Any of you Ground/HD guys seen a pretty significant bump in volume?

[Schlepper]

My route (some suburban areas with a large amount of middle-of-nowhere rural stops) used to avg. somewhere between 70 and 80 a day. Since about 6-7 months ago I'm in the nineties every day with a couple days a week guaranteed to be over 100 stops. Even with the earliest dispatch possible, doing 100 on this route will put you out past sundown most days. When you're in the rural areas, you're looking at 5 to sometimes 20 miles between stops. I haven't noticed a disproportionate increase from any particular shipper, it just seems busier all the way around. I've been a couple shy of 100 every day this week no matter what the expected inbound is.

Lots of other contractors/couriers at my terminal have remarked that they've also noticed a spike. I'm just curious if this is a nationwide thing. If it continues to climb, that's going to force lots of guys to run supplementals which is an entirely different headache altogether.

 

[DontThrowPackages]

Expect more. I believe sales were instructed to convince customers to shift their low priority volume to the less expensive part of the company. You can expect more volume to come. If you're lucky, another rte will be added to help balance out the work load. But until then get use to leave your home in the dark and coming home in the dark.

 

[overflowed]

Expect more. I believe sales were instructed to convince customers to shift their low priority volume to the less expensive part of the company. You can expect more volume to come. If you're lucky, another rte will be added to help balance out the work load. But until then get use to leave your home in the dark and coming home in the dark.

I see these guys still out delivering when I do the shuttle. Coming home at like 730-8. They're already full dark. Just darker I guess.

 

[soc151]

We were told by FedEx management that after peak we should not expect the volume to reduce all that much; for once they were not lying.

 

[Code 82 Approved]

Having been with Ground for 7 yrs as a driver on pretty much the same route I can attest to increased volume. Not only does my heavy retail require a supplemental, a straight truck, I have even dispatched 3 neighboring work areas as "rescue" trucks on the heaviest of days. It can be crazy to get it all delivered at times, but my contractor has a great core of people who have been with him for quite awhile.

 

[purplesky]

And you FDX ground drivers GET NO OVERTIME PAY? How the hell do you do it?

 

[hypo hanna]

WHY the hell do you do it. Every bit of uncompensated OT equals a cut in pay.

 

[Doc Sorting Dude]

The HD driver in my area changed from a sprinter to a "walk-in" truck because of the spike in volume. The Ground driver told me he sold part of his route because he just could'nt fit all the pups he was getting. He just kept the high volume shippers and gave up the rest. I have seen his truck when we arrive at the same stop, when I'm ready to leave his truck is stacked from floor to ceiling with even some cartons in the front cab.

 

[DontThrowPackages]

I see these guys still out delivering when I do the shuttle. Coming home at like 730-8. They're already full dark. Just darker I guess.

Yeah, its definitely a job for a single guy with no kids. However if there are some out their married, sure the wife has had a few "visitors" when she feels all alone.

 

[northbound]

Very rare for a guy on my crew to work after 5. most days they average between 330-430 except during peak.

 

[Brown287]

Interesting correlation between the uptick in volume and the apathy of the FedEx Ground/HD driver. In my delivery area over the last 9 years I've seen over 10 different Ground/HD Drivers. Since last summer it's gone through 4 HD drivers and 3 Ground drivers. Last HD driver was terminated for his 3rd rollaway during his training, apparently FedEx said he was un-insurable. Anyhow the other drivers all spoke of all they were doing was buying time till something better comes along.
My point is it looks like you guys are at the tipping point of where your drivers say we're no longer willing to do this much work for this low of pay.

 

[MAKAVELI]

Interesting correlation between the uptick in volume and the apathy of the FedEx Ground/HD driver. In my delivery area over the last 9 years I've seen over 10 different Ground/HD Drivers. Since last summer it's gone through 4 HD drivers and 3 Ground drivers. Last HD driver was terminated for his 3rd rollaway during his training, apparently FedEx said he was un-insurable. Anyhow the other drivers all spoke of all they were doing was buying time till something better comes along.
My point is it looks like you guys are at the tipping point of where your drivers say we're no longer willing to do this much work for this low of pay.

But according to the contractors on this board everyone at ground is happy and copasetic. I think they must live in la la land, where everyone is 23, lives with there parents and covered under their insurance. I personally have heard quite the opposite. I even heard of a contractor bouncing payroll checks. That would be the last straw for me.

 

[bbsam]

But according to many here, our drivers suck. Why would we pay more?

 

[MAKAVELI]

But according to many here, our drivers suck. Why would we pay more?

Maybe if you did they wouldn't.

 

[bbsam]

Maybe if you did they wouldn't.

I never pay more for the promise of future production.

 

[MAKAVELI]

Maybe if you did they wouldn't.

I never pay more for the promise of future production.

Maybe your drivers should unionize.

 

[Brown287]

Of all the drivers I've come across I have nothing negative to say on production. They all run their behinds off and I see them running and darting across streets all day. When I ask them why they run and leave the truck on all day and just run and gun, they all answer the same. The only way they feel like they ate getting a half way decent pay is to get done as early as possible. Under the circumstances I would agree, however the result is they burn out, get hurt, or end up getting in accident which apparently leads to their termination.
I don't agree with the Ground model but these drivers for the most part are doing the best they can under their circumstances. As far as tatoos and ragged uniforms I can't disagree with that description, but at the end of the day you do get what you pay for.

 

[bbsam]

For the most part, I am please with what I get for the pay.

 

[bbsam]

Maybe your drivers should unionize.

That will never happen if we wait for you to show them how it's done.

 

[Ricochet1a]

We were told by FedEx management that after peak we should not expect the volume to reduce all that much; for once they were not lying.

I commented on this back last August and September - that Ground would see a marked increase in volume with peak 2012 and there wouldn't be much if any tapering off off that volume into 2013.

And indeed it is happening.

FedEx has indeed induced customers to begin the shifting of volume ON THEIR OWN, solely by having the software which generates shipping labels (and quotes price) unified into a single page. About the only customers who use computer generated shipping labels who are still using Express 3rd day - are the shippers on the coasts. There are a handful that want the convenience of Express pickup, but even these are generating Ground labels and stuffing the shipments into Express drop boxes.

This is why Express Couriers should let these shipments SIT in the drop boxes for a couple of days before they clear them - if the customers don't want to pay for Express Saver, then they shouldn't be receiving Express service convenience.