WAP

It will be fine

Well-Known Member
work area planning.........will be the end of us all
It’s DRO dynamic route optimization. The computer spits out solutions that have drivers cross crossing each other in different neighborhoods everyday because it thinks you’ll save a mile overall. I’m happy to set my routes up myself, the game of telephone with station personnel that don’t get to work until 22:00 has never worked very well.
 

Operational needs

Virescit Vulnere Virtus
It’s DRO dynamic route optimization. The computer spits out solutions that have drivers cross crossing each other in different neighborhoods everyday because it thinks you’ll save a mile overall. I’m happy to set my routes up myself, the game of telephone with station personnel that don’t get to work until 22:00 has never worked very well.

Why are they having y’all use that if you’re supposed to be independent contractors?
 

It will be fine

Well-Known Member
Why are they having y’all use that if you’re supposed to be independent contractors?
We won’t have to use their solutions, we just get the option. We’ll still be able to set route boundaries how we want to. With the new system we get to do it ourselves, currently I have to email plans to a coordinator that adjusts the station plan and makes mistakes all the time. New system I get to upload my plan myself. The dynamic solutions I’ve seen are straight garbage and impractical, but it’s there if you want it.
 

floridays

Well-Known Member
We won’t have to use their solutions, we just get the option. We’ll still be able to set route boundaries how we want to. With the new system we get to do it ourselves, currently I have to email plans to a coordinator that adjusts the station plan and makes mistakes all the time. New system I get to upload my plan myself. The dynamic solutions I’ve seen are straight garbage and impractical, but it’s there if you want it.
It's your business, why do they waste their time, time is money, to offer "help" to you contractors in running your business?
This is a legitimate question.
 

dmac1

Well-Known Member
When I was driving, they optimized for miles to your last stop, providing they had decent real roads, but didn't consider that you were driving back to the terminal. Because you are looping back to the terminal every day, you can save time and miles doing a little thinking for yourself. Routing would have me zig-zagging 20 miles back and forth along a freeway down the middle of my area when it was really easier to loop up one side and back the other side on the way home, instead of ending up at the furthest stop from the terminal with a long drive home.
 

floridays

Well-Known Member
When I was driving, they optimized for miles to your last stop, providing they had decent real roads, but didn't consider that you were driving back to the terminal. Because you are looping back to the terminal every day, you can save time and miles doing a little thinking for yourself. Routing would have me zig-zagging 20 miles back and forth along a freeway down the middle of my area when it was really easier to loop up one side and back the other side on the way home, instead of ending up at the furthest stop from the terminal with a long drive home.
Why did they offer their assistance?
It was your business, one you payed for.
Another legitimate question.
 

XEQaF

Well-Known Member
Another example of FedEx trying to control every aspect of the system even for its "independent contractors". They should concentrate their resources on what they do. They aren't a last mile delivery company at Ground, they are essentially a distribution company. A contractor will find out quickly how to save every penny on making their routes as efficient as possible if they want to make any kind of money
 

It will be fine

Well-Known Member
Another example of FedEx trying to control every aspect of the system even for its "independent contractors". They should concentrate their resources on what they do. They aren't a last mile delivery company at Ground, they are essentially a distribution company. A contractor will find out quickly how to save every penny on making their routes as efficient as possible if they want to make any kind of money
Ground is an information and sorting company. I don’t know why they ever produced routing software, it’s a waste of resources and third parties do it better. A well trained driver doesn’t even need it. Giving contractors direct control of the sort plan is a move in the right direction if you ask me.
 

It will be fine

Well-Known Member
Well for now anyway. I can see them mandating this crap on you guys eventually.
Doubt it. They know they aren’t great at it. The HD contractors cried so much when they ditched the old system FedEx went back to providing printed out paper turn by turn directions. Every day I see the line of one contractor’s drivers waiting for them. It’s ridiculous, but some contractors aren’t willing or able to come up with their own solutions.
 

dmac1

Well-Known Member
Why did they offer their assistance?
It was your business, one you payed for.
Another legitimate question.
A couple of meaningless questions. First, they didn't 'offer' their assistance. I was required to pay for it through the business support package that was the only way to get required uniforms, scanners, weather bags, hats, jackets, etc. Second, I didn't pay for my route, or either of the other two I acquired. Why the stupid questions???
 

dmac1

Well-Known Member
I never used the turn by turn directions. I did used the maps they printed out to plan my own route, but I had to verify that they had plotted the stops in the right places, not miles away. And I don't know if HD still has printed manifests, but you used to have to wait until the last package was sorted to get your manifest. Even if your truck was fully loaded, they would make everyone wait for missorts, misplots, etc to be reloaded into the system to get it to the right route. It was normal to find 3-5% of packages sorted to any route to belong to another route. They called in the regional manager when I started coming in later to avoid the crowd because they needed get all the missorted packages in my loading area to the right trucks, and I guess they thought it was my job to be there before other drivers left.
 

floridays

Well-Known Member
A couple of meaningless questions. First, they didn't 'offer' their assistance. I was required to pay for it through the business support package that was the only way to get required uniforms, scanners, weather bags, hats, jackets, etc. Second, I didn't pay for my route, or either of the other two I acquired. Why the stupid questions???
In that case your intelligence comes into question.
Why did you sign on to these terms believing you had independence, and later complain about how you were actually an employee.

If my memory serves me correctly I think in the past you have been one that has claimed you were scammed and should have been classified as an employee.

If my memory of you particularly is in error, please grant me absolution.

Answer the question, not in a snide way, exactly why did they "offer" this routing help?

You may find if your truthful we're on the same page, you contracted on their terms however.
 

dmac1

Well-Known Member
Fedex didn't follow the contract, clown.

And repeating myself- they didn't offer the routing, they demanded that you pay for it.
 

dmac1

Well-Known Member
In that case your intelligence comes into question.
Why did you sign on to these terms believing you had independence, and later complain about how you were actually an employee.

If my memory serves me correctly I think in the past you have been one that has claimed you were scammed and should have been classified as an employee.

If my memory of you particularly is in error, please grant me absolution.

Answer the question, not in a snide way, exactly why did they "offer" this routing help?

You may find if your truthful we're on the same page, you contracted on their terms however.

I didn't mind some of the requirements that were later found to make me a de facto employee and didn't know the laws. The courts determined that I was in fact an employee, and fedex didn't pay out hundreds of millions because I told them too. Don't be stupid.. But when they started telling me I had to be there at a certain time, or telling me to deliver packages in other contractors area as much as 60 miles away, because I had space in my truck, it was evident that it was a scam. If you contract to provide delivery service in one area, and are later told that you must serve additional area, would you be happy, especially if someone else was actually under contract already to serve that area?????
 

floridays

Well-Known Member
Fedex didn't follow the contract, clown.

And repeating myself- they didn't offer the routing, they demanded that you pay for it.
You didn't tie it to me, I'll assume it was directed to me however.

My question to you, "Why would you sign such a contract?"

I already know the answer.

I only want to hear the words straight from your mouth.
 

floridays

Well-Known Member
I didn't mind some of the requirements that were later found to make me a de facto employee and didn't know the laws. The courts determined that I was in fact an employee, and fedex didn't pay out hundreds of millions because I told them too. Don't be stupid.. But when they started telling me I had to be there at a certain time, or telling me to deliver packages in other contractors area as much as 60 miles away, because I had space in my truck, it was evident that it was a scam. If you contract to provide delivery service in one area, and are later told that you must serve additional area, would you be happy, especially if someone else was actually under contract already to serve that area?????
I said in a reply to dano 59 I didn't agree with the bulk of various court rulings.

I'm only trying to get in your and bacas mind to find out why you signed such a one sided contract.

As I said before, I already know the answer, just waiting for you guys to verbalize it.

Not picking on you two at all in this instance.

I can't see signing anything of substance beyond an agreement to buy a vehicle without counsel.

That's just me.
 

dmac1

Well-Known Member
You didn't tie it to me, I'll assume it was directed to me however.

My question to you, "Why would you sign such a contract?"

I already know the answer.

I only want to hear the words straight from your mouth.


Is there something mentally wrong with you???? FEDEX did not follow the contract. If they had, I wouldn't have had any issues. I agreed to service one area, and they required more. I had no issues over the pay or deductions I agreed to. You need to stay out of the sun. It was what I never agreed to that was the problem. Their routing system was crap, but that wasn't a problem. Being forced under threat of termination to drive into another contractors area, a roundtrip of more than 100 miles, to deliver 4-5 packages was a big issue, as it would be with you. If you can't comprehend, go back to school and take another english as a second language refresher.
 

XEQaF

Well-Known Member
The initial contract even though one-sided is enough for you to be able to work with. As it was mentioned FedEx will adjust, go back on, and even later add addendum after addendum changing the scope of the agreement to suit their needs. When you have questions or disagree with certain sections of the contract the answer is always the same "it's non negotiable sign it as it is or there is no offer".

Anything they do will affect you financially in the end from late dispatch to employing inexperienced operations managers making decisions in areas they don't understand.
They find ways of tying you into the contract or making you pay for things like scanner use and route planning software.
You both are right, stop arguing! lol
 
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