UPS or Fedex

Black

Member
What are the differences between Fedex and UPS. Is Fedex Union? Do you get benefits paid for like UPS? Let's Hear it UPSers
 
F

Former Brown Blood

Guest
Fedex is nonunion. They get paid less but are under similar stress as UPSers, or so I've heard. As a former UPS business manager I have serious doubts as to the validity of the stress argument. Fedex started out as an air carrier in the 70's and quickly became the tradename for overnight delivery. UPS was stupid for allowing Fedex to get such a stronghold on the market before they jumped in during the early 80's.

There really is very little difference between the two companies. Sure UPS has a larger infrastructure, but Fedex is gaining fast. I know the Fedex stock is kicking the UPS stock's butt.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
September 27 2006: 9:59 AM EDT


(Fortune) -- United Parcel Service (Charts) ranks no. 129 on FORTUNE's Global 500 this year, with $42.6 billion in revenues, up 16.4% from the previous year. The Atlanta, Georgia-based company was ranked no. 128 on the 2005 list. Its 2005 profits were $3.9 billion, up 16.1% from a year earlier. 2005 was a banner year for most Global 500 companies.


(FedEx was #197) :tt2:
 

wakyzachy

I am the IRS for UPS!
Fedex is nonunion. They get paid less but are under similar stress as UPSers, or so I've heard. As a former UPS business manager I have serious doubts as to the validity of the stress argument. Fedex started out as an air carrier in the 70's and quickly became the tradename for overnight delivery. UPS was stupid for allowing Fedex to get such a stronghold on the market before they jumped in during the early 80's.

There really is very little difference between the two companies. Sure UPS has a larger infrastructure, but Fedex is gaining fast. I know the Fedex stock is kicking the UPS stock's butt.

Just to make a correction Fedex people make a little more. Package handlers start over $10 and hour, but they get no benifits, so it just matters whats suites u best. Also if you suck at your job at fedex they fire u where as UPS moves you around b/c they can not fire u. And yes last year we made 2 billion dollars more in net income then fedex.
 

hoser

Industrial Slob
Fedex is nonunion. They get paid less but are under similar stress as UPSers, or so I've heard. As a former UPS business manager I have serious doubts as to the validity of the stress argument. Fedex started out as an air carrier in the 70's and quickly became the tradename for overnight delivery. UPS was stupid for allowing Fedex to get such a stronghold on the market before they jumped in during the early 80's.

There really is very little difference between the two companies. Sure UPS has a larger infrastructure, but Fedex is gaining fast. I know the Fedex stock is kicking the UPS stock's butt.
No way. FedEx drivers are not under a lot of stress, at least at the station I worked. All they handle is air, which means envelopes and light boxes. When a courier acquires a route, they sit down with their workgroup manager and discuss how much productivity and stops they should achieve in a AM and PM run. Once agreed, the driver has to do that number as a minimum (volume pending).

FedEx and UPS are two different companies when it comes to culture. UPS obsesses over efficnecny and has always been highly regimented (drivers are discouraged from loading their own trucks) while Fredex's mentality has been "take care and empower the employees, and they'll take care of you". When a FedEx courier shows up for the day, they are given 10-20 minutes to sort their truck, do a pre-trip, and by the time that's happened, the sort is over and it's gogogogo.

UPS offers great benefits, and FedEx is, meh. But FedEx gives 75% off express shipping, cheap flights, cheap rental cars, and cheap hotels (being that FXpress employees are considered airline employees)

FedEx employees at my station were pretty happy because they knew they had it good. UPS employees at my current centre are only happy because the pay is right.

If I worked in a UPS express operation, I doubt I would find many differences. But man do I ever hate ground ops.

If you can be a package handler, go FedEx Express. Lighter, and it's air cargo. Working outside on the ramp is teh win. Pays a bit better too, and beneftis exist once you stay there for a while, but I doubt they're as nice as what the teamsters gouge the company for. Don't go to FedEx ground. You wonder why they have new postings in every city daily?
 

VoiceOfReason

Telling it like it is
Its important that people seperate FedEx Express and Ground. I respect the FedEx express people. They do a nice job. The Ground people are total clowns from what I've seen and expierenced.
 

hoser

Industrial Slob
Its important that people seperate FedEx Express and Ground. I respect the FedEx express people. They do a nice job. The Ground people are total clowns from what I've seen and expierenced.
The ground guys are contractors that get paid well but get nil benefits. I don't mind them.
 
B

BROWN OBSERVER

Guest
Its important that people seperate FedEx Express and Ground. I respect the FedEx express people. They do a nice job. The Ground people are total clowns from what I've seen and expierenced.

Ground are former RPS guys. They don't get the cust serv concept, they only want to make the most money they can. Watch these guys work, its zoom here and zoom zoom there...drop and run. All my cust hate the ground FDX guy.
 

Uncle Rico

Well-Known Member
The only difference I see in both companies, having worked for both is Fedex's public relations campaign. Everyone knows how UPS drivers work their asses off, how much managers at UPS are constantly on drivers case. Customers appreciate this, thus giving popularity edge to UPS drivers.
Fedex must have one ginormous PR wing at corporate hq. Their business plan of using independent contractors (fedex ground) to make them money is going to blow up in their face when these poor saps become "employees" of the fedex corporation. Fred S has wall street fooled until they actually see the smoke and mirror, Eron-esque type company fedex is becoming.
Fedex employees oncethought this was a way better place to work than UPS, but are quickly realizing that fedex is no longer a "big family" and as an employee you are being treated more and more like a big purple piece of sh.i.t.
 

hoser

Industrial Slob
Fedex employees oncethought this was a way better place to work than UPS, but are quickly realizing that fedex is no longer a "big family" and as an employee you are being treated more and more like a big purple piece of sh.i.t.
You're not disgruntled. Ohhhh noooo.

You bring up a very good point as to what could happen if the contractor issue is confronted, assuming it's an actual issue, not just by the union-apologists on this forum.

Regardless, I think the OP was asking about hourly jobs with FX, and FX Express' corporate culture (what you call the massive PR BS machine) wins over UPS hands down. Because they're non-unionized, FX doesn't spend as much on labour and gives their employees and supervisors a lot of latititude as to what they can do for customers and what sups can do for their employees (if things get busy, hire another courier). This makes employees happier, and less of them get disgruntled and whine perpetually about how they hate their job to clients, the shop floor, and web forums.
 
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