List of courrier schools?

[Driver]

I've been told to look foward to going to courrier school next month.

The drivers that I've talked to said it could really be anywhere as there are many around the southeast area. They also told me that they pay for pretty much everything, great.

Question is, where are all the courrier schools located down this way? Just curious.

​Thanks.

 

[thedownhillEXPRESS]

They have been cut back also.
The new one is in Ciudad Juarez.

 

[Driver]

Well there's been no mention of cutbacks where I'm at and I have to go to the school in order to do the job I applied for. So...

 

[DontThrowPackages]

There's no "List" of schools. You will be assigned to the nearest in your area, if possible. Why would the company pay for hotel when they can have you drive 50 miles to a near by school? I hope you weren't thinking of having the option of choosing where you go to school. "Yeah Mr Manager, I think I choose the school in Honolulu". lol. Ask the person who told you to look forward to courier school where you will be going.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

The OP was simply curious if anyone on the forum knew where the courier schools were in the southeastern area of the US.

If someone asked me where the driver schools in Upstate NY were I would tell them Albany and Syracuse.

He is not asking if can choose which school he can go to----he simply wanted to know where they were.

Is that so hard?

 

[Operational needs]

Well there's been no mention of cutbacks where I'm at and I have to go to the school in order to do the job I applied for. So...

FedEx policy states that if you have to drive more than 50 miles each way to go to courier class that they have to pay for you to stay in a hotel. If your class is 60 miles, management will try their best to not pay for one. Fight for it. If they pay your hotel, they also pay for all your meals every day, and mileage to and from.

 

[MAKAVELI]

The OP was simply curious if anyone on the forum knew where the courier schools were in the southeastern area of the US.

If someone asked me where the driver schools in Upstate NY were I would tell them Albany and Syracuse.

He is not asking if can choose which school he can go to----he simply wanted to know where they were.

Is that so hard?

Thank you for that clarification because the op must be incapable of that. The southeast is a much larger area than upstate NY, maybe you can clarify for the op a more specific location that would narrow it down for us. Better yet why don't you tell him exactly where he will be going?

 

[FredSmithsDaddy]

Atlanta, New Orleans, Birmingham, Nashville, Orlando. That's the ones I know about.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Thank you for that clarification because the op must be incapable of that. The southeast is a much larger area than upstate NY, maybe you can clarify for the op a more specific location that would narrow it down for us. Better yet why don't you tell him exactly where he will be going?

Atlanta, New Orleans, Birmingham, Nashville, Orlando. That's the ones I know about.

I may not be able to tell the OP exactly where he will be going but I would most certainly love to tell you where you can go.

FSD, thanks for your help.

 

[MAKAVELI]

Thank you for that clarification because the op must be incapable of that. The southeast is a much larger area than upstate NY, maybe you can clarify for the op a more specific location that would narrow it down for us. Better yet why don't you tell him exactly where he will be going?

Atlanta, New Orleans, Birmingham, Nashville, Orlando. That's the ones I know about.

I may not be able to tell the OP exactly where he will be going but I would most certainly love to tell you where you can go.

FSD, thanks for your help.

No problem buddy.

 

[Driver]

Thanks for the helpful replies, I expected some grumpy and non-helpful replies as well, lol.

We just had a guy come back from school this week and he said they changed his location up to 3 times before he was actually sent, even the night before leaving!

Seems like a toss up and no, I wasn't expecting to 'choose' where to go, seems the only answer I've gotten out of them is "we'll have to see what's available at a certain time, yadda yadda"...

Wouldn't turn down Honolulu though.

 

[MrFedEx]

Thanks for the helpful replies, I expected some grumpy and non-helpful replies as well, lol.

We just had a guy come back from school this week and he said they changed his location up to 3 times before he was actually sent, even the night before leaving!

Seems like a toss up and no, I wasn't expecting to 'choose' where to go, seems the only answer I've gotten out of them is "we'll have to see what's available at a certain time, yadda yadda"...

Wouldn't turn down Honolulu though.

Basically, you go where they send you. If they can get you in somewhere close so they don't have to pay for meals and hotel that's what they will do. That said, get back to us about a month after you've actually started the job and give us your impressions.

 

[Route 66]

and when ya graduate you'll be able to say "just think, 3 weeks ago I couldn't even spell 'courier', and now I are one"

 

[Driver]

Haha, my iPhone auto corrected courier incorrectly

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

My iPhone auto corrected it to courtier.

 

[Ricochet1a]

Thanks for the helpful replies, I expected some grumpy and non-helpful replies as well, lol.

We just had a guy come back from school this week and he said they changed his location up to 3 times before he was actually sent, even the night before leaving!

Seems like a toss up and no, I wasn't expecting to 'choose' where to go, seems the only answer I've gotten out of them is "we'll have to see what's available at a certain time, yadda yadda"...

Wouldn't turn down Honolulu though.

And that is the correct answer they gave you - they send you to whatever location has a class being held, that has a vacancy in it.

Most districts have classes regularly scheduled with a dedicated trainer doing nothing but teaching Courier classes. They have a station near the district office which holds the training truck and usually has all the training material stored for the full-time trainer. In the instance where turnover has been particularly high for the stations of a region, Couriers will be sent out of region to attend a school in a different region that has a vacant seat. In order to do this though, there has to be a pressing need for the station to get the new hired Courier onto the road ASAP. In many instances, they won't send a new hire Courier out of district for school, they'll just keep them working minimums doing package handling or riding along with bulk routes to help out. The costs of air travel, lodging and per diem are considered in whether it is worth it to go to the expense to send someone out of district for training - or just hold them for the next class and have them be a high paid package handler for a month or so.

For CSAs and DG school (and Ramp Agent for AGFS), things are a bit different. There isn't enough need for these positions to have regularly scheduled classes at the district level. For these positions, people are regularly sent to regional level classes. For DG and Ramp Agent, I went to regional level schools. For one of these, I even went to a class on the other end of the country, since the need to have me trained was urgent and a class within my region wasn't to be held for well over a month.

With all the budget slashing going on, I'd expect that they won't finalize on a school location till probably a week before you're ready to go. Then if some other station manager screams loud enough that they need THEIR new hire trained first, then you'll get your class date bumped.

You'll have plenty of time to learn to hate Express, no sense in showing any sense of urgency in getting trained to do the job which you'll be underpaid to perform.

 

[Maui]

Thanks for the helpful replies, I expected some grumpy and non-helpful replies as well, lol.

We just had a guy come back from school this week and he said they changed his location up to 3 times before he was actually sent, even the night before leaving!

Seems like a toss up and no, I wasn't expecting to 'choose' where to go, seems the only answer I've gotten out of them is "we'll have to see what's available at a certain time, yadda yadda"...

Wouldn't turn down Honolulu though.

Here is how you can find out. Ask a manager for the course code. Then log in to PRISM and type "crscode" in the next screen and press enter. enter the code from the manager and scroll down to select all options. This will list all the courier classes for the country.

The class you go to will depend on station need, trainer availability and if your training is in the budget. If you do not have a family, then it is best to go out of town and spend the company's money. They will get you a cash advance if you need it. You basically get $15 for breakfast $15 for lunch and $40 for dinner. You can exceed these amounts as long as the total is <$70. KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS. You have to pay back any money you do not spend and you also pay back anything for which you don't have receipts. You can buy up to two alcoholic drinks with your meal.

 

[SmithBarney]

You can buy up to two alcoholic drinks with your meal.

You might want to check on that one.. anyway in most restaurants when you pay with CC
your CC receipt is not itemized, so make sure you turn in your CC receipt and not the "bill"

Some training locations are at or near major airports, and sometimes you are put up in "airport"
hotels.. Many of these Hotels have "managers" happy hour where you can partake in gratis beverages..
Also we are given $15 for breakfast, but many hotels now have free breakfast bars. take advantage of that
and grab a few more items for the road before you head to class, I usually could get a few granola bars, yogurt
and other prepacked items to offset some of your lunch. Why do this... BECAUSE then for DINNER you can splurge.
and yes the $70 amount also allows for proper TIPPING of wait staff. 15-20% I believe is what is acceptable(FEDEX).
Make sure you get a blank expense report BEFORE you go, it's easier to keep track and fill out every night. Get a envelope to manage your reciepts(I got mine from the stationary in the hotel room.)

Also if you drive, I believe you have two options, they will pay mileage(FROM THE STATION) or they will reimburse Fuel, you might want to check this, it might have changed, I've been paid both ways.(on two occasions)

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

When I went to driving school I was put up in a hotel which had a continental breakfast. Dinner was paid for and we were given $10 for lunch. We were paid mileage and we received our normal rate of pay while in school.

 

[Driver]

Ok thanks guys. I think just recently they sent some folks to Orlando and New Orleans, so doesn't seem their shy on sending people around to what's available.