whenIgetthere
Well-Known Member
It will be available in all areas here, and at least half our area is PM.
Delivery Appointments
- Thread starter Ricochet1a
- Start date
It will be available in all areas here, and at least half our area is PM.
hypo hanna
Well-Known Member
It's "Sunday delivery" all over again. Like Zapmail said, it will end with a whimper and be quietly dropped.
At 5 to 10 dollars a package, the slightest hiccup in the transit of the pkg and that extra revanue will vanish. R1 mentioned reroutes to another station via the local ramp as a good example.
Just another bad idea in a long series of bad ideas. And when it fails we the hourlies will get the blame and probably another takeaway in pay and benefits to cover the cost of that failure.
At 5 to 10 dollars a package, the slightest hiccup in the transit of the pkg and that extra revanue will vanish. R1 mentioned reroutes to another station via the local ramp as a good example.
Just another bad idea in a long series of bad ideas. And when it fails we the hourlies will get the blame and probably another takeaway in pay and benefits to cover the cost of that failure.
SmithBarney
Well-Known Member
They already do this(wasting hours on one package) with FO. Sometimes we have a FO driver, sometimes the regular driver has to run them. Driving past 60 stops to the southern most part of a route for a FO, then trying to figure out how to save service on the 25PO's she has to pass on the way.
And couriers already routinely break off to get early close PUP's. The big difference is scheduling appointments between 5-8 p.m.. If they start a dedicated appointment driver later, he could do some regular deliveries to help out on heavy days and be able to cover appointments across several rts in more condensed areas, staying out until they're done. Would be the equivalent of bringing FO couriers in earlier, only staying out later. The thing is that they are reducing volume so without this and any other schemes they may come up with they are going to have too many people for the available work. If anything will push couriers into a union drive it'll be stagnant wages combined with low hours. They had to have figured this into the equation when Fred told Wall Street they will almost double profit by 2016. Just like everything else this has been in the works for awhile, let's see if it's a great idea, like Standard Overnight or resi release, or if it's a Zapmail boondoggle.
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
Yes, another failure. This one might actually be designed to be a disaster because it would play nicely into the drama we are hearing from Memphis that "Express is failing". This opens the door even wider for Ground to take more Express product because it is "justified" by these repeated failures. Rolling all P2 due to DRA is going to lose Express a lot more customers who were used to getting their P2 the next day. For many years, this could almost be counted on to happen, so a lot of shippers used Express P2 knowing they were going to have a very good chance at getting overnight service. DRA ends this, and I think a lot of customers will be pissed, and either shift to Ground (surprise!!) or go elsewhere.
SmithBarney
Well-Known Member
I got it, we won't be transferring appointment packages to other Express STA. Customers will pay 5-10, and then FDX will give them to Ground to deliver for .50cents
It won't violate NRLB rules since package will have been DEL to STA, then Express will "ship" via Ground. Pure profit for Express..
It won't violate NRLB rules since package will have been DEL to STA, then Express will "ship" via Ground. Pure profit for Express..
STFXG
Well-Known Member
Win-win situation!
That's possible as long as shippers are fine with it.
hypo hanna
Well-Known Member
How are they going to know? Most of the online tracing information is our own internal codes. Gibberish to most outside of FedEx. It's gibberish to FedEx sales and anyone not directly involved in operations.
Because screwed over Express couriers will let them know. Do you think big volume shippers who pay Express rates want it delivered by Ground drivers who they could have selected for much less, especially with a new service charging a premium? To be clear, let's say a shipper sends a letter Express with a 1800 appointment. Say it costs with the premium $36 just for example's sake. City is within Ground's overnight zone, could have gotten it there for $5, albeit not with an appointment. But he sends it Express with an appointment to make customer happy then finds out from customer it was a Ground guy who delivered it anyways. Think he'll be thrilled with FedEx? Multiply that by potentially thousands of daily customers nationwide and word will get out just like it did about overbilling.
ManInBrown
Well-Known Member
Good luck and godspeed to all Express couriers. Looks like I got out at just the right time
hypo hanna
Well-Known Member
Well I'm not telling. I'd rather wait for the class action lawsuit. More fun that way.
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
I don't know if they could get away with this because it would be a transfer of custodial control of a package from an RLA "pilot" courier to a non-employee NLRA Ground driver.
Ricochet1a
Well-Known Member
Express has a document which lists the surcharges for each of the services associated with delivery appointments. You should have access to this document in your station now (received an electronic copy from a Senior Manager). The price for redirects is MUCH higher than the $5-10 charge for the other services. I think I saw $20 for a redirect that doesn't involve getting the package to another station and $35 if the package has to be shifted to another station. So I don't anticipate many will use this option when the charges come up. None of these packages will be shifted over to Ground (at least now anyway).
And regarding RLA and NRLA rules.... They apply to EMPLOYEES, NOT to packages. Shifting of volume between companies that have their EMPLOYEES covered under different rules has NO IMPACT on the capability to do so.
Again, RLA has no bearing on the package. It only covers the EMPLOYEES of a particular company in terms of their ability to organize. That is it. Express has its Couriers 'transferring custodial control" of its volume EVERYDAY to FedEx Office - which just happens to have its EMPLOYEES under NLRA rules.
The only 'cross transfer' issue that arises with air freight is the issue of the employees which accept and move the air cargo - they have to meet FAA training and background check requirements. Once a piece of air cargo arrives at its destination airport and leaves the airport property, the FAA doesn't give one whiff about the package. This is why cartage agents that focus SOLELY on the delivery of air cargo can be any old ex-con. You can even have this individual transport outgoing packages to a location where they are 'accepted' - but the individual accepting the package must have training in line with FAA requirements (which is incorporated within Express standard operating practice).
Even Office has their employees "trained' on what is required for air cargo (Express) packages they accept. They can accept and process packages and they are IMMEDIATELY entered into the Express system. At FASC's- the COURIER is the one actually accepting the package (ensuring it meets the requirements of air cargo). The FASC is only acting as an animated drop box, not held responsible for anything (well, somethings if they want to keep their FASC status).
Ricochet1a
Well-Known Member
There is another point regarding this which you all have seemed to miss.
Express has ALREADY counted a large part of that $150 million into its profit projection (that $1.6 Billion figure they are floating about). They know that there will be costs associated with implementing this program, but they honestly think this will be a profitable program and have already started anticipating the profits from it.
Should and when it eventually fails.. it will be listed as a LOSS (in the screwy accounting world of anticipatory cash flow). If the cash flow doesn't materialize (or if the costs associated with it exceed the revenue), the accounting will show a loss. So guess what, they'll look elsewhere to find the money to make up for that loss and meet their target $1.6 Billion.
Three guesses as to which "account" will be raided to come up with the missing cash....
(Hint, you are paid out of that account).
Express has ALREADY counted a large part of that $150 million into its profit projection (that $1.6 Billion figure they are floating about). They know that there will be costs associated with implementing this program, but they honestly think this will be a profitable program and have already started anticipating the profits from it.
Should and when it eventually fails.. it will be listed as a LOSS (in the screwy accounting world of anticipatory cash flow). If the cash flow doesn't materialize (or if the costs associated with it exceed the revenue), the accounting will show a loss. So guess what, they'll look elsewhere to find the money to make up for that loss and meet their target $1.6 Billion.
Three guesses as to which "account" will be raided to come up with the missing cash....
(Hint, you are paid out of that account).
Ricochet1a
Well-Known Member
The document which was forwarded to me today (available to all currently), didn't break down which service areas will have this service. I'm thinking that parts of the service will be available to PM areas (redirect option and delayed delivery day), but can't imagine that Express would even think about offering delivery appointments in those areas. It would virtually ELIMINATE the ability of these Couriers to perform any pickups and get back to their stations in time to meet the outbound trucks. Express would be stuck sending out an additional Courier to get pickups back to the station in time. There is no way in hell that even the Memphoids could juggle numbers which would show any sort of profitability of doing this (getting a few extra bucks in revenue while incurring the expense of getting another Courier out to do pickups and eating up stem time like crazy). Just wouldn't work.
Express already does. I was at the FX Freight facility and through random conversation the manager over their was telling me a shipper had paid for a couple pallets to go Express, but was pissed because they were being transported on a freight truck, yet he was still paying express rates.
Ricochet1a
Well-Known Member
It's not up to Mr. FedEx to lead. It is up to the readers of this forum who are Express Couriers to realize that if they really want to organize, that they will need to FOLLOW and do some work.
I know the vast majority of Couriers that post and read here are thinking that they'll "wait until the bandwagon gets rolling" and when it looks certain victory will be achieved, THEN they'll jump on and ride it to the inevitable conclusion. That has been the undercurrent here for the past 4 years at least - wait until someone ELSE does all the risky work, then when it looks like it will actually happen, THEN dive in.
I read bbsam's post this AM and thought about it all day, and an experience from my 'childhood' came up which provides a perfect metaphor for this phenomena. Bear with me...
Back when I was in the 7th grade, there was this class mate that was a prototypical sociopath. He must've gone through puberty while in 4th grade, since he was built like someone 3-4 years older than he actually was (or his parents must've fed him raw iron as an infant). He CONSTANTLY picked fights (and when fought one-on-one, won), intimidated everyone and generally terrorized most of the class (it was a small school with one class per grade, parochial school).
Anyway...
Late in the year, the boys in the class got together because we had enough. We knew that if we all confronted Greg (his true name), that we could pound the living crap out of him and teach him a lesson he'd never forget. So we made our plan to confront him after school off of school property and pound his head into the ground.
As the day approached for the planned big fight, we were all getting real confident about what we had in store. No one leaked the plan (if it had leaked out, we would've been nailed by the school administration). The afternoon for the big fight came and we all gathered.
As we stood waiting, one of the boys stated that he had soccer practice to go to and ran off. Another stated that he told his mother about the fight and was threatened with 'grounding' if he participated and ran off. Soon the excuses flowed forth and it was me and my best friend left standing there looking at each other.
I knew that with just the two of us each giving our best, we'd win. We might get a black eye, some cuts and scrapes, but with the two of us, we'd win and Greg would end up going to the hospital (we knew he wouldn't tell if he got his head pounded, his pride would've prevented that). So I was looking at my friend and said, "Are you ready?"
He hesitated and said, "No". To this day, I don't know if he doubted in his own abilities, or didn't trust me enough to take on my 'share' of the fight. He said sorry and walked away.
I knew that if I got into a full out fight with Greg by myself, I would be the one that got his head pounded into the ground, NOT he. I wasn't going to get the pounding of my life, without being confident that I'd win (doubtful). So I walked away.
The following Monday, we were all silent. We had been beaten, NOT by Greg, but by our own fears and self doubts. I didn't make a scene, since I didn't start a fight with Greg myself, so I had nothing to use against my classmates. But from that day forward, we were all a bit more timid and Greg's tyranny only got worse. Eighth grade wasn't fun (we had all grown a bit ourself, so we weren't as unevenly matched against Greg), but our tails were definitely between our legs that year. After that school year my family moved, and I never saw or heard from any of those in that school again.
It seemed that most of the class was waiting for someone else to start the fight, then once Greg was off his feet and clearly defeated, jump into the fray, seek their vengeance, land a couple of punches and walk away thinking highly of themselves. When the big day arrived, the group peeled off one by one, each either too afraid, or too distrusting of their fellow classmates (they didn't want to be left alone with Greg in a one on one fight, with everyone else just standing watching as is so common in middle school fights).
True story...
You as an Express Courier have a similar bully pushing you around. His name is Fred S; he throws his weight around and has intimidated the lot of you into submission. NONE OF YOU has a chance in hell of taking him on one on one. Your head would be planted so far into the ground that it would take a mining company to get it out again.
You all detest what Fred has done to you, how the intimidation works and are just about as angry with yourself for being in the situation as you are with Fred. You all know the solution to the problem, but you are either just too damn afraid to get into a fight, or more likely, don't trust your 'classmates' enough to stay in the fight and not leave you standing alone. Perfectly understandable...
You are all waiting for the 'big fight' to begin; waiting, watching, until you see that Fred is off his feet. THEN, you'd be willing to jump into the fray, land your two punches and walk away knowing that you'd won.
Here's the problem, the fight will never happen with all of you thinking that way. You are going to have to get over your fear, trust some of your coworkers and start planning for the big fight day.
You can't hold back, waiting for someone else to get the planning done, to start the actual fist fight to get Fred knocked off his feet so that you can safely join in and get a couple of kicks in or maybe even a few punches to the face. You are going to have to band together and act as ONE, if you ever hope to pound Fred's face into the ground and not live in constant fear of what he can and will do to you as long as you work in Express.
It is often said that the conflicts faced by children are the same that are faced by adults; they only differ in terms of magnitude, means of conducting the fight and types of injuries sustained.
You either need to commit to banding together and planning on the big fight by using your HEADS, or give up the notion that you will ever defeat Fred and learn to either accept the tyranny, or hope to God that fate takes you out of Express where you don't have to deal with Fred any longer.
Unlike the childhood story of mine, Fred is getting stronger each year while you and your coworkers are getting weaker. Congress has turned its back on you, organized labor has turned its back on you. All you got right now is each other. You are going to either need to learn to trust each other, band together and not stand around waiting for someone else to start the fight; or learn to be real meek and respectful of Fred when the crap from Memphis gets deeper and deeper.
Ricochet1a
Well-Known Member
Express merely using a cartage agent to get the volume moved - perfectly legal. And there are still those who think this can't be done even more...
The customer DIDN'T pay to have the freight flown on an aircraft and delivered by a RTD in a truck that says "Express" on the side. He paid to have the freight delivered by time certain (which FedEx was confident that Freight could do in this instance). As long as the volume was delivered on time, the customer had NO SAY in how the carrier chose to actually conduct the movement of the freight.
In the future, this customer will most likely just go directly to Freight, and pay Freight prices rather than Express heavyweight prices...
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