This forum is full of

[vantexan]

I too read that story on how he gambled payroll in the early days. Won and here we are.

I've also seen the propaganda video with the clouds and the ominous voice spouting "we were heroes then". Came out during their 30th anniversary year in I think 2003. Like the winners in a war the ones on top get to write the history. Anything to glorify and cover-up what really happened and put them in the best light.

 

[vantexan]

My original post didn't say 'raises and pensions'; however...

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[FedExRookie]

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I was trying to clarify that I said Express needs a union in my initial statement, but that I implied the union is needed to get your benefits. I didn't want you thinking I said 'raises and pensions' specifically, I was trying to say they were implied, in case you went back to the original post to read it and didn't see 'raises and pensions' verbatim.

 

[FedExcrement]

Maybe happened where you are at. I've been all over the country with FedEx and have only seen double time give a couple of times, and only because of being shorthanded and couriers refused to come in unless they got it. But I apologize, did miss your union statements, out of that context took you the wrong way.

When we were 4x10 we used to get Double Time the Saturday before Christmas....We would also get it sometimes the Saturday 2 weeks from Christmas if we volunteered to work or if reversed seniority.....Also I remember their were times throughout the year when they needed Saturday help we could get it....
But I also remember the year when they switched us to 5x8 they scheduled ALL of us for Saturday or Sunday around Mothers day and Valentines day since they wouldn't have to pay Double Time any more...

 

[MaineGroundDriver]

As an investor I did my research, as an employee with family and friends that have been with company for quite some time, I understand what went into making the company about 25+ years ago until the present. Did you know falsification and smart/lucky investments early on are what saved FedEx from failure, not the employee workforce itself. There is a rumor that Fred gambled after not being able to make payroll; however, I have never read an article from a credible source supporting the story. I am not saying the workface didn't and hasn't contributed; however, it took outside investments to keep the company afloat early on. It wasn't all Fred and it wasn't all the labor, it was a team effort. There is no doubt in my mind from my assumptions and what I've heard, that the employees from the inception of the company gave more than the company should and could have asked for.

In regards to my income statement, when is the last time you got serious overtime and double time? Maybe you are the exception;however, a majority of drivers no longer make more than their management. It's the truth, as Express downsizes, it has to cut cost in order to remain highly profitable.

I remember the Senior Manager stating that Express Saver and 2 day will be phased out with time to ground. I believe him regarding express savers, but I remain skeptical regarding the 2 day freight. Either way, it will be a drop in volume, and that brings a drop of revenue, leaving the company to pinch pennies elsewhere. Will Express die out, I doubt it, but it will most likely never return to what it once was. And neither will the post office, ups, or any other carrier service. A lot of growth is in the hands of the asian markets, which failed in regards to their predictions, but even that is a very volatile market at the moment if you are expecting growth.

edit: spelling

edit2: + content

Just a few weeks ago, Ford direct parts started coming through Ground. At least in my area. The employee at one of the Ford dealer's where I deliver thought it was weird that I started showing up with all his deliveries all of a sudden. I'm sure this was switched over because sales showed Ford how Ground could get the deliveries to the dealerships on time and much cheaper. I'm sure we'll continue to see more of this example.

 

[vantexan]

Just a few weeks ago, Ford direct parts started coming through Ground. At least in my area. The employee at one of the Ford dealer's where I deliver thought it was weird that I started showing up with all his deliveries all of a sudden. I'm sure this was switched over because sales showed Ford how Ground could get the deliveries to the dealerships on time and much cheaper. I'm sure we'll continue to see more of this example.

Which is indicative of the future of the industry. Express will deliver parts for a priority, next day repair job. Otherwise they'll most likely go Ground. There will always be a need for Express, but it'll be a smaller share of the overall market. What really matters right now is how they plan to get us to that reduced workforce because there's no way they are just going to carry an excess of employees. Maybe they know that there will be enough leaving through retirement in the next couple of years. Certainly if we're all getting minimal hours there may be a few 55+ year olds thinking their pension plus another job would do better.

 

[Mr. 7]

I have 2 dealerships on my rte.
Do I del. parts anymore? Hell no.
What do I del? All the finance paperwork.

Sometimes I have $1M checks on my truck.

 

[Route 66]

Maybe they know that there will be enough leaving through retirement in the next couple of years. Certainly if we're all getting minimal hours there may be a few 55+ year olds thinking their pension plus another job would do better.

This is one of the things that keeps me hanging around...knowing that they'd love for me to exit. But I was going to voluntarily downgrade to PT anyway. Now I just let them cut my hours and still maintain my 200 hrs. V and 32 hrs. P/friend.

 

[vantexan]

This is one of the things that keeps me hanging around...knowing that they'd love for me to exit. But I was going to voluntarily downgrade to PT anyway. Now I just let them cut my hours and still maintain my 200 hrs. V and 32 hrs. P/friend.

And I'll keep selling my 2 weeks back every June.

 

[MrFedEx]

I too read that story on how he gambled payroll in the early days. Won and here we are.

They never bother mentioning Fred raiding the family inheritance by forging the signatures of his two sisters. Yes, Fred was eventually cleared, but it sounds fishy. Yes, Fred the hero, the legend..the man!!

I just threw-up.

Fred's employees saved Federal Express, a fact he has totally forgotten.

 

[bbsam]

They never bother mentioning Fred raiding the family inheritance by forging the signatures of his two sisters. Yes, Fred was eventually cleared, but it sounds fishy. Yes, Fred the hero, the legend..the man!!

I just threw-up.

Fred's employees saved Federal Express, a fact he has totally forgotten.

"Cleared, but sounds fishy," is a bit ugly. Sounds like the right wing claiming Clinton had Ron Brown killed. "Cleared, but sounds fishy."

 

[MrFedEx]

"Cleared, but sounds fishy," is a bit ugly. Sounds like the right wing claiming Clinton had Ron Brown killed. "Cleared, but sounds fishy."

He most likely raided the fund, and then paid the sisters off. Fred is a smarmy character whose background is full of mysterious accidents and last-minute reprieves from legal action.

 

[MrFedEx]

In our Express station we see not the loss of volume but the lost of "on road" hours. To make that up managers are assigning more am or pm duties so Express drivers can still make their 40 hr work week. If you are a part time driver I don't see the managers getting any opportunities to award full time routes. Fedex is experiencing operational pains just like every other company due to the weak economy.

The statement above about ES and 2 day moving to ground is simply unrealistic. The Ground division is seemingly doing well with new hubs opening around the country; why would they want to deal with additional volume from another opco? What you see lately is Fedex ground structure finally paying off after entering the ground market in 1999-2000. If we have'nt noticed any kind of improvement by now 2013 including FXO our stock would've tanked to UPS levels.

E2 and XS are moving to Ground, just not officially as of yet. Right now, FedEx is doing it under the radar by selling Ground to Express customers, offering "unified" shipping options that push Ground as the "low-cost alternative" to Express. My sales rep openly admits (to me, at least) that they are being told to push Ground heavily, for the obvious reason that Fred gets much more per package in revenue.

The only 2-day that will eventually belong to Express will be the long distance E2 that cannot be trucked, like LA to NY.

And, Ground totally wants our freight, for the reason listed above...higher profit margin due to rock-bottom labor costs.

 

[bbsam]

Hell yes we want your freight and UPS' too.

 

[Cactus]

Hell yes we want your freight and UPS' too.

Whether you can handle it is another matter.

 

[bbsam]

Fact is, the doubters didn't think RPS would survive. Still betting against us?

 

[Cactus]

RPS is long gone. You want the income from more volume but good luck with keeping a stable of hard workers who like working for low wages.

 

[STFXG]

Hasn't been a problem for the last ten years...

 

[vantexan]

RPS is long gone. You want the income from more volume but good luck with keeping a stable of hard workers who like working for low wages.

That's a good point. Will the manning at Ground keep up with the volume increases? Sure they managed over the last ten years but looks like they will be experiencing a huge increase in volume. Express drivers always look at Peak with mixed feelings. They love getting the big paycheck but dread the mountain of freight that they know is coming. It wears you out. Are Ground guys going to be looking at a daily mountain of freight without no corresponding bump in pay? And how long can they deal with it before deciding it's not worth it? Even though Express couriers get OT I'd bet we'd lose alot of people after a month or two if we dealt with Peak level freight every day because people realize they are being worked to death and it's definitely not worth the money, especially since FedEx has kept their pay down as is. FedEx must be worried about a possible UPS strike, because after screwing us for so long most likely they'd lose a heck of alot of people who would not only think it isn't worth dealing with but it would also be a great opportunity to stick it to FedEx too. For those who didn't work the last strike it makes Peak look like the little bump before Valentine's.

 

[bbsam]

RPS is long gone. You want the income from more volume but good luck with keeping a stable of hard workers who like working for low wages.

We adjust, one way or another.