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Code 82 Approved

Titanium Plus+ Level Member with benefits!
Any Ground haters wondering what I do every day? Pony up to Milwaukee and ride with me on one of your day offs. I will pay your day's wage to ride and observe. You can call out my bad driving, and tattoo stops. Limit one, first guy in, is in with firm plans. No BS. I walk the walk people.
 

MAKAVELI

Well-Known Member
Any Ground haters wondering what I do every day? Pony up to Milwaukee and ride with me on one of your day offs. I will pay your day's wage to ride and observe. You can call out my bad driving, and tattoo stops. Limit one, first guy in, is in with firm plans. No BS. I walk the walk people.
Why don't you give us who live in the west an idea what you do on a daily basis?
 

Code 82 Approved

Titanium Plus+ Level Member with benefits!
Every day is a crap shoot my friend. Tuesday was 304 pkgs on 95 stops. I have done 300 pkgs on 60 stops. My boss said yesterday I did 46000 pkgs outbound in 2012
i forget the stop count. I have maxed at 180 stops in a retail setting, I have had lower where I call for rescue. But I do our "Fashion Row" and it's nonstop hallways in stripmalls with Hallmark and Bridal Dresses, and 2 huge corporate parks full of computers, toner and the likes.
 

vantexan

Well-Known Member
Before my supp I did it all, 150+ daily

Are you a contractor? What I don't understand is why you choose to do that much, if you are a driver, without at least applying at UPS? I've done very heavy rts in the past when Express did it all, but at the time believed I had a pension and better pay coming to me in the future. There's no way I'd do what you are doing for low pay and no benefits. I'd rather be an over the road truck driver. Or get on at UPS. But hats off to you for being willing to work hard.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
One common theme that I hear from my customers who do not have a daily Ground pickup but have an outgoing Ground package is that it takes forever for you guys to pick up their stuff. It has gotten to the point where I offer to take the package for them and drop it off at the MBE store. This would be the one area that I suggest you guys focus on for improvement.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
One common theme that I hear from my customers who do not have a daily Ground pickup but have an outgoing Ground package is that it takes forever for you guys to pick up their stuff. It has gotten to the point where I offer to take the package for them and drop it off at the MBE store. This would be the one area that I suggest you guys focus on for improvement.

It's true. We do need to do better with that and I think you will see a vast improvement. Alot of times we will have information about a call in pickup and depending on where's we go to a dock or front desk, that person knows nothing about it. In the past, it would simply be coded as a "20" meaning "no package to pick up". Now there will be increased scrutiny with follow up calls from CPC to determine if the package is Express, already picked up, in a different location at the address, etc. and recycled for the following day with further information. Failure to code the pickup correctly will impact significant bonus moneyif it is determined to be a missed pickup. I'm a little torn on the issue. Much has to do with crap info given by the customer in the first place but we do need to do a better job. I just hate having somebody calling 8 different people to find out if they called for a pickup only to find out that is in fact an Express pickup. Sometimes I think I should take it. Really pisses them off.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
I can see if it is a return that the driver doesn't know about---we get those all the time (ARS/RS)---and there is nothing you can really do but when the customer calls in on a Monday and the package is still sitting there on Thursday...

I deliver to an optical shop (former Pearle Vision) which uses both carriers for pickups. I will make it a point to look where they put their outgoing on a daily basis and will jokingly dust off the Ground pkgs that have been sitting there for a few days.
 

Operational needs

Virescit Vulnere Virtus
It's true. We do need to do better with that and I think you will see a vast improvement. I just hate having somebody calling 8 different people to find out if they called for a pickup only to find out that is in fact an Express pickup. Sometimes I think I should take it. Really pisses them off.

I sure hope so. I'm one of the crazy Express couriers that has always taken the Ground packages if they were sitting for a few days and took them to the station. I will always inform the customer though, that their package might not go out that night and there is no way to track it until it gets to the station. Their response....I don't care, please take it. There used to be a statement on the envelope for our paychecks that said, "A satisfied customer made this check possible". Regardless of what FedEx does to us, I still believe that.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
I can see if it is a return that the driver doesn't know about---we get those all the time (ARS/RS)---and there is nothing you can really do but when the customer calls in on a Monday and the package is still sitting there on Thursday...

I deliver to an optical shop (former Pearle Vision) which uses both carriers for pickups. I will make it a point to look where they put their outgoing on a daily basis and will jokingly dust off the Ground pkgs that have been sitting there for a few days.

Exactly. It's infuriating for all involved. The involvement of CPC should improve things. Odd thing is, however, what is the break down? Did the driver show up on Monday at the front and the person on duty didn't know about the pickup and said they had nothing? In that case,the pickup is removed from the listing and another one would have to be scheduled. Now the procedure will be to code that pickup as "not ready" so that CPC can call, investigate and determine whether or not to recycle for the following day or in some instances the driver is able to return the same day.
 

Code 82 Approved

Titanium Plus+ Level Member with benefits!
One common theme that I hear from my customers who do not have a daily Ground pickup but have an outgoing Ground package is that it takes forever for you guys to pick up their stuff. It has gotten to the point where I offer to take the package for them and drop it off at the MBE store. This would be the one area that I suggest you guys focus on for improvement.

I had one of my printing companies laminate the Ground logo on a 11x17 sheet of paper. They put it in their window if they want me to stop for an unscheduled pickup. For the most part this works ok. But I agree that the pickup process is flawed. Many do not understand the difference between Ground and Express so it's a daily barrage of people trying to hand me Express packages.
 

STFXG

Well-Known Member
Me and the express driver either text each other about pick ups or just grab for each other and meet up later. We usually stop to b.s. a couple times a week.
Same with USPS. They will take fedex boxes and give them to me when I drop off smart post.
CPC has been fixing the problem for pickups called in incorrectly. It will get a lot better...
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
Code 82 Approved. If you are such a great driver and total professional, why waste your time and efforts on Ground. The whole Ground business model is based on low pay and no benefits. Why not go elsewhere, and get a better deal? Right now, the only persons benefitting from your efforts are the ISP and Fred.
 

Cactus

Just telling it like it is
CPC has been fixing the problem for pickups called in incorrectly. It will get a lot better...

What makes you think that?

They've had over 10 years to figure out this problem and it's no better than it was in 2003.

This my real axe to grind with Ground. There is so much confusion with the public and the call center over this and it just gives us Express drivers more headaches and work too. And it pisses off a lot of customers. Fred & co. has taken no real steps in solving the problems associated with this and now it's festered. Hell Ground is too lazy and/or cheap to even have their own dropboxes and they expect Express drivers to handle their packages which is pure BS. And when their revolving staff of drivers screws up a delivery or pickup, guess who hears about it?

And you now think it's gonna get better?
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Go where? Express is a dead end and from what I hear UPS is still cutting routes. Incidentally, I pay alot more for drivers like him.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
What makes you think that?

They've had over 10 years to figure out this problem and it's no better than it was in 2003.

This my real axe to grind with Ground. There is so much confusion with the public and the call center over this and it just gives us Express drivers more headaches and work too. And it pisses off a lot of customers. Fred & co. has taken no real steps in solving the problems associated with this and now it's festered. Hell Ground is too lazy and/or cheap to even have their own dropboxes and they expect Express drivers to handle their packages which is pure BS. And when their revolving staff of drivers screws up a delivery or pickup, guess who hears about it?

And you now think it's gonna get better?

Yes. Just as soon as Fred moves the contractor model into Express.
 

Cactus

Just telling it like it is
Yes. Just as soon as Fred moves the contractor model into Express.

Well if and when that happens I will no longer work there anyway.

A moot point as far as I'm concerned.


P.S. we'll call it Expand The Scam.
 
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vantexan

Well-Known Member
Code 82 Approved. If you are such a great driver and total professional, why waste your time and efforts on Ground. The whole Ground business model is based on low pay and no benefits. Why not go elsewhere, and get a better deal? Right now, the only persons benefitting from your efforts are the ISP and Fred.

I only got 35 hrs this week including taking my last personal day. Looks like only the company is benefitting from my work around here at Express. I've asked my ops mgr if they plan to move us back to 5X8's soon from 4X10's and he just hedges.
 

Cactus

Just telling it like it is
I only got 35 hrs this week including taking my last personal day. Looks like only the company is benefitting from my work around here at Express. I've asked my ops mgr if they plan to move us back to 5X8's soon from 4X10's and he just hedges.

Just like most managers, he's just a puppet. He's waiting on upper management to figure it out.
 
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