ton of homeless people down there. I always thought it reflected horribly on Fed-Ex. Throughout my years, I've always gotten along great with the blue and red. But the blue and green men (never met a b&g woman) were always quiet, weird, or anti-social, for the most part. I used to eat lunch with some Fed Ex air drivers quite a bit, but not the ground people. I know they aren't all like that, but the ones I knew, were.

It just puts Fed Ex, and that cheapskate, Fred S, in a horrible light. What a dummy.
 

SmithBarney

Well-Known Member
I know of a similar situation where the ground driver would park and leave his truck at the dock with the Keys in it
while in the school for about 40 minutes delivering... common practice was to pull your truck off the dock
as a courtesy to others(only a 2 space dock) One day someone(maybe in brown) moved the truck since the keys were in it.

The contractor(not the driver) had a fit, and confronted the person... almost didn't end well. So yeah a few bad lazy underpaid ground drivers really ruin it for the rest that may or may not be good.
 

Glorifiedpackmule

Well-Known Member
I've seen a Ground drivers do all kinds of lame things over the years that would get any of the rest of us ( UPS FDX Express) fired if we did. Driving with the bulk head door open, driving with pkgs in front of cab, leaving the engine running while in multi story office buildings, speeding, parking towards on coming traffic, releasing business pkg's, wearing jean shorts to work. I'm sure the list could go on if I spent more time thinking about it. In all honesty, that's the kind of employee youre gonna get with that kind of pay an no benefits. We're all capable of doing those things. We're held to a different standard though. I don't blame the Employees for doing it. I blame the company that hires them.
 

59 Dano

I just want to make friends!
Sorry, but he's right. Fed-Ex ground has always been unprofessional. Countless times, I've been cut off in traffic, at freight elevators and and have been subject of their rudeness. On my city route, the FedX ground guy would double park in front of 30 story high rise, get out, and leave his truck running while he went inside. Doors open, keys in the ignition and trash piled up in his cab. Hey, you get what you pay for.

So what's the reasoning when a UPS guy does it? I've seen countless UPS guys leave the bulkhead door open and just about all of them leave the side doors open when the weather is warm. Some leave the engine running. Most of the UPS guys I've crossed paths with are fine but please don't act like you all don't have some absolute turds in your ranks.
 

59 Dano

I just want to make friends!
I know of a similar situation where the ground driver would park and leave his truck at the dock with the Keys in it
while in the school for about 40 minutes delivering... common practice was to pull your truck off the dock
as a courtesy to others(only a 2 space dock) One day someone(maybe in brown) moved the truck since the keys were in it.

The contractor(not the driver) had a fit, and confronted the person... almost didn't end well. So yeah a few bad lazy underpaid ground drivers really ruin it for the rest that may or may not be good.

Anyone who leaves the keys in the truck with the doors open (or unlocked) should be fired if it ever happens more than once. So many awful things could happen that can be prevented by taking the keys with you.
 

TUT

Well-Known Member
Whatever you like. It's true, and I'm sure there are plenty of similar anecdotal stories out there. At my last pickup today, the Ground guy (different one) parks in the center of the street with engine running and dashes-in to make his delivery. Clear and open load zone right in front of the customer location. Several cars blocked for no good reason.

I'm glad you love Ground so much. Looks like your company does too as they just stand-by and watch them take market share.


Just so you know there are regional carriers that do it for less yet and their people have even less yet.... and guess what? Both shipper and recipient are dealing/happy enough with it. Because it saves $$$ which both sides are after, shipping to them doesn't have to be this premium service. Good or bad when they use them they are "ok'ing" the professionalism. Thank the likes of Amazon and such. FWIW, who's winning the contracts for when Amazon switches everything to same day and next day I wonder? Or will it be a big miss-mosh of all available couriers?
 

CharleyHustle

Well-Known Member
So what's the reasoning when a UPS guy does it? I've seen countless UPS guys leave the bulkhead door open and just about all of them leave the side doors open when the weather is warm. Some leave the engine running. Most of the UPS guys I've crossed paths with are fine but please don't act like you all don't have some absolute turds in your ranks.

The truth is that UPS spent or is spending the money on telematics that will effectively end these practices. The UPS driver cannot leave the keys in and the truck running or the bulkhead open without detection. Yes, like the Maine ground driver states these are all actions not allowed, and UPS had problems with compliance until telematics.
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
So what's the reasoning when a UPS guy does it? I've seen countless UPS guys leave the bulkhead door open and just about all of them leave the side doors open when the weather is warm. Some leave the engine running. Most of the UPS guys I've crossed paths with are fine but please don't act like you all don't have some absolute turds in your ranks.

This is one of your worst fabrications yet. I have never seen a UPS truck running,keys left in the ignition, nosed-in to a dock, or otherwise being operated in a consistently unsafe manner ala' Ground. Yes, they leave side doors open on hot days, but I don't know what their rule is on that, and neither do you. If it's 100 degrees out, and I don't have AC, the doors would be slid back. In fact, they are designed to lock-back so the truck can be driven they way.
 

menotyou

bella amicizia
We can leave our side doors open. Bulkhead, no. Has it been done? Yes. Not with telematics, though. Trucks running? Up north, we use to because of the heater in the winter. But, that's on rural routes. Most city drivers wouldn't. We aren't suppose to do any of this, except side doors open, anymore.
 

59 Dano

I just want to make friends!
This is one of your worst fabrications yet. I have never seen a UPS truck running,keys left in the ignition, nosed-in to a dock,

I've never seen one nosed into a dock and have never said as much.

I've never seen a Ground truck nosed into a dock for that matter, so I guess it never happens.
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
I've never seen one nosed into a dock and have never said as much.

I've never seen a Ground truck nosed into a dock for that matter, so I guess it never happens.

You are full of it, as usual. Brown drivers are professionals, Ground drivers are amateurs...simple as that.
 
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