It all comes down to the strength of the economy where you are located.For example when I was under the core zone formula I had a zone that was only 25 miles from the terminal and the core zone was based on stem miles the distance in this case was based on those 24 miles one way. Yet on the days when I worked only that one zone and I admit there were few days when I was so fortunate. I would return to the terminal with 145 to 170 miles run that day. Why? That core zone also included 480 RD carrier miles which was not factored into the core zone formula. That's why I say just because you are in a prosperous metro area doesn't mean that it's like that everywhere else. Oh by the way the Supreme Court by means of a one vote majority upheld the ACA. No if it had gone the other way and was struck down what would you have done when it comes to your employees health insurance, Mr. it will be fine? I answer that. Nothing
Glad I'm out of this Part2
- Thread starter bacha29
- Start date
It will be fine
Well-Known Member
Stop the presses! A 5-4 decision in the Supreme Court! Unheard of. You are so right, I spent months researching health insurance just for fun even though I'm under no obligation to offer anything. Stop speaking like you understand how actual independent contractors operate, you clearly do not. You were an employee that allowed yourself to be taken advantage of. Good riddance.
Most SC cases these days are decided by 1 vote.
Mr. It will be fine. I was a day 1 contractor. One of 4 guys who got our terminal started. I was recruited by RPS and left a management position to help with the startup and helped keep it from closing twice in it's first 3 years of operation along with 3 ownership changes, plus 10 terminal managers all with their own style and agenda
. As for multi-route operation. We had three multi-route operators who quit when FXG fired their drivers and they had no one to replace them. You see I operated in an expansive, mountainous, poorly accessible sparsely populated rural area with a population that is ageing and decreasing in number. As for a labor pool of qualified drivers, they can go out on the gas rigs, drive water truck or sand tanker or lay pipeline and make twice as much compared to working for an FXG contractor. I am quite certain that if you had to compete in a similar market you would not feel as secure as you seem to indicate when it comes to hiring and retaining help. In a setting such as that, the fact that FXG retains complete control over everything and you as a contractor have absolutely no recourse under the law is never more evident. As for the ACA, I studied and learned enough about it to enable me to instruct and help enroll several contractor employees who today continue to thank me when I see them and those who blew me off when I tried to help them now after paying the penalty tell me that they wish they had not so.
. As for multi-route operation. We had three multi-route operators who quit when FXG fired their drivers and they had no one to replace them. You see I operated in an expansive, mountainous, poorly accessible sparsely populated rural area with a population that is ageing and decreasing in number. As for a labor pool of qualified drivers, they can go out on the gas rigs, drive water truck or sand tanker or lay pipeline and make twice as much compared to working for an FXG contractor. I am quite certain that if you had to compete in a similar market you would not feel as secure as you seem to indicate when it comes to hiring and retaining help. In a setting such as that, the fact that FXG retains complete control over everything and you as a contractor have absolutely no recourse under the law is never more evident. As for the ACA, I studied and learned enough about it to enable me to instruct and help enroll several contractor employees who today continue to thank me when I see them and those who blew me off when I tried to help them now after paying the penalty tell me that they wish they had not so.
TeamLift
Well-Known Member
Hi Mr. It will be fine. How come you never said anything about the benefits that actually cost money like pensions and health care?Look all I'saying it that I.m happyto be out of it because there are two things that will never happen. Fed ex is never going to give you guys enough money to acquire high character, highly productive highly reliable personnel employers all want. You will always be bottom feeders taking what nobody else wants. Disaffected, disinterested people moving freely from onejob to the next.Are those the people you're willing to bet everything you've got on? Especially given the companies continously escalating level of command and control over you the people they proclaim to be " independent contractors". Not to mention the fact that you made it clear that they will be disposed of the moment they can no longer do a zillion stops a day. Secondly fedex will never incur even one cent of potential liability in defense of the well being of the people out there doing their dirty work making all their money for them. They have you to do that. And thresholds? Thresholds are nothing more than poorly disquised production quotas that will weigh heavily on the growing disparity between the value the company demands from your people and the value you and you alone are able to give them leaving you stuck in the middle with the impossible task of trying to find a way to bridge the gap. Ps. those routes you say you are losing money on are in all likelihood " supplementals" . Supplementals out the every day. That's not a supplemental. That's a noncontracted route, Don't agree? Ask youself this question. What would be the incentive for the company to spend the money to convert that noncontracted route to a contracted route when the desired effect is already being realized?
You got that right, its like pulling teeth to get a core charge for a supplemental, once that route gets big enough it should automatically achieve contract status, but then again we're taking about welfare FedEx. They say Grow your business, then when you do they stiff you on the core charge, cheap bastards. Remember this, even trash collectors get paid by the hour, paid overtime and benefits.
TeamLift
Well-Known Member
Where is your business located, fantasy land ? Don't have deal with FedEx, when there is a misdelivered package or complaint the first person that is called is the driver, not you. Work less hours than you, really, so they set on the couch all day right beside you ? Don't work sick or injured, I call BS on that as well, there are far fewer days when we feel perfect as apposed to not. No matter how happy you might think your drivers are, remember this, there is not one of them who is not looking for a better job. A democratic economy has been a blessing for FedEx with few jobs to go to, but when things get better, your ass may have to trade a couch for a truck seat. In a few years when minimum wage is 15.00 per hour, you and all contractors will be hard pressed to find drivers, even if you pay that now, you don't pay overtime or the benefits that come with it.
It will be fine
Well-Known Member
The terminal doesn't have my driver's phone numbers. They are not allowed to contact them, everything goes through me. Drivers work fewer hours than a SWA contractor would. My guys don't work sick. I've sent them home in the morning if they look too bad, I don't want someone of diminished capacity driving my truck. If you aren't treated this at least this well you should find other employment.
TeamLift
Well-Known Member
I agree, what a concept, you should be the model against what all other contractors are judged against. Most contractors say drive while sick, just roll down the window when you puke, unless you can't move both arms come to work anyway. All they think about is they don't want to have to do the route themselves that day and will put the driver through hell to make sure that doesn't happen. They don't have your drivers phone numbers, great, they got most of ours when we were temps a few years ago. Some contractors will tell you though not to answer when they do call.
They have the phone numbers from when they did the background check on your employees. What a joke
It will be fine
Well-Known Member
It took a long time to get to the point I could afford adequate coverage. It wasn't until I was in double digit routes when I could hire multiple cover drivers. So I can have someone on vacation, have another call in sick and still have myself available. FedEx doesn't make it easy.
They can find my guys phone numbers, they are under instruction to never contact them. The phone list for the secretaries just says to contact me, otherwise they call people driving trucks all the time. The fact that is wildly unsafe apparently doesn't bother them.
Maybe this revelation will put it all inperspective. WHEN MY FATHER DIED ,I COULDN'T EVEN GET TO HIS FUNERAL. At the time of his death the word about X was out and nobody was willing to accept the work terms primarily due to X"s rigid controlover a person who would be expected to be available to come in and work at a moment's notice. Far better deals available in construction and extraction industries. Mine was not an isolated case .A few years later a female contractor 's father died unexpectedly and she was treated in an even worse manner. I intervened in her behalf but didn't do much good. No grieving person should be treated the way she was. Here is a matter that also helps to showcase the X culture. AS you ISP's no doubt know the basis of your operation is goodwill and propietary rights and I bet that every one you believes that those rights always existed.WRONG! In 1993 and only under the threat of an Internal Revenue lawsuit did this company grudgingly grant us those rights. Now Fred S claims that the Ground business model is designed for the purpose of creating "small trucking companies". Now ask yourself this question . Why would a company who claims to exist for the purpose of fostering entrepenurism fight so hard to keep from having to grant the necessary rights ? As ISPs your equity has no protection and you exist only until a more economical way of getting those boxes delivered comes along or there is some type of judicial or governmental intervention. I recently read a quote from a Fedex executive." The courts will not tell Fedex how to do business" I thought to my self' You don't say"?
It will be fine
Well-Known Member
Well this year one of my drivers lost his mother. I told him to let me know when he was ready to come back. He took the rest of the week and wanted to come back to keep himself occupied.
We all understand the risk, you're not blowing any minds there.
We all understand the risk, you're not blowing any minds there.
Look Mr. it will be fine. Clearly you haven't been at this for very long and you clearly have a completely undeserved sense of self importance. FYI. I lost my mother earlier this year too. Fortunately we were able to hold her funeral on the weekend. Sir what I am talking about here is this company's capacity for treating people badly. Having it happen once is bad enough. But twice? Yet you continue to defend this company come hell or high water. That's a clear indication that you haven't been at this for long. Which brings to mind what TM7 said to we the 3 remaining D1 contractors " There want rid of you old guys". When asked . why., her answer was , " It's very simple. You know too much". What you do for your operation and your people has no bearing on the outrageous things FX has done to people in the past and will do to them in the future and no matter how long you continue to suck the you know what of this company you in the end will not be spared. You exist only to provide cheap trucking and labor not to play spin doctor trying to downplay or minimize the significance their bad behavior. We know that they have people to do that because we caught them in so many lies that they would come to the terminal do the required paperwork then leave avoiding in every way possible having to confront us.
Well said
overflowed
Well-Known Member
What makes you think these people are not on here as well?
It will be fine
Well-Known Member
Been at it close to 20 years now. Your inability to properly run a business is not the company treating you badly. It's your failure. I don't love FedEx, they could pay us all a lot more, I just don't act like a victim and blame them when things go wrong. It's not their problem, it's my business. They pay me to provide service, how that gets done is not their problem. I'm just better at this than you. It's ok, it's not for everyone.
oldrps
Well-Known Member
A contractor has to service their area everyday per the contract. What part of that did you not understand. You were not an employee, but you want to be treated like one (get the day off). It sucks, but that is what you signed up for. If FedEx covered your route, that is an employer/employee relationship, not a contractor relationship. Any business owner will tell you, you have to have contingency plans for the worst and hope for the best.
As you and every contractor should be aware of is that FedEx wrote the contract so it is in their best interest, not yours. They didn't hold a gun to your head and make you sign (I hope) the contract.
I never said that I wanted to be treated as an employee I only sought to be treated as a human being not in the second class citizen manner that you are treated as a RPS/FXG. so called contractor. What you are missing oldrps is what I alluded to earlier, FXG and FXG unilaterally decides who was qualified to drive my truck despite the fact that I would be paying his/her wages.And as I spoke to earlier nobody could be enlisted to work as a temp because they would not accept the strict requirements set forth by FXG, In fact the terminal contacted me today to see if I would be willing to help them out when seasonal volume sets in .That's how desperate they are to get people to work forthem. As I mentioned earlier if they met the FXG qualifications they could make twice as much elsewhere. And you are right. Their contract is dictated not negoiated and as I mentioned earlier a now retired FXG executive to me in private that is a contract whose terms are something the company itself does not consider binding upon itself. You see pal, this is what they mean when they call it " The Purple Promise".Go out there are project the company in a positive light but pay no mind to how badly we treat you.
Mr. it will be fine, I want you to know just how much you amuse me. You brag about how you allow your sick guys to go home. But do you provide your guys with paid sick days like real FXG employees get?.NO. And when they have to go to the hospital do provide your guys with employer paid health insurance like a real FXG employee get? NO. And when they have a death in their family do you provide them with a formal bereavement protocal and paid funeral days like real FXG employees get? No.You so readily dismiss these important facts while continuing demand the respect and admiration of your peers. What are you basing it on? The cold reality is that you are nothing more than a north of the border "coyote". By the way I fell off the chair laughiing when said that FXG will expand your revenue pool if changes in the law allow your employees to become Teamsters. Right, when pigs fly. And sir if you were in my position when my father died you too would not endure such treatment without the same deep resentment.
