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Originally Posted by bbsam Maybe UPS could hire all my drivers away from me. Maybe you could enlighten the courts as to how ground is a scam; they seem unable to come to that consensus. Maybe my employees could all go work somewhere else. Perhaps you could explain to the business world how contracting is not a legal form of business. Probably none of that will happen. I do, however, enjoy yard work (or did you think I would consider that below me?). I hope the economy is as good for you as it has been for me. |
Contracting is legal when it's done legally. That is the big question of the day, isn't it? And you are correct that consensus is unlikely anytime soon. That still leaves the decision as to who is right wide open. FedEx takes 2 steps forward, and then some state sends them 2 steps back.
While I don't disagree you're a good businessman, the larger question isn't really you....it's the FedEx business model. You're making the best of the situation, which is what capitalism is all about. However, one of the supposed pillars of capitalism in this country is that it's a square deal all-around, and I don't think anyone can call the original RPS plan "fair". I knew a bunch of RPS guys who were working 60+ hrs a week and netting only about $25,000 per year. Sure, some were lousy businessmen, but a lot of others were not and realized the hosing they were getting. This continued when FedEx purchased RPS and continued the model. There were many ads in local papers practically begging someone to purchase the route and the truck for pennies on the dollar. This went on for a long time as people got-in and then got-out as soon as they figured out what was really going on.
FedEx kept the RPS model as long as they could because it allowed them to simultaneously push an incredible array of costs onto the "contractor"
and undercut the competition on rates. Whether or not they eventually win in court, FedEx has some explaining to do about the years dating from the purchase of RPS until they were forced to change aspects of the original model under extreme pressure.
No matter what the division, FedEx never relents until forced to do so by the power of the law. That's just how they do business.