Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise Model

vantexan

Well-Known Member
Re: Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise M

I have no idea. I think R1a once suggested the the FAA requirements were fairly limited in stature and that at some point freight could be transferred to contract carriers. Every move thus far has been made to cut cost with current employees. That is not to suggest that a hybrid system couldn't be put into place down the line. Are you beginning to see it at shared dropboxes?

Haven't seen a shared dropbox yet. Freight can always be delivered by contract carriers but it must be picked up and transported to it's final destination ramp by regular employees. If it's their intent to make regular couriers just pickup couriers then it will truly be a part-time Express.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Re: Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise M

Haven't seen a shared dropbox yet. Freight can always be delivered by contract carriers but it must be picked up and transported to it's final destination ramp by regular employees. If it's their intent to make regular couriers just pickup couriers then it will truly be a part-time Express.

That's my point. The lane to that possibility isn't hard to see.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Re: Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise M

And what is a destination ramp? Could that be a Ground terminal?
 

vantexan

Well-Known Member
Re: Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise M

And what is a destination ramp? Could that be a Ground terminal?

You are a Ground guy, huh? The destination ramp is where the plane lands and is offloaded. But why would FedEx develop Digital ROADS if they were going to use Ground to deliver? And I don't believe it will happen for the same reason Ground isn't delivering 2 and 3 day Express freight...customers would get angry when they realized thy are paying Express rates and Ground is delivering it. Things will progress most likely to the elimination of 2 and 3 day freight and customers will choose to use Ground. With only overnight freight Express will shrink big time anyways.
 

HomeDelivery

Well-Known Member
Re: Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise M

some customers still don't know the difference between Express (air) and Ground/HD... they still try to hand me their envelopes :dead:
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Re: Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise M

Think about ROADS. How long do you think it's been in the developing stages? That kind of development started early in the decade. They use it now because they have it. Doesn't mean it couldn't be implemented along with a Ground operation. Who knows. It might be compatible with the system that HD uses. As far as the customer is concerned, the only thing they will care about is if it is delivered on time and in good condition.
 

vantexan

Well-Known Member
Re: Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise M

Think about ROADS. How long do you think it's been in the developing stages? That kind of development started early in the decade. They use it now because they have it. Doesn't mean it couldn't be implemented along with a Ground operation. Who knows. It might be compatible with the system that HD uses. As far as the customer is concerned, the only thing they will care about is if it is delivered on time and in good condition.

B.S. The customer will care if he's paying Express rates. That's why the written in stone explanations we were getting last year of how Express Saver would be offloaded from Express jets and the containers would be pushed through the facility to waiting Ground trucks hasn't materialized. Instead they are demonstrating to customers that Ground can get non-priority freight to their destinations on time for less and letting the customer choose. They're already in hot water for overbilling, think they'll risk getting thousands of big shippers angry at them?
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Re: Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise M

Ever have a customer try to hand you a Ground package? Of course you have. Know why? Because they don't know the difference. Know what happens if one of my drivers takes an Express packages? It gets picked up at the terminal ant the customer doesn't know, doesn't care.
 

MAKAVELI

Well-Known Member
Ever have a customer try to hand you a Ground package? Of course you have. Know why? Because they don't know the difference. Know what happens if one of my drivers takes an Express packages? It gets picked up at the terminal ant the customer doesn't know, doesn't care.
They do care when the local ground driver doesn't pu their packages for three days. You guys just aren't reliable enough to handle critical, time sensitive shipments.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Re: Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise M

We'll see. What seemed impossible a year ago could be not too distant afterall.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Re: Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise M

I would pay money to see it happen and then sit back and watch the disaster like a nascar pile up.
Same mistake UPS made. They sat back and watched RPS certain they would crash and burn. When will put doubters ever learn?
 

MAKAVELI

Well-Known Member
I would pay money to see it happen and then sit back and watch the disaster like a nascar pile up.
Same mistake UPS made. They sat back and watched RPS certain they would crash and burn. When will put doubters ever learn?
As far as I know UPS is still tops in the industry, making record profits, all the while paying their drivers top wages. Might take a while to catch them, probably not in this lifetime.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Re: Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise M

Oh, I think you'd have to look a bit deeper in the financials to determine that. As it stands, our market share continues to grow. Don't think for a moment that Atlanta continues to take us lightly. I doubt they consider your "crash and burn" scenario enen a remote possibility.
 

barnyard

KTM rider
Re: Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise M

And could you name them please?

Within the trucking industry, I cannot. The contractor model is so very similar to the fleece model at OTR companies that for congress or anyone else to change those rules, would be changing the roles for how an awful lot of freight moves across the country.

Some pay their contractors better than others and some of slightly lower turnover than others. Some have lawsuits filed against them, others pay their contractors well enough that they can eventually own their trucks and make good money.

My point is that thinking the contractor model is a result of ONLY FE lobbying would be dead wrong. Any truck you see going down the load that has a sign on the back of the trailer that reads, "Lease your own truck" or something like that, is also lobbying against any changes to the contractor model.

Plus, the fleece model has been around for lots longer than FE ground. Hard to change a law/classification that many, many companies have been using successfully since the deregulation of the trucking industry.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Re: Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise M

MFE, perhaps you can name them?
 

Cactus

Just telling it like it is
Re: Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise M

We'll see. What seemed impossible a year ago could be not too distant afterall.
What's that? Meaning your drivers might be able to pick up their packages when they're supposed to?

We hear it all the time, "Ground was supposed to pick these up 3 days ago."
 

Cactus

Just telling it like it is
Re: Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise M

Within the trucking industry, I cannot. The contractor model is so very similar to the fleece model at OTR companies that for congress or anyone else to change those rules, would be changing the roles for how an awful lot of freight moves across the country.

Some pay their contractors better than others and some of slightly lower turnover than others. Some have lawsuits filed against them, others pay their contractors well enough that they can eventually own their trucks and make good money.

My point is that thinking the contractor model is a result of ONLY FE lobbying would be dead wrong. Any truck you see going down the load that has a sign on the back of the trailer that reads, "Lease your own truck" or something like that, is also lobbying against any changes to the contractor model.

Plus, the fleece model has been around for lots longer than FE ground. Hard to change a law/classification that many, many companies have been using successfully since the deregulation of the trucking industry.
It all goes back to the degree of control in which FedEx implements way too much.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Re: Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise M

It all goes back to the degree of control in which FedEx implements way too much.

if you read barnyards previous post on they've topic, you will see that he addressed that concern.
 

Cactus

Just telling it like it is
Re: Someone Tell Me How The Ground "SCAM" Is Any Different Than Any Other Franchise M

I don't think they will prop up Express. I think they will slash it to the bone.
So in other words, UPS will be the only overnight delivery service.
 
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