IamFedExGround

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
Hi, my name is "Ike", and I have been a FedEx Ground driver for 2 years. The pay is lousy and there are no benefits, but it's the best I can do right now because there aren't very many jobs out there. I make a flat $650 per week, and when I started this job I was told it would be about 40 hours per week. I quickly found out it was more like 60 hours per week, and sometiimes it's more than that because when I'm extra heavy on deliveries my day is sometimes 15 hours long. I've been told that's illegal, but my contractor told me to keep my mouth shut and just finish off the clock or he'd find someone else to do my job. I got the message real quick.

My truck has a lot of problems, but my contractor tells me not to mention them on my vehicle inspection report because he doesn't want to pay for expensive repairs. My stepvan is about 25 years old, and I know it is as old as RPS because there are still old RPS stickers on the inside. It pulls badly when braking and I smell exhaust fumes inside all the time but I'm afraid to write any problems up because I could lose my job. My handbrake won't hold all the way on hills, so I either park and walk up or turn the wheels into the curb and hope for the best. I bring a piece of 4x4 with me to use as a wheel chock.

My family and I barely get by, and with no benefits we have no choice but to go to the emergency room whenever any of us get sick. My son had pneumonia last year, and the bills came to over $50,000 because he had to be hospitalized for a week. We get calls and letters from collection agencies every day, but we will never be able to pay. We buy a lot of unhealthy food because that's all we can afford. I have applied for food stamps, but have not heard back yet. A lot of times my kids go to bed hungry and that really tears me up inside. I have a 30 year-old car that gets me to work and back, but I can't afford to insure it and I hope that it keeps running because I can't afford to repair it. A few months ago I rear-ended someone in a parking lot and I just took off because I didn't want to get in trouble for not having car insurance.

At the terminal, my contractor is almost never there. All of the managers work for FedEx and they're always running around telling us what to do and to work faster and get out of the building sooner. I thought I worked for my contractor, but it really seems like I work for FedEx. I've seen my contractors car at the local golf course a lot as I drive out to my route and I wonder why he is never at the terminal.

We seem to be a lot busier lately, and my contractor seems really happy. The FedEx managers keep telling us to work faster and do more, even though I don't think it's safe to have to drive that fast all the time.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Again, MFE, you have decided to delve into a situation you know nothing about. Again, not surprising. Make the sob story a little more interesting. Maybe he could be doing 400 pieces a day in a p700, stopping back three times. Or you could wait a couple years and write your own sad little autobiographical account of how everything bbsam told you was going to happen came to pass and now with your real estate business failing you are contemplating the move to Ground but finding it hard to swallow that foot sized bite of crow in the back of your throat. Yeah. That's a story worth reading.
 

STFXG

Well-Known Member
Haha great read! Are you sure the kid didn't die from pneumonia and they couldn't afford to bury him. And of course the driver couldn't attend his own child's funeral...
 

thedownhillEXPRESS

Well-Known Member
I've heard from several ground drivers on the behavior of the contractors.
In our area one of the contractors isnt even allowed in the terminal for having made so many threats.
Its sad, but a good reason why it will catch up to Fred someday
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
I've heard from several ground drivers on the behavior of the contractors.
In our area one of the contractors isnt even allowed in the terminal for having made so many threats.
Its sad, but a good reason why it will catch up to Fred someday

I've heard that monkeys fly out of MFE's butt. I don't believe it though...completely.:)
 

snackdad

Well-Known Member
Last night as I was watching news in bed there was a story involving a motorcycle fatality accident on a simple flat rural road. A FedEx Ground truck was taking a left into a residential driveway from the main road across traffic. He did not see the motorcyclist coming toward him. Maybe he was too busy, too much in a hurry, texting or using a powerpad. Maybe he thought he could save a few seconds by not waiting. The motorcyclist was dead in the middle of the road. The Ground driver had to stand there with him on the side of the road until emergency help arrived. It must have been a long horrible wait with the deceased thinking about what had just happened.
In the news around the county, everyday are similar stories and in 90 percent or more I see that it is Ground that is involved. It is really sad that FedEx is boosting profits and making statements to the media about cost cutting but at what price and to whom. If you think for a second that FedEx gave a crap about safety for it's employees or the general public you are wrong. Taking the time to do things correctly costs money and productivity. Tell that to the children, parents, brothers, sisters, parents, friends of the deceased.
I see Ground drivers nearly everyday driving while on the phone, using powerpad, eating, smoking, leaving truck running on side of the road unattended, double parking live in center dedicated turn lanes, cargo doors open, etc, etc. What I see everyday is appalling. While there may be some seasoned dedicated ground drivers out there I think the majority of them are under experienced and thrust into a situation that a veteran that has been there and done that would handle better everyday in all conditions. You can dummy down and cheapen the workforce but it will cost somewhere down the line. It really sucks this guy had to die for that.
The driver of the Ground truck had to step over the body of the dead motorcyclist at his side door, see the photos on KTVU link.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_20912373/motorcyclist-killed-collision-fedex-truck-brentwood

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&...=us&ei=CKrkT8OfEcaW2QW4tNnaCQ&ved=0CA8Q8gEwAA
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
Last night as I was watching news in bed there was a story involving a motorcycle fatality accident on a simple flat rural road. A FedEx Ground truck was taking a left into a residential driveway from the main road across traffic. He did not see the motorcyclist coming toward him. Maybe he was too busy, too much in a hurry, texting or using a powerpad. Maybe he thought he could save a few seconds by not waiting. The motorcyclist was dead in the middle of the road. The Ground driver had to stand there with him on the side of the road until emergency help arrived. It must have been a long horrible wait with the deceased thinking about what had just happened.
In the news around the county, everyday are similar stories and in 90 percent or more I see that it is Ground that is involved. It is really sad that FedEx is boosting profits and making statements to the media about cost cutting but at what price and to whom. If you think for a second that FedEx gave a crap about safety for it's employees or the general public you are wrong. Taking the time to do things correctly costs money and productivity. Tell that to the children, parents, brothers, sisters, parents, friends of the deceased.
I see Ground drivers nearly everyday driving while on the phone, using powerpad, eating, smoking, leaving truck running on side of the road unattended, double parking live in center dedicated turn lanes, cargo doors open, etc, etc. What I see everyday is appalling. While there may be some seasoned dedicated ground drivers out there I think the majority of them are under experienced and thrust into a situation that a veteran that has been there and done that would handle better everyday in all conditions. You can dummy down and cheapen the workforce but it will cost somewhere down the line. It really sucks this guy had to die for that.
The driver of the Ground truck had to step over the body of the dead motorcyclist at his side door, see the photos on KTVU link.

Motorcyclist killed in collision with FedEx truck in Brentwood - ContraCostaTimes.com

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&...=us&ei=CKrkT8OfEcaW2QW4tNnaCQ&ved=0CA8Q8gEwAA

I (and others) have made the point before that Ground drivers seem to be involved in a disproportionate number of accidents relative to Express couriers.This tragic, and completely avoidable accident underlines the point. I see them all the time talking on the cell phone, making stupid moves behind the wheel, and otherwise being non-professional.

You nailed it with the comment that FedEx is dumbing-down the workforce in pursuit of the day when they can just pluck almost anyone off the street and send them on their way with Dynamic ROADS. It's all about saving money. Fred doesn't care whether or not it's safe. He's betting that going cheap will be more profitable for him, and that's all that matters. His moral compass is in the shop.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Tragic as it is, the Fedex driver was not even cited or arrested. So why the speculation that he was at fault? Pretty pathetic.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
It's true. I catch them in a net and sell them to the zoo to supplement my meager FedEx check.
See?! I knew there was a reason I didn't completely discount the claim! But I gotta ask, does it hurt and is it actually flying or as Woody would say, "falling with style"?
 

HomeDelivery

Well-Known Member
back to Ike... what state is that? or region?

I recently had a p700 with no parking brakes as well & have to turn the front wheels accordingly if there's a curb/ or not, uphill vs. downhill, etc...

I looked at the rear brakes and they're discs, so I suggested the contractor to have a look at the pads to see if they're "thinning out" It's not that hard to slap on new brake pads...

Ike is free to leave that contractor or re-negotiate his salary to include a stop-limit per salaried day. any stops added to that stop-ceiling will be a bonus per-stop/per-package pay.

I'm done running / gunning while i see other's breaking down with bad backs/ knees around me while they push 20-25 stops per hour. So this would be my salary requirement if i'm not getting paid by the hour.

we had a very mild winter the past peak & the hours were not that much at all; only a few days with OT hourly pay...

I'm predicting a bad winter this year with the increase of volume coming from Express, there'll be more temp-agency hourly employees at Home Delivery/ Ground.

The wacky thing is they stopped those one-week training courses on how to drive a package car safely. (I had trained a couple of them on the road the past peak with a dollar-per-hour bonus pay & didn't mind it at all).

----------------------------------------

PS: is ROADS or something similar is in the Ground division yet? i still see some of them fumbling with road maps... I know they have the capability, but I don't see them using it for the most part...
 

snackdad

Well-Known Member
The FedEx driver was not cited or arrested until an investigation is complete. That is how things sometimes operate in California. This accident was on an open flat country field type of road. It was 4PM, sun high in the sky, not setting, perfect visibility. Why the speculation that Ground was not at fault? Knowing the track record of Ground and overall inexperience of it's drivers it is pretty pathetic of you to assume that Ground was not at fault. I have seen with my own eyes everyday major mistakes done by Ground drivers nearly everyday. Oh and the nice tattoos also.....
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
The FedEx driver was not cited or arrested until an investigation is complete. That is how things sometimes operate in California. This accident was on an open flat country field type of road. It was 4PM, sun high in the sky, not setting, perfect visibility. Why the speculation that Ground was not at fault? Knowing the track record of Ground and overall inexperience of it's drivers it is pretty pathetic of you to assume that Ground was not at fault. I have seen with my own eyes everyday major mistakes done by Ground drivers nearly everyday. Oh and the nice tattoos also.....
I assume Ground was not at fault because here in Illinois a citation is issued immediately. How much investigating do they need out there? If I wasn't deathly afraid of needles, I'd get a tat. I actually find them fascinating and find your aversion rather funny, like old people used to look at a guy with an earing oddly. If you did a little more personal investigating into people with tattoos, maybe you'd actually like them instead of deride them.
 

59 Dano

I just want to make friends!
Hi, my name is "Ike", and I have been a FedEx Ground driver for 2 years. The pay is lousy and there are no benefits, but it's the best I can do right now because there aren't very many jobs out there. I make a flat $650 per week, and when I started this job I was told it would be about 40 hours per week. I quickly found out it was more like 60 hours per week, and sometiimes it's more than that because when I'm extra heavy on deliveries my day is sometimes 15 hours long. I've been told that's illegal, but my contractor told me to keep my mouth shut and just finish off the clock or he'd find someone else to do my job. I got the message real quick.

My truck has a lot of problems, but my contractor tells me not to mention them on my vehicle inspection report because he doesn't want to pay for expensive repairs. My stepvan is about 25 years old, and I know it is as old as RPS because there are still old RPS stickers on the inside. It pulls badly when braking and I smell exhaust fumes inside all the time but I'm afraid to write any problems up because I could lose my job. My handbrake won't hold all the way on hills, so I either park and walk up or turn the wheels into the curb and hope for the best. I bring a piece of 4x4 with me to use as a wheel chock.

My family and I barely get by, and with no benefits we have no choice but to go to the emergency room whenever any of us get sick. My son had pneumonia last year, and the bills came to over $50,000 because he had to be hospitalized for a week. We get calls and letters from collection agencies every day, but we will never be able to pay. We buy a lot of unhealthy food because that's all we can afford. I have applied for food stamps, but have not heard back yet. A lot of times my kids go to bed hungry and that really tears me up inside. I have a 30 year-old car that gets me to work and back, but I can't afford to insure it and I hope that it keeps running because I can't afford to repair it. A few months ago I rear-ended someone in a parking lot and I just took off because I didn't want to get in trouble for not having car insurance.

Maybe things would be better if your wife got a job.
 

snackdad

Well-Known Member
Maybe things would be better if your wife got a job.

Since when do we get into the habit of personal attacks? What does your wife do for a living 59 Dano? Stay on subject will you.... And if not at least get creative and leave the wives out of it.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Left turn in front of a motorcycle? He would be at-fault.
Initially I would think the same but I would think immediate citation. Are there other factors? Excessive motorcycle speed (I've been guilty of that)? Riding while impaired? Or maybe it was the Ground driver's fault. I'm just surprised there was no ticket issued immediately. Care to explain?
 
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