Leave Ground for Express?

El Burro

Member
I've been a package delivery donkey with FedEx Ground for nine years. At 35 years old the prospect of no future (retirement) and no benefits to beat up my body carrying mattresses and treadmills has gotten me thinking about greener pastures.

I have an opportunity to get into Express and was initially excited about the top pay ($32 in my zone) and benefits. Reading some of the threads here, it seems most people believe the benefits suck. Additionally, I've read about drivers being with the company for 15+ years and nowhere near top pay whereas UPS drivers top out in 3 or 4 years.

How does the step system work in 2018? Step 10 is top pay, right? What determines advancing a step?

To be honest I'm friendly with multiple Express guys on my route and none of them are beaming with joy about the job, especially the part timers. But it certainly had to be better than Ground.

Any advice on making the switch from ground to express would be greatly appreciated!
 

Mooseknuckle

Well-Known Member
IDK about that but can tell you UPS drivers have a 4 year progression to top pay once you are a full time driver. It takes a very long time to become full time. All areas are different though.
 

Oldfart

Well-Known Member
I've been a package delivery donkey with FedEx Ground for nine years. At 35 years old the prospect of no future (retirement) and no benefits to beat up my body carrying mattresses and treadmills has gotten me thinking about greener pastures.

I have an opportunity to get into Express and was initially excited about the top pay ($32 in my zone) and benefits. Reading some of the threads here, it seems most people believe the benefits suck. Additionally, I've read about drivers being with the company for 15+ years and nowhere near top pay whereas UPS drivers top out in 3 or 4 years.

How does the step system work in 2018? Step 10 is top pay, right? What determines advancing a step?

To be honest I'm friendly with multiple Express guys on my route and none of them are beaming with joy about the job, especially the part timers. But it certainly had to be better than Ground.

Any advice on making the switch from ground to express would be greatly appreciated!
10 step means each Oct. you advance to the next step. If you top at $32 in your area, starting pay must be close to or a little over $20. Benefits are decent, insurance cost is lower than many pay. You won't get rich but it's a decent living. Not the best job out there but you could do worse.

Now be prepared for all the negative nellies to tell you to run away and never say the work Fedex again.
 
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Operational needs

Virescit Vulnere Virtus
I've been a package delivery donkey with FedEx Ground for nine years. At 35 years old the prospect of no future (retirement) and no benefits to beat up my body carrying mattresses and treadmills has gotten me thinking about greener pastures.

I have an opportunity to get into Express and was initially excited about the top pay ($32 in my zone) and benefits. Reading some of the threads here, it seems most people believe the benefits suck. Additionally, I've read about drivers being with the company for 15+ years and nowhere near top pay whereas UPS drivers top out in 3 or 4 years.

How does the step system work in 2018? Step 10 is top pay, right? What determines advancing a step?

To be honest I'm friendly with multiple Express guys on my route and none of them are beaming with joy about the job, especially the part timers. But it certainly had to be better than Ground.

Any advice on making the switch from ground to express would be greatly appreciated!
UPS is the much better deal. Great pay and benefits. You’d work your butt off there though. Express is definitely a better deal than Ground. The insurance is doable, not the best, but better than nothing. As far as retirement goes, you’d get a Portable Pension which isn’t that great. You’d need to invest heavily in a 401k and other options to have a decent retirement.
The job itself isn’t that bad. I’m sure you wouldn’t work as hard as at Ground and our vehicles are maintained a lot better.

I don’t know why part timers wouldn’t be happy, they have it made. Work no more than they want to.
 

bacha29

Well-Known Member
I've been a package delivery donkey with FedEx Ground for nine years. At 35 years old the prospect of no future (retirement) and no benefits to beat up my body carrying mattresses and treadmills has gotten me thinking about greener pastures.

I have an opportunity to get into Express and was initially excited about the top pay ($32 in my zone) and benefits. Reading some of the threads here, it seems most people believe the benefits suck. Additionally, I've read about drivers being with the company for 15+ years and nowhere near top pay whereas UPS drivers top out in 3 or 4 years.

How does the step system work in 2018? Step 10 is top pay, right? What determines advancing a step?

To be honest I'm friendly with multiple Express guys on my route and none of them are beaming with joy about the job, especially the part timers. But it certainly had to be better than Ground.

Any advice on making the switch from ground to express would be greatly appreciated!
If you can't get in with Express, USPS or UPS then it's time to leave that segment of the economy altogether.
The problem with working for a contractor is that they exist for one reason and one reason only. That is to serve as a firewall to protect that company from rising trucking and labor costs resulting in an employer who will always be demanding too much while paying too little. So ask yourself, just what do you owe a person like that?
I started and ended as a single route contractor turning down every opportunity to take ownership ( I take that back you don't own anything) of additional routes despite being offered to me completely free of charge. Why? I knew that Ground would never give me enough money to pay what the person performing that life shortening job is entitled to....a family sustaining wage, an employer paid healthcare plan and something in the way of a pension plan.

Why is having a healthcare disability and pension plan so imperative? Simple. What did 23 years of that type of labor leave me with?....spinal stenosis and a double hip joint replacement .
When you go to that hospital and sign the authorization to treat form you are 100% economically liable for the full cost of treatment
Fedex Ground's profit margin is the industry's highest,double the industry average. They could easily provide revenues more than sufficient to give you a compensation package much more in line with what the others in the industry pay but it's just too damn greedy....and that contractor you work for is simply the personification of that greed.
 

vantexan

Well-Known Member
I've been a package delivery donkey with FedEx Ground for nine years. At 35 years old the prospect of no future (retirement) and no benefits to beat up my body carrying mattresses and treadmills has gotten me thinking about greener pastures.

I have an opportunity to get into Express and was initially excited about the top pay ($32 in my zone) and benefits. Reading some of the threads here, it seems most people believe the benefits suck. Additionally, I've read about drivers being with the company for 15+ years and nowhere near top pay whereas UPS drivers top out in 3 or 4 years.

How does the step system work in 2018? Step 10 is top pay, right? What determines advancing a step?

To be honest I'm friendly with multiple Express guys on my route and none of them are beaming with joy about the job, especially the part timers. But it certainly had to be better than Ground.

Any advice on making the switch from ground to express would be greatly appreciated!
For a considerable number of years they were giving very small raises while they used their resources to build Ground infrastructure. They appear to be past that now and have implemented the step progression. You start on step 1 and 9 years later reach step 10 with an annual raise. The pension plan is a cash balance plan, paid by the company, officially called the Portable Pension Plan. As Operational Needs pointed out you need to also take full advantage of the 401k plan so that along with the PPP and hopefully Social Security you can have a decent retirement. A perk of FedEx you won't get at UPS is the ability to transfer. So topping out in 9 years will allow you to have decent income to live in some nice places if you so choose. It sounds like you live in a very expensive place with a $32hr top out so transferring would mean a cut in pay but also a significant cut in costs. Have you considered trucking?
 

Fred's Myth

Nonhyphenated American
10 step means each Oct. you advance to the next step. If you top at $32 in your area, starting pay must be close to or a little over $20. Benefits are decent, insurance cost is lower than many pay. You won't get rich but it's a decent living. Not the best job out there but you could do worse.

Now be prepared for all the negative nellies to tell you to run away and never say the work Fedex again.
Correct me if I'm wrong, because I am unaware of anywhere in the 10-step program that the raises are definitively described as annual.
 

Csdsm18

Well-Known Member
Another question are they gonna raise our top rate next year anyone hear managers talking about that, as UPS new top rate is 41 compared to my 32. That's a big difference. Curious if they are gonna raise our top rate.
 

Oldfart

Well-Known Member
If you can't get in with Express, USPS or UPS then it's time to leave that segment of the economy altogether.
The problem with working for a contractor is that they exist for one reason and one reason only. That is to serve as a firewall to protect that company from rising trucking and labor costs resulting in an employer who will always be demanding too much while paying too little. So ask yourself, just what do you owe a person like that?
I started and ended as a single route contractor turning down every opportunity to take ownership ( I take that back you don't own anything) of additional routes despite being offered to me completely free of charge. Why? I knew that Ground would never give me enough money to pay what the person performing that life shortening job is entitled to....a family sustaining wage, an employer paid healthcare plan and something in the way of a pension plan.

Why is having a healthcare disability and pension plan so imperative? Simple. What did 23 years of that type of labor leave me with?....spinal stenosis and a double hip joint replacement .
When you go to that hospital and sign the authorization to treat form you are 100% economically liable for the full cost of treatment
Fedex Ground's profit margin is the industry's highest,double the industry average. They could easily provide revenues more than sufficient to give you a compensation package much more in line with what the others in the industry pay but it's just too damn greedy....and that contractor you work for is simply the personification of that greed.
Ask this fella what time it is and he will tell you how to build a clock.
 

Oldfart

Well-Known Member
Be sure to hire on wherever OF is located.

Working with such a ray of sunshine will complete you as a person.
Stay away from Fred's station. He is the type that can suck the fun and the air out of any situation. People like him can clear a room just by walking in.
 

vantexan

Well-Known Member
Correct me if I'm wrong, because I am unaware of anywhere in the 10-step program that the raises are definitively described as annual.
Unless the economy crashes like 2008 I think it's a safe bet they'll be annual. The company has too many problems with retention, especially in a better economy, to start playing those kind of games again.
 

zeev

Well-Known Member
I've been a package delivery donkey with FedEx Ground for nine years. At 35 years old the prospect of no future (retirement) and no benefits to beat up my body carrying mattresses and treadmills has gotten me thinking about greener pastures.

I have an opportunity to get into Express and was initially excited about the top pay ($32 in my zone) and benefits. Reading some of the threads here, it seems most people believe the benefits suck. Additionally, I've read about drivers being with the company for 15+ years and nowhere near top pay whereas UPS drivers top out in 3 or 4 years.

How does the step system work in 2018? Step 10 is top pay, right? What determines advancing a step?

To be honest I'm friendly with multiple Express guys on my route and none of them are beaming with joy about the job, especially the part timers. But it certainly had to be better than Ground.

Any advice on making the switch from ground to express would be greatly appreciated!
Now is the time to leave demand is high out there even smaller companies will pay you more with benefits.
 

MAKAVELI

Well-Known Member
Another question are they gonna raise our top rate next year anyone hear managers talking about that, as UPS new top rate is 41 compared to my 32. That's a big difference. Curious if they are gonna raise our top rate.
UPS top rate will be 41 in 5 years. It is 35 or 36 right now.
 
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