what is this PR BS? driving competition

HomeDelivery

Well-Known Member
NTDC | The Chairman's Challenge - FedEx

i don't run-gun anymore because i want to keep my driving record CLEAN... and having an accident or on-the-job injury in this sector will equal to being thrown out to the curb.

so after all those years of no accidents, someone approached me to try it out

i looked at my ID and i replied, "I'm not even a FedEx Employee" i don't get the same bennies as a Ground package handler...

& what good it will do if i compete? this isn't a career ~ it's a dead-end job w/ no major bennies

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The Chairman's Challenge

I was looking at the driving obstacle course layouts & i remembered doing this as part of my hiring process back in the day when HD cared about quality drivers. We were told if we hit a cone, we would be DQ'ed from driving for the temp agency

also, i was instructed w/ the 5 seeing habits from Smith: Home no relation to the CEO
All Good Kids Like Milk is a good system to remember & has helped me stay accident free over the years, both in the stepvan & in my personal car

of course, there's no more formal training for HD that i've seen in the past few years (maybe a 1-2 day training w/ the PPAD, which isn't enough for some box monkeys).

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I'm also wondering if some terminals are still doing that clone-version of the 5 seeing habits. called S.A.friend.E. still? (Survey-Adjust-Forecast-Execute)

for now, just give me my route # and vehicle # for the day and let me be...
 

STFXG

Well-Known Member
FedEx no longer offers driver training. We can hire drivers with 6 months experience and pay to send them to an approved school or hire them straight in with 1 year of experience (within 36 months). They still have to do the cone course and fail if they hit a cone. And do a road test as well to get approval.

The truck driving stuff is just for fedex publicity...
 

Code 82 Approved

Titanium Plus+ Level Member with benefits!
FedEx no longer offers driver training. We can hire drivers with 6 months experience and pay to send them to an approved school or hire them straight in with 1 year of experience (within 36 months). They still have to do the cone course and fail if they hit a cone. And do a road test as well to get approval.

The truck driving stuff is just for fedex publicity...
One of my friends in my terminal did get 2nd place at the Finals in 2011. I never even knew about the competition until he was going to the regionals. Nevertheless, I was one of the last in my terminal to get the full blown training, and it did make me sweat that last day, the serpentine...parking parallel on a slope with a manual transmission!!! Smith System, etc... But guess what, safe 7 yrs.
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
FedEx no longer offers driver training. We can hire drivers with 6 months experience and pay to send them to an approved school or hire them straight in with 1 year of experience (within 36 months). They still have to do the cone course and fail if they hit a cone. And do a road test as well to get approval.

The truck driving stuff is just for fedex publicity...

Correct on The Chairman's Challenge, which is a dog and pony show to show the public how concerned FedEx is about safety. It's all PR. If you win, you get a trip to some highly desirable place like Indianapolis, and a chance to compete in the regionals and eventually, finals, if you do well enough. If you've ever seen tape of these events, the drivers are just PR tools. When I was an RTD, the competitions at the local area took all day, are completely unpaid, and aren't that interesting. You might get some BBQ (surprise!!), and some ass-kissing points, but most people blow it off as a waste of their time.
 

Operational needs

Virescit Vulnere Virtus
The drivers who enter the events actually take them pretty seriously.
Yes, they do. I went for my station the first year they admitted step-vans. I got paid 8 hours everyday I was there. The tractor-trailer drivers take the competition VERY seriously. Some companies have matching blazers or jackets. It is a HUGE PR stunt for FedEx. They set up a tent for FedEx Freight people and let us Express people hang out there.
 

HomeDelivery

Well-Known Member
but but but ~ Mr FEx said you don't get paid to attend the challenge?!?
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one guy who's going for his CDL-A will partake this event, just as a pre-cursor for the harder CDL-A training/testing he'll take later down the road

the contractor will sponsor their drivers 8-hour paid day to go to the event & try... if any owner-ops or ICs still out there, they should go do it as well since having that in their portfolio makes you a better partner to keep your single routes & means you know your stuff ~operation-wise (not business-wise)
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but I'm not partaking in that purple PR BS-ness due to how some contractors treat their employees & as a personal FU back at Fred S for the Express guys' that are being hung out to dry

I'll stay safe & will continue to get customer compliments instead of disputed deliveries/claims since local management & local contractors are treating me like a person, not just another cog in the system. there are very few stations that are still decent, while other stations should just install a revolving door at their front entrance (haha)
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
but but but ~ Mr FEx said you don't get paid to attend the challenge?!?
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one guy who's going for his CDL-A will partake this event, just as a pre-cursor for the harder CDL-A training/testing he'll take later down the road

the contractor will sponsor their drivers 8-hour paid day to go to the event & try... if any owner-ops or ICs still out there, they should go do it as well since having that in their portfolio makes you a better partner to keep your single routes & means you know your stuff ~operation-wise (not business-wise)
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but I'm not partaking in that purple PR BS-ness due to how some contractors treat their employees & as a personal FU back at Fred S for the Express guys' that are being hung out to dry

I'll stay safe & will continue to get customer compliments instead of disputed deliveries/claims since local management & local contractors are treating me like a person, not just another cog in the system. there are very few stations that are still decent, while other stations should just install a revolving door at their front entrance (haha)

In my location, they don't pay if you choose to compete. If you actually win and them move-on, they do pay, but the lower level competitions are unpaid, at least where I'm at. They usually take all day, and are scheduled on Saturday. If I have the opportunity to work Saturday and get guaranteed OT, I'm going to pass on the competition. Like I said, it's a PR display anyway, so FedEx can crow about how safe we are. I think you'll be seeing an increased emphasis on this, especially at Ground since their FMCSA scores are terrible. That way, Ground can keep rolling and jack-knifing semis and then point at their championship drivers to say they are a "safe" operation.
 

whenIgetthere

Well-Known Member
it's no pay here to compete locally. If you do move up, they'll pay. The competition site locally here is more than an hour from the station, and only one person went this year.
 

Operational needs

Virescit Vulnere Virtus
it's no pay here to compete locally. If you do move up, they'll pay. The competition site locally here is more than an hour from the station, and only one person went this year.

Who in their right mind would go to the competition, represent FedEx and not get paid. That's crazy! I also got paid mileage. Lol. Maybe my district was so agreeable because it was the first year for step-vans.
 

Route 66

Slapped Upside-da-Head Member
I get the same letter every year, and each time it ends up going straight to the round file in a crumpled ball.
That's the way I want to spend my already all-too-short weekend...waiting all day to drive some stupid obstacle course and hanging around a bunch of company yahoos on my own time just for the opportunity to further advance The Great Lie. I think one year the nationals were being held in Houston in August...Hey, there's some incentive. Who wouldn't want an all-expense paid weekend in Houston in the month of August to participate in a dog 'n pony show?

I think there's still 2 or 3 ignorant jackwads left in this outfit they can get to proudly carry their faded and tattered purple banner for.
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
I get the same letter every year, and each time it ends up going straight to the round file in a crumpled ball.
That's the way I want to spend my already all-too-short weekend...waiting all day to drive some stupid obstacle course and hanging around a bunch of company yahoos on my own time just for the opportunity to further advance The Great Lie. I think one year the nationals were being held in Houston in August...Hey, there's some incentive. Who wouldn't want an all-expense paid weekend in Houston in the month of August to participate in a dog 'n pony show?

I think there's still 2 or 3 ignorant jackwads left in this outfit they can get to proudly carry their faded and tattered purple banner for.

Exactly. All hype and crap.
 

DOWNTRODDEN IN TEXAS

Well-Known Member
There used to be money for the winners, now they get to pick from the 30 year safe driving awards. From what I understand, the money was actually pretty good especially when you made it to the Nationals.
 
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