Ground Pickup on Express Route

!Retired!

Well-Known Member
I don't do PUP routes anymore. But, when I did...
Inside dropbox - take it and scan it
Outside dropbox - leave it for a day or 2
Regular/semi-occasion del stop - I explain I can't take /scan Ground packages. But, if I go back a couple of days later and it's still there, I'll take it.
 

Bingo

Well-Known Member
In the past week I've been asked by customers to take ground packages because they don't show up for called in pickup. I tell them I can't, what does everyone else with Express do when asked to take ground pickups
I explain I am a Express Driver and I can only take the packages that have a E and the pks that have a G go to the ground driver. As our pks go the airport and the ground pks go to a trucking terminal.
 

McFeely

Huge Member
I generally take them with me (unless there are too many or they're too heavy for my delicate envelope-carrying hands), but only after I checked to see if they requested a pickup. I know the Ground guy on my route so I text him to tell him I picked up a pkg at such-and-such address.

Also, I see him at the same FASC pickup everyday so that's when I just give any Ground packages to him. Easy enough for me, the customer is happy, and the Ground contractor gets paid for the pickup.
 

SmithBarney

Well-Known Member
We have a Ground driver that loves to take our Express packages... We Show up at a stop cust says: "the other FedEx guy took it about an hour ago" Funny thing is there is no other driver(Express) around for miles... this really messes with our day. I know the guy is trying to be helpful, but too many things wrong with this situation.
 

whenIgetthere

Well-Known Member
We have a Ground driver that loves to take our Express packages... We Show up at a stop cust says: "the other FedEx guy took it about an hour ago" Funny thing is there is no other driver(Express) around for miles... this really messes with our day. I know the guy is trying to be helpful, but too many things wrong with this situation.

He is probably trying to be helpful, but not if you still have to go to the stop for a PUX43.
 

MassWineGuy

Well-Known Member
I don't take Ground. I tell customers that I can't scan their stuff and that we're two different companies owned by the same corporation.

If it's in a drop box I might leave it for a few days before taking it back to the station.
 

bjjrican

Member
I had a pickup on my route one day. Went to the customers Apt knocked on the door and the following happened-
Me-(knock, Knock)FEDEX!
Customer-(opens door)Can I help you?(in angry tone)
Me-I'm with FedEx here to pickup a package.
Customer-oh, ok! Here!(tosses the Express envelope at me)
Me-Sorry, I can't take this.
Customer-Why Not?
Me-I'm with FedEX HD and I can't scan it.
Customer-Well, What do I do with it?
Me-Call FedEx Express customer service and schedule a pickup through express.
Customer- Why should i do that, when you have a FedEx logo on your shirt.
Me- Mam, I can't the scan the package, Express's barcodes are different.
Customer-Then get the :censored2: outta here!
Me-Cool, have a good day!
Next day I get a complaint from that customer stating that I refused to take her package and that I was rude. When I explained to them that it was an Express package with an Express label and couldn't scan it.the P/D manager dropped the subject and asked "Well, Why were you being rude?"
wtf.....
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
I had a pickup on my route one day. Went to the customers Apt knocked on the door and the following happened-
Me-(knock, Knock)FEDEX!
Customer-(opens door)Can I help you?(in angry tone)
Me-I'm with FedEx here to pickup a package.
Customer-oh, ok! Here!(tosses the Express envelope at me)
Me-Sorry, I can't take this.
Customer-Why Not?
Me-I'm with FedEX HD and I can't scan it.
Customer-Well, What do I do with it?
Me-Call FedEx Express customer service and schedule a pickup through express.
Customer- Why should i do that, when you have a FedEx logo on your shirt.
Me- Mam, I can't the scan the package, Express's barcodes are different.
Customer-Then get the :censored2: outta here!
Me-Cool, have a good day!
Next day I get a complaint from that customer stating that I refused to take her package and that I was rude. When I explained to them that it was an Express package with an Express label and couldn't scan it.the P/D manager dropped the subject and asked "Well, Why were you being rude?"
wtf.....

Wouldn't it have been a lot easier for all involved for you to have just accepted the package and either handed it to an Express driver on your route or put it in a drop box on your way back to the depot?
 

It will be fine

Well-Known Member
Really? I've had some P&D management half-heartedly say not to but nothing too forceful.
One of my guys did it regularly for one our bigger pickups. He'd bring express envelopes to Kinkos. The Express driver kept complaining. I had to have one of the sit down business discussions with the senior manager.
 

dezguy

Well-Known Member
Wouldn't it have been a lot easier for all involved for you to have just accepted the package and either handed it to an Express driver on your route or put it in a drop box on your way back to the depot?
Nope.

Ground has threatened to sue Express for touching their stuff. Have a stop that's had a ground package sitting there for going on what has to be close to a month now.

I'm not putting myself in a position where I'm going to be called to court for a lawsuit.
 

MassWineGuy

Well-Known Member
When I find ground in the drop box I usually leave it there for a week or so before I begrudgingly take it to the station so the ground guy can pick it up.

This is what I often do. If a customer asks I say Ground and Express are different companies and I can't process Ground. I advise them to call the 800 number.

There was a Ground driver on my route who often took Express stuff from my stops.
 

Fred's Myth

Nonhyphenated American
Wouldn't it have been a lot easier for all involved for you to have just accepted the package and either handed it to an Express driver on your route or put it in a drop box on your way back to the depot?
UPS mentality. This has been explained ad nauseum that the company has instructed us to handle it in this manner. Go back to your side of the forum.
 

vantexan

Well-Known Member
Wouldn't it have been a lot easier for all involved for you to have just accepted the package and either handed it to an Express driver on your route or put it in a drop box on your way back to the depot?
I've had Ground guys take pkg before I arrived for an oncall pickup, which wasted my time. As I only had one drop box in area, which didn't contain said package, and station was 30 or more miles away, there's no knowing if package made it to station in time to go out that night, no tracking it's location. People pay serious money for Express service, should get Express service. And they should learn how to use Express service so the Ground guy was correct in refusing pkg. People who've used Express and Ground have long ago learned how the system works.
 

Star B

White Lightening
UPS mentality. This has been explained ad nauseum that the company has instructed us to handle it in this manner. Go back to your side of the forum.
UPS mentality/Customer perception.

The customer doesn't care about HD/Ground/Express. They don't have to go to a different post office if they want to send it air or parcel post. Same with UPS. We are the only ones with a stupid system. I'm sure a suit or two in Memphis has run the numbers and figured out that anyone too stupid to figure out the differences between Express & Ground... isn't worth pursuing.
 

whenIgetthere

Well-Known Member
I've had Ground guys take pkg before I arrived for an oncall pickup, which wasted my time. As I only had one drop box in area, which didn't contain said package, and station was 30 or more miles away, there's no knowing if package made it to station in time to go out that night, no tracking it's location. People pay serious money for Express service, should get Express service. And they should learn how to use Express service so the Ground guy was correct in refusing pkg. People who've used Express and Ground have long ago learned how the system works.

Covered a PUP route one night, Ground driver took packages from four or five on-calls which I had on my power-pad. Drove me nuts. Mentioned it to the regular driver the following day and she said the ground driver calls her when he picks one up so she can DEX43 it. I wasted a lot of time that night. I believe that's also called falsification.
 
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