Any New Firings/Layoffs/News?

[MassWineGuy]

I believe that you’ve got a decent Express pension if you’ve put in a lot of years. Especially if you made great efforts to make one year higher paying than the rest.

 

[59 Dano]

I think you’re lying.

View attachment 439178
These are the routes I sent out on May 17th with cubic footage, estimated time, miles, and stop count.

Perhaps you were just exaggerating to make a point?

Why would I lie about that? Every interview with them was always the same, and they usually went really well. They obviously should have good, relevant answers to the questions we ask. They come back from the ridealong(s) with practically the same reaction every time: they can't believe it's so much easier than what they were doing at Ground. Fewer stops, fewer pieces, and lighter packages.

Then the other shoe drops once they actually get to the work. They don't want to unload cans during the sort. They don't like to pull for their neighboring routes. They struggle with having to load and set up their own trucks in real time, as packages come down the belt. God help them understand that there are different service commitments that require prioritization. Don't get me started on having to explain to them that when a pickup comes in for a stop that you drove past 5 minutes ago, you still have to get it. I've lost count how many had issues that their contractor would accommodate that we can't, or won't because this isn't Bubba's Packij LLC.

That isn't to say that they all suck beyond hope. Some of them are decent at Express. A few of them have been great. Most aren't. I don't doubt for a second that they do a fine job when they walk in to a full truck with everything routed for them and they can just fire that bad boy up and straight-line until they finish. Don't doubt that at all. But they wash out at a higher rate at Express, at least in my experience with them, than people with no experience that we hire off the street.

 

[59 Dano]

I my experience they can handle the route. They hate the rules they have to follow as an employee.

"That's not how we done it at Ground!"

 

[It will be fine]

Why would I lie about that? Every interview with them was always the same, and they usually went really well. They obviously should have good, relevant answers to the questions we ask. They come back from the ridealong(s) with practically the same reaction every time: they can't believe it's so much easier than what they were doing at Ground. Fewer stops, fewer pieces, and lighter packages.

Then the other shoe drops once they actually get to the work. They don't want to unload cans during the sort. They don't like to pull for their neighboring routes. They struggle with having to load and set up their own trucks in real time, as packages come down the belt. God help them understand that there are different service commitments that require prioritization. Don't get me started on having to explain to them that when a pickup comes in for a stop that you drove past 5 minutes ago, you still have to get it. I've lost count how many had issues that their contractor would accommodate that we can't, or won't because this isn't Bubba's Packij LLC.

That isn't to say that they all suck beyond hope. Some of them are decent at Express. A few of them have been great. Most aren't. I don't doubt for a second that they do a fine job when they walk in to a full truck with everything routed for them and they can just fire that bad boy up and straight-line until they finish. Don't doubt that at all. But they wash out at a higher rate at Express, at least in my experience with them, than people with no experience that we hire off the street.

Sounds like a failure of management, training and expectation setting to me.

 

[vantexan]

My point was.....there are contractors that take care o their workers with benefits. Making a blanket statement that Ground drivers don't get benefits is factually incorrect

No....but, Express doesn't have a pension either

But do Ground drivers get benefits across the board? No, it's up to their particular contractor and is the exception, not the rule. I mentioned pension because I told @It will be fine that Express got me farther than a Ground driver would ever get. No, they don't have a pension anymore, but I'm a retired Express courier who was able to leave at 55 with a pension. Didn't get a full pension, but enough to get by on. So? A lot of younger guys don't realize the toll this kind of work can take on you physically over decades. Your back, your knees. Some guys can work until they're 70, no issues. Some can't. At one time Express gave you a chance to take a pension early, do something else with your life. Yes, no longer true. And why I wouldn't recommend staying with Express or Ground any longer than you have to. It may seem like the perfect job to some, being able to be out on your own all day. But if it isn't leading to a retirement pension you can get by decently on or pay high enough that you can set enough aside and invest, let alone give the ability to afford some of the major events in life, such as educating your kids, it's not worthwhile in my opinion. Just something to do until you can get training into something better.

 

[bacha29]

My point was.....there are contractors that take care o their workers with benefits. Making a blanket statement that Ground drivers don't get benefits is factually incorrect

No....but, Express doesn't have a pension either

Sure, you'll find one here and there but the question still remains. What percentage of the 6000 FXG contractors offer a benefit plan, what does it cover and how much does the employee have to pay towards it?

 

[vantexan]

Sounds like a failure of management, training and expectation setting to me.

Will be interesting to see if you're able to make it work. Might even see some contractors throw up their hands in frustration and walk away.

 

[It will be fine]

Will be interesting to see if you're able to make it work. Might even see some contractors throw up their hands in frustration and walk away.

That’s happening very regularly these days already. The amount of former contractors selling whole fleets is staggering. If FedEx keeps cutting compensation the network will struggle.

 

[vantexan]

That’s happening very regularly these days already. The amount of former contractors selling whole fleets is staggering. If FedEx keeps cutting compensation the network will struggle.

And there go any benefits offered with reduced compensation from FedEx.

 

[59 Dano]

Sounds like a failure of management, training and expectation setting to me.

I don't think so, not when their washout rate is higher than that of people we hire off the street with no experience.

 

[59 Dano]

That’s happening very regularly these days already. The amount of former contractors selling whole fleets is staggering. If FedEx keeps cutting compensation the network will struggle.

Sounds like contractors just don't know how to run their businesses to me.

 

[59 Dano]

And there go any benefits offered with reduced compensation from FedEx.

I read it right here on this very forum that if you jacked up the compensation that you paid your drivers then you would automatically make more money.

 

[vantexan]

I read it right here on this very forum that if you jacked up the compensation that you paid your drivers then you would automatically make more money.

The drivers certainly would.

 

[yadig]

My point was.....there are contractors that take care o their workers with benefits. Making a blanket statement that Ground drivers don't get benefits is factually incorrect

No....but, Express doesn't have a pension either

I do

 

[yadig]

Why would I lie about that? Every interview with them was always the same, and they usually went really well. They obviously should have good, relevant answers to the questions we ask. They come back from the ridealong(s) with practically the same reaction every time: they can't believe it's so much easier than what they were doing at Ground. Fewer stops, fewer pieces, and lighter packages.

Then the other shoe drops once they actually get to the work. They don't want to unload cans during the sort. They don't like to pull for their neighboring routes. They struggle with having to load and set up their own trucks in real time, as packages come down the belt. God help them understand that there are different service commitments that require prioritization. Don't get me started on having to explain to them that when a pickup comes in for a stop that you drove past 5 minutes ago, you still have to get it. I've lost count how many had issues that their contractor would accommodate that we can't, or won't because this isn't Bubba's Packij LLC.

That isn't to say that they all suck beyond hope. Some of them are decent at Express. A few of them have been great. Most aren't. I don't doubt for a second that they do a fine job when they walk in to a full truck with everything routed for them and they can just fire that bad boy up and straight-line until they finish. Don't doubt that at all. But they wash out at a higher rate at Express, at least in my experience with them, than people with no experience that we hire off the street.

Bacha?

 

[bacha29]

That’s happening very regularly these days already. The amount of former contractors selling whole fleets is staggering. If FedEx keeps cutting compensation the network will struggle.

Better late than never. A number of the contracts being offered are by contractors who have only had them for a rather short period of time.

 

[MassWineGuy]

Clearly, the contractor model FedEx is banking on will be a huge success.

 

[yadig]

Clearly, the contractor model FedEx is banking on will be a huge success.

Or a disaster

 

[It will be fine]

Clearly, the contractor model FedEx is banking on will be a huge success.

The model isn’t the problem. The ridiculous belief that cutting revenue of the contractors won’t result in a decline in safety and service is the problem.

 

[Fred's Myth]

The model isn’t the problem. The ridiculous belief that cutting revenue of the contractors won’t result in a decline in safety and service is the problem.

The model should work as well as socialism does.