Peak, 2014, A Disaster We Can Predict With Certainty

[dezguy]

I used to care about those but if the company doesn't want to pay me to.service the customer, well that's their decision.

In the past, if I heard about a customer leaving for the competition, I would have been on the horn with sales, trying to get them in to save the account. Now, it's like whatever. The company doesn't seem to care, why should I? Hell, it takes sales 3 months to actually follow up with those customers when they should be visiting them asap.

 

[Code 82 Approved]

In the past, if I heard about a customer leaving for the competition, I would have been on the horn with sales, trying to get them in to save the account. Now, it's like whatever. The company doesn't seem to care, why should I? Hell, it takes sales 3 months to actually follow up with those customers when they should be visiting them asap.

I lost a Chuck E Cheese recently, national account.

 

[Code 82 Approved]

My understanding of 9am dispatch is promises Ground Sales over UPS. Basically jamming in KC and Memphis in one day here, Probably OKC and Dallas and Houston and so forth the day before.

 

[Route 66]

I used to care about those but if the company doesn't want to pay me to.service the customer, well that's their decision.

That's the spirit!

 

[Route 66]

I lost a Chuck E Cheese recently, national account.

Bravo zulu to ya!!!

 

[MrFedEx]

Starting people earlier is a bandaid at best. There simply isn't enough people to do the job promised the customers and OT for the rest will only get you so far. They will quickly run into the DOT limits. Already a big problem are in my district, and from what I hear, in most districts in the country.
Even if they can find enough new hires, Its too late to get them through courier class and up to speed as effective drivers by peak.
Yes, it's going to be a rough one if the volume holds.

BTW, I heard a rumor that they are going to cut newdriver class down to three days. That will only make the situation worse.

Exactly. Even if Memphis figured it out tomorrow (they won't) and took corrective action, it would have no effect on what's going to happen at Peak. I guess 3 days of training makes sense in the light of the fact that most of the people are going to quit soon after being hired, but what does that say about the sorry-ass state of this company?

Until Mr. Smith decides we aren't analogous to McDonald's workers, nothing will change, and he's not going to have an epiphany any time soon. He thinks he pays us too much already. I'm enjoying the "hilarity", and can't wait for their next Einstein move of brilliance.

It just gets better, and no, you can't make this crap up.

 

[El Morado Diablo]

I'm not looking forward to this peak. Our station has had 50%+ turnover in the last year or so, the trunk aircraft to our market has consistently been late since last fall, our volume has been about 20% heavier since last year and they don't have enough feeders/reserve aircraft to get stuff to us some days. Throw in extra volume and poor weather and this peak could get ugly in a hurry.

We've also heard the courier class will be cut to 3 days. I guess they will put more of the training on the shoulders of the Accomplished Couriers and other senior drivers to show the new hires the ropes. Just one more thing to slow us down out on the road.

 

[Cactus]

Peak has also seems to have been kicking off earlier than years before and sure enough Memphis will be caught with their pants down this year.

Someone email them that Christmas falls on December 25th.

 

[BoxDriver]

If this is the first peak you've dealt with HD in your terminal then you're in for a bad time. While Ground gets busier, HD explodes during peak. Those piles on the skids are going to at least double if not quadruple in size. The piles can only get so high or wide before they need to HD vans to be parked out even father.

Is your terminal going to use temp drivers during peak? Even if they stagger dispatch so temps start late and come in after the regular guys leave those extra routes have to be sorted and staged somewhere.

I left truck in middle once and was told next day to find management to move other contractors trucks that were in the way. Morning is main problem when all trucks trying to leave EXCEPT HD which is directly in front of us. Before they were crammed into our terminal we did NOT have a problem. One of our drivers already side swiped one of our own trucks trying to leave in morning causing damage that I had to drill and pop rivet a side panel by door back into place. HD loads there own trucks and OSHA requires 3 feet walk space from belt and HD trucks have two pallets behind them so basically their trucks extend forward more than a P1200 making getting out without moving there trucks darn near impossible. We are managing but obviously worried about peak coming in the near future although it feels like we are in peak now.

 

[hypo hanna]

I'm not looking forward to this peak. Our station has had 50%+ turnover in the last year or so, the trunk aircraft to our market has consistently been late since last fall, our volume has been about 20% heavier since last year and they don't have enough feeders/reserve aircraft to get stuff to us some days. Throw in extra volume and poor weather and this peak could get ugly in a hurry.

We've also heard the courier class will be cut to 3 days. I guess they will put more of the training on the shoulders of the Accomplished Couriers and other senior drivers to show the new hires the ropes. Just one more thing to slow us down out on the road.

Not happening!

I don't get paid to do a trainer's job and I don't get paid to do a manager's job. My goals are set too high as it is and if I don't make the numbers because I was helping out the noobie, its on me. No, if fedex wants them trained, fedex will have to do that training.

 

[MaineGroundDriver]

I'm glad I work in the terminal I do .. dispatch times are EARLY

 

[Cactus]

I'm glad I work in the terminal I do .. dispatch times are EARLY

Yeah until some butthead engineer comes in with a spread sheet and changes your dispatch time to later so he can save your station and the company $1.37 in operating costs.

 

[gixxer squid]

Yeah until some butthead engineer comes in with a spread sheet and changes your dispatch time to later so he can save your station and the company $1.37 in operating costs.

LMFAO Unfortunately to true.

 

[Goldilocks]

I'm hearing reports of stations down 40-50 people (or more), with huge turnover, terrible service, and not enough RTDs to get the cans from the ramp to the station. Here, let's all do the calculation:

Late planes that can't hold all the freight +not enough handlers or RTDs + not enough couriers + incompetent management +nobody cares + even more freight at Peak = An effing disaster come Peak.

All the while, Memphis will be talking their usual BS, promising customers the moon when they can't even get the freight to the destination stations. much less have it there on-time. All of the lies are going to come back right in their faces this year, and there's nothing they can do to stop it. Even if they were able to fully staff the operation, the new breed of employee is incompetent, doesn't really care anyway, and will quit as soon as they discover what a farce this company really is.

Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people than Matt, Dave, and Fred. All the Kool-Aid, hot dogs, and BBQ in the world cannot stop this train wreck.

Check back with me on 1-1=15. You'll

I'm hearing reports of stations down 40-50 people (or more), with huge turnover, terrible service, and not enough RTDs to get the cans from the ramp to the station. Here, let's all do the calculation:

Late planes that can't hold all the freight +not enough handlers or RTDs + not enough couriers + incompetent management +nobody cares + even more freight at Peak = An effing disaster come Peak.





All the while, Memphis will be talking their usual BS, promising customers the moon when they can't even get the freight to the destination stations. much less have it there on-time. All of the lies are going to come back right in their faces this year, and there's nothing they can do to stop it. Even if they were able to fully staff the operation, the new breed of employee is incompetent, doesn't really care anyway, and will quit as soon as they discover what a farce this company really is.

Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people than Matt, Dave, and Fred. All the Kool-Aid, hot dogs, and BBQ in the world cannot stop this train wreck.

Check back with me on 1-1=15. You'll still be delivering Xmas P1.

BAD, yes. Just want to send out a special thanks to Mr Matt for the congrats on 30 years with Fedex. He was 3 weeks late and sent it comail. Gosh you are wonderful. I know you have been so busy, and to think you had your sec write me a letter. Think I will frame it. NOT. Pathetic!!!!!!!

 

[Route 66]

well congrats on your 30 years anyway, Goldi....doesn't feel quite like the accomplishment that you thought it would back in the day though, does it?.....It sure didn't for me anyway - more like 30 years squandered.

Oh well.....ob la di, ob la da, right?

 

[SmithBarney]

Peak has also seems to have been kicking off earlier than years before and sure enough Memphis will be caught with their pants down this year.

Someone email them that Christmas falls on December 25th.

I hate to say it but our volume hasn't dropped much since peak.. my rough estimation is 80% of the days our freight has been late enough to cause many service failures, every day this week except monday we had CTVs running 40minutes behind. Best part we lost 20% of our drivers just recently(not retirees mid range employees who've had enough)

 

[Route 66]

I've easily seen more employees bail out of this place so far this year than any other full year in my FedX life....and I expect that trend to only escalate into the coming year.

Welcome to McFedEx

 

[MrFedEx]

BAD, yes. Just want to send out a special thanks to Mr Matt for the congrats on 30 years with Fedex. He was 3 weeks late and sent it comail. Gosh you are wonderful. I know you have been so busy, and to think you had your sec write me a letter. Think I will frame it. NOT. Pathetic!!!!!!!

Send it back and request some toilet paper with Matt's face printed on it... a gift you could really enjoy.

 

[MrFedEx]

I've easily seen more employees bail out of this place so far this year than any other full year in my FedX life....and I expect that trend to only escalate into the coming year.

Welcome to McFedEx

Our uniform is almost as "cool" as McDonalds. They fit about as well, too. Oh, well. With all of the people quitting, there will be a huge selection in the fashion closet at my station.

 

[Cactus]

BAD, yes. Just want to send out a special thanks to Mr Matt for the congrats on 30 years with Fedex. He was 3 weeks late and sent it comail. Gosh you are wonderful. I know you have been so busy, and to think you had your sec write me a letter. Think I will frame it. NOT. Pathetic!!!!!!!

And of course no bonus check accompanied the letter. So what good is it?

I'd use it to line a bird cage and feed the bird lots of burritos.