FedEx tries to win customers from rival United Parcel Service Inc with price cuts!

[Operational needs]

Kudos, to you and your attentive management team, and their not so very prompt problem solving on this matter.

You were too late to save the DOD account, unfortunately, but at least now there's hope you might catch some of the others, before we takes your toys for ourselves, and play with them s til we're in our teenage years...

Have all the fun.

Eh. I’ve been around a long time. DoD comes and they go, then comes back. One screwed up stop, no matter how important the packages, does not determine who ends up with a DoD contract.

 

[Jkloc420]

Eh. I’ve been around a long time. DoD comes and they go, then comes back. One screwed up stop, no matter how important the packages, does not determine who ends up with a DoD contract.

no

 

[Operational needs]

no

Okay.

 

[MAKAVELI]

It's usually ground that's the worst, yes, but express consistently leaves 3 or 4 NDA or internationals per day as well. This is due to nothing more leaving before 4pm, the time when DLA is wrapped for the day, using their 15 mins of paid 'wash/clean up' time, and walking out the doors at exactly 4:15pm, or 15 mins earlier than their actual 4:30pm quit time - because it is the Gov't after all.

It's an easy remedy. But one that Express and the ground contractors are failing to enforce. So this will cost you a multi multi-million dollar contract, and we will have control of our old volume, and then some, for the foreseeable future, and probably beyond.

Welcome to the party, bitches! We back runnin' .

You're only getting one side of the story there's probably a lot more to it. We go by ready and close times on our pickup manifest. If their shipping department isn't there in that window that's on them not on us. Secondly internationals maybe left behind because they have the incorrect paperwork. Customs is a stickler for paperwork and it's on the shipper to have the correct paperwork filled out.

 

[59 Dano]

At least I knew who my parents were and both publicly acknowledged that I was their son.

Interesting. You think it's a big deal that your parents claim you? LOL LOL LOL!!! To you, it probably is.

 

[59 Dano]

Then how come they're still interesting enough for you to continue to read them?

Why wouldn't I?

When you have to bear 100% of the cost of running your truck route, buy your own health insurance, fund your own pension 100% with no company contribution and worst of all pay both the employer and employee's share of Social Security you damn well better be paying attention to what the market's are doing and how it impacts your savings.

OK.

 

[59 Dano]

Have you ever talked to tax experts?

Didn't need to. I worked as a side job for a Block franchise and knew a bit about what to do.

LOL!!

 

[59 Dano]

I'm aware that I've had to a ton of customers who have tried out giving large chunks of our volume to FedEx, especially ground, that have not only come back to UPS, but in some cases, given us their total shipping account - this is not usually because of their delivery side, I'm told, but because they're unreliable and often times wildly early for the pickups in the afternoons.

UPS and FedEx have been swapping accounts for years due to service and pricing issues. This is nothing new.

 

[bacha29]

I'm aware that I've had to a ton of customers who have tried out giving large chunks of our volume to FedEx, especially ground, that have not only come back to UPS, but in some cases, given us their total shipping account - this is not usually because of their delivery side, I'm told, but because they're unreliable and often times wildly early for the pickups in the afternoons.

An example of an account they've taken, that cannot wait to return that volume to UPS, is the Department of Defense - Defense Logistics Agency, which is a huge shipper, and a very high discount account - the shipping manager at the base I deliver on, has told me repeatedly that switching our old air/ground volumes to them, and then vice versa, has been the worst move they've ever made, and the higher ups he answers to, have told him that they will be switching back fully to Brown as soon as the shipping contract is up for renegotiating.

There's between 2 to 10 NDA and Internationals left sitting on the rollers in the DLA shipping dept every single day, and sometimes a whole roller line full of grounds - upwards of 30 to 50 parcels on occasion, some are large, expensive overweights, and range from parcels needed by another base asap to extremely urgent supplies and equipment for military operations that could be viewed as a literal life or death delivery.

Some of these packages are NDA to Special Operations Group - classified equipment that must be signed for as you pickup/touch every single package...these packages must be overnighted, and no shipping is allowed on Friday - they are not allowed to sit unattended, while not loaded on a truck in transit, outside of special security clearance government employee/military supervision - when FedEx comes too early and leaves before one of these is processed and ready for signature and pickup, it creates a huge headache for them, and they've got to call higher ups and inform some defense intelligence group, then make an inventory and lock it up somewhere.

Needless to say, they hate FedEx now. They never really paid attention to how bad they were when they were getting the crumbs - but once they were taking the bulk of the pie, DLA found out what terrible service they provided.

We've slowly taken back what appears to be slightly more than half the volume they originally took, despite DLA paying us a higher price than they used to when we had the big dawg contract, and perhaps even fighting or paying some kind of penalty to FedEx for potentially breaking the terms of their current shipping contract with them.

It pays to provide the customer with good service. Smart businesses, and even Uncle Sam, will pay a bit extra on their shipping costs to receive exponentially greater service, and insure the parcels move on the day they're ready to roll, and not at FedEx grounds leisure.

Ground may end up becoming a bit of an encumbrance for Express in that economy rather than precision is the selling point of Ground. Then again it never was meant to be a time of day,day of week specific carrier. Trying to make it become something more than that which is exactly what they're trying to make it become could end up becoming it's undoing. Expecting people to produce at high standards, there's nothing wrong with that but expecting them to do so absent the pay and benefits a person is thereby entitled to have for achieving those standards ....well. ....like the old saying goes......"you get what you pay for".

 

[bacha29]

LOL!!

They were well enough satisfied with my work . Enough to the point where there's a standing invitation from them to go back to work for them this upcoming tax season.

 

[LarryBird]

You're only getting one side of the story there's probably a lot more to it. We go by ready and close times on our pickup manifest. If their shipping department isn't there in that window that's on them not on us. Secondly internationals maybe left behind because they have the incorrect paperwork. Customs is a stickler for paperwork and it's on the shipper to have the correct paperwork filled out.

While I appreciate your impassioned defense of your employer and brand, you couldn't possibly be more off base if you tried. Despite there being nothing wrong with taking up for yours, this isn't the hill to die on.

The DOD is certainly well versed in the shipping of internationals - I'd guess they are probably among the top 5 largest shipping accounts in the country by international volume. They're aware of how to properly prepare packages for international service, and paperwork isn't an issue in the least with them.

By the way, FedEx Express left 7 NDA pcs on the roller line at 4:10pm, when the Defense Logistics crew was wrapped and walking out the door...they finished processing at 3:30pm today, so how early was the Express guy? And what time did he bounce?

Coincidentally, FedEx ground also left an identical 7 packages on the roller line, processed but not moving.

Perhaps I will post a picture of this with a timestamp.

 

[MAKAVELI]

While I appreciate your impassioned defense of your employer and brand, you couldn't possibly be more off base if you tried. Despite there being nothing wrong with taking up for yours, this isn't the hill to die on.

The DOD is certainly well versed in the shipping of internationals - I'd guess they are probably among the top 5 largest shipping accounts in the country by international volume. They're aware of how to properly prepare packages for international service, and paperwork isn't an issue in the least with them.

By the way, FedEx Express left 7 NDA pcs on the roller line at 4:10pm, when the Defense Logistics crew was wrapped and walking out the door...they finished processing at 3:30pm today, so how early was the Express guy? And what time did he bounce?

Coincidentally, FedEx ground also left an identical 7 packages on the roller line, processed but not moving.

Perhaps I will post a picture of this with a timestamp.

Look bro I'm just telling you how it works here. Nothing more, nothing less. A pup failure on a frequent basis , especially on a large volume shipper would result in someone losing their job. You are basing your opinion without knowing all the facts. Do your diligence and talk to the Express driver to get the full picture.

 

[Operational needs]

While I appreciate your impassioned defense of your employer and brand, you couldn't possibly be more off base if you tried. Despite there being nothing wrong with taking up for yours, this isn't the hill to die on.

The DOD is certainly well versed in the shipping of internationals - I'd guess they are probably among the top 5 largest shipping accounts in the country by international volume. They're aware of how to properly prepare packages for international service, and paperwork isn't an issue in the least with them.

By the way, FedEx Express left 7 NDA pcs on the roller line at 4:10pm, when the Defense Logistics crew was wrapped and walking out the door...they finished processing at 3:30pm today, so how early was the Express guy? And what time did he bounce?

Coincidentally, FedEx ground also left an identical 7 packages on the roller line, processed but not moving.

Perhaps I will post a picture of this with a timestamp.

The point @MAKAVELI and I are trying to make is that there is a pick up window, say between 1400-1600. As long as the Express driver arrives between those agreed upon times, he’s good, and DLA is wrong. If he arrives at 1530, takes what they have and then DLA comes up with more outbound at 1615, that’s on them, not us.

As far as Ground, I can’t speak for them.

 

[bbsam]

The point @MAKAVELI and I are trying to make is that there is a pick up window, say between 1400-1600. As long as the Express driver arrives between those agreed upon times, he’s good, and DLA is wrong. If he arrives at 1530, takes what they have and then DLA comes up with more outbound at 1615, that’s on them, not us.

As far as Ground, I can’t speak for them.

Exactly the same.

 

[It will be fine]

The point @MAKAVELI and I are trying to make is that there is a pick up window, say between 1400-1600. As long as the Express driver arrives between those agreed upon times, he’s good, and DLA is wrong. If he arrives at 1530, takes what they have and then DLA comes up with more outbound at 1615, that’s on them, not us.

As far as Ground, I can’t speak for them.

Same deal. It’s one of few things they get upset about. A contractor that isn’t picking up within the window of a huge account wouldn’t have a contract for long.

 

[MAKAVELI]

The point @MAKAVELI and I are trying to make is that there is a pick up window, say between 1400-1600. As long as the Express driver arrives between those agreed upon times, he’s good, and DLA is wrong. If he arrives at 1530, takes what they have and then DLA comes up with more outbound at 1615, that’s on them, not us.

As far as Ground, I can’t speak for them.

He really just sounds like one of those little pricks trying to get a lead for UPS. Don't get me wrong we have those type here as well but I seem to run in to a lot of them on the UPS side quite often.

 

[bbsam]

Same deal. It’s one of few things they get upset about. A contractor that isn’t picking up within the window of a huge account wouldn’t have a contract for long.

And they can pinpoint exactly where the pickup is opened and closed.

 

[MAKAVELI]

And they can pinpoint exactly where the pickup is opened and closed.

They do that with Express now as well.

 

[LarryBird]

The point @MAKAVELI and I are trying to make is that there is a pick up window, say between 1400-1600. As long as the Express driver arrives between those agreed upon times, he’s good, and DLA is wrong. If he arrives at 1530, takes what they have and then DLA comes up with more outbound at 1615, that’s on them, not us.

As far as Ground, I can’t speak for them.

Ok, we're almost on the same page, and a short explanation should get us all the way there - DLA has a scheduled pickup, and a guaranteed pull time...it's pickup is scheduled for 3:25pm and the pull time is (not before)4pm.

Both FedEx branches get there before 3pm, and bounce before 3:25pm often.

 

[MAKAVELI]

Ok, we're almost on the same page, and a short explanation should get us all the way there - DLA has a scheduled pickup, and a guaranteed pull time...it's pickup is scheduled for 3:25pm and the pull time is (not before)4pm.

Both FedEx branches get there before 3pm, and bounce before 3:25pm often.

We have ready times not pull times. For Express a shipper has to have all shipments that are outgoing to be ready by that time. Sounds like they need to schedule another late pu if possible. We have specific cut off times for outbound to make the planes/trucks.