MrFedEx
Engorged Member
FedEx Express just announced lower than expected Third Quarter earnings due to weather issues and high fuel costs. Translation: Prepare yourself to absorb this cost if you are an hourly employee.
As usual, FedEx will try to pass these costs onto employees, rather than to the customer, which is pretty much the way it's always been. So, we'll see hours cuts, a push for more productivity, and increased usage of recorders and later start times. In short, do more in less time so Fred can make-up the difference.
The problem is, that the orange has pretty much been squeezed dry already. The push for productivity has already caused more accidents (at least in my district), but since I don't have accident stats from FedEx, that's just information for my particular district.
The thing is, that now the accidents aren't just fender benders or scraped trucks. They are head-ons, and T-bones, and other serious wrecks that were our fault. Do you think pushing couriers beyond safe limits has anything to do with that? Nah, couldn't be, because FedEx is "safe". Go out there 30 minutes or an hour later, do the same amount of stops, and make service, but don't do anything "unsafe". Yeah, right.
I can only hope that the Personal injury attorneys out there get wind of how hard FedEx is pressing it's people. When it comes time to go to court, that kind of information would be a powerful weapon in the right hands.
If you have a serious accident in your district, and FedEx was at-fault, and you think it might have been because someone was pushed just too damned hard, do the right thing. Make an anonymous call to either the victim, their family, or their attorney if they point you in that direction. OR, call your local police department, highway patrol, or whatever jurisdiction handled the accident. This is the kind of information they need to know too.
Be moral, and do what's right, because you know that all Fred cares about is the money. What if it was your family member, friend , or loved one? The next time you're speeding through a residential area at 10:27 trying to deliver the Purple Promise, or not paying attention because you're looking at your PowerPad, know that it could be you. Don't play Fred's game. Protect yourself and the public.
As usual, FedEx will try to pass these costs onto employees, rather than to the customer, which is pretty much the way it's always been. So, we'll see hours cuts, a push for more productivity, and increased usage of recorders and later start times. In short, do more in less time so Fred can make-up the difference.
The problem is, that the orange has pretty much been squeezed dry already. The push for productivity has already caused more accidents (at least in my district), but since I don't have accident stats from FedEx, that's just information for my particular district.
The thing is, that now the accidents aren't just fender benders or scraped trucks. They are head-ons, and T-bones, and other serious wrecks that were our fault. Do you think pushing couriers beyond safe limits has anything to do with that? Nah, couldn't be, because FedEx is "safe". Go out there 30 minutes or an hour later, do the same amount of stops, and make service, but don't do anything "unsafe". Yeah, right.
I can only hope that the Personal injury attorneys out there get wind of how hard FedEx is pressing it's people. When it comes time to go to court, that kind of information would be a powerful weapon in the right hands.
If you have a serious accident in your district, and FedEx was at-fault, and you think it might have been because someone was pushed just too damned hard, do the right thing. Make an anonymous call to either the victim, their family, or their attorney if they point you in that direction. OR, call your local police department, highway patrol, or whatever jurisdiction handled the accident. This is the kind of information they need to know too.
Be moral, and do what's right, because you know that all Fred cares about is the money. What if it was your family member, friend , or loved one? The next time you're speeding through a residential area at 10:27 trying to deliver the Purple Promise, or not paying attention because you're looking at your PowerPad, know that it could be you. Don't play Fred's game. Protect yourself and the public.
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