Where are the decent paying express courier jobs?

[MAKAVELI]

Reading comprehension. I didn't say get into management.

I guess you don't comprehend FedEx Express operations. When you say station ops, for most of us that means management. Most other positions at the station level are not above courier pay grade. I would think an engineering student would be able to comprehend that concept. Maybe not.

 

[CJinx]

The entry level positions may be below your pay grade, but it does not take long to get promoted from say Ops Admin I to Ops Admin II, Senior, coordinators, special assignment, etc; which have significantly higher pay grades. There is an avenue of advancement. Heck, you can even jump opcos and get a nice lateral move bonus. What does a courier get promoted to? Or do they just stay couriers throughout their entire career?

 

[dezguy]

Not sure if this is still the case, but if you want to be a topped out courier join AIM(or whatever is called now days) and become a manager. After a year step back down to a courier position. When you go from a manager to a courier position you go in topped out. Then again maybe you will like management. They start you out at $62.5K. Not a whole lot, but more than you are making now. The raises suck. The hours are just as bad. Unless you can get over to AGFS, being a DGO manager sucks. But man up for a year and get your top out courier job.

You sure that's the way it works? A guy at my sta did that a while back and when he went from management back down to courier, he started at job rate, not top rate. This guy has been with the company 6 or 7 years longer than I have and is only making about 90 cents more than I am.

 

[Artee]

You sure that's the way it works? A guy at my sta did that a while back and when he went from management back down to courier, he started at job rate, not top rate. This guy has been with the company 6 or 7 years longer than I have and is only making about 90 cents more than I am.

At one time that was the way it worked. Many things have changed over the years with this company, so it wouldn't surprise me, especially when it comes to pay issues.

 

[Maui]

A couple thoughts here.

First, I think Hypo is totally right about working the oil fields. You can get plenty of OT and make 6 figures. In areas where the oil fields are booming FedEx can not keep couriers because of the massive pay difference.

Second, to answer the original question the highest paying areas are also the most expensive. SF, LA, NYC. The pay does not make up for the increased COL IMO. SF markets may start at around $18/hour and that is the highest you can get except for Swing which is about $1.50 more plus $.30 at the bottom of scale. I think a higher market level without exorbitant cost would be my choice if you MUST stay with Express --think Chicago $16.61, Dallas around $16. Go to a station that has an opportunity for OT if you want to make any money.

All postings include the market level. Once you know that you can log onto the intranet site at Keyword: Compensation to check the current hourly rates. You can check most other positions as well including management and other salaried positions.

Lastly, you would go to top of range or very near if you enter management and step down. Policy dictates that your pay can be cut a certain max % so you would get a hefty raise. 1 year though is not enough time to voluntarily step down. More like 2 years.

 

[cancan]

Guys, I am currently looking at express courier jobs in various states. I work at a major hub where anyone that hasn't worked basically 10+ years won't get a courier job in the area due to the demand.

Every week I check out the FT courier openings and email managers to get more specifics about each position. The starting hourly pay for these jobs is lower then I was expecting. I was at least expecting I would make more money as an express courier then as a ground driver, but that really isn't the case.

Basically, the highest I have been quoted for a starting position (outside of Alaska) was 16.00/hour, but most are in the 15.00 range. I have even had a couple hiring managers stating I would start just over 14.00/hour (seems to be stations in the southwest). How the hell are you supposed to support yourself without gov't assistance at just over 14.00/hour?

I am single and am willing to move to the job as need be. My plan is to get the FT express courier at another station, and then after I complete my offer letter I can move back to my home state. FT employees are always above PT employees on the bidding system, so I should be able to move around fairly easily once I get FT status.

Are there any locations out there where express couriers actually start at a decent hourly wage? I haven't been at FedEx for all that long, so I haven't gotten any raises to speak of really. I would also appreciate any advice as to specific job details I should look for when deciding to bid on a certain position. I am assuming I would want a position that works five 8-hour days for the greater chance of overtime. Would a smaller station be better? Are there any specific route questions I should ask the hiring managers?

I appreciate the help

I this was a joke at first. I'm so sorry. At least you found the place to get your questions answered. If I were young and mobile I would be in the Dakotas or West in a heartbeat. There is no future at Fedex. I would get a high paying oil job and live on nothing for years. Stack up cash. Pick some warm place to live and buy some rental properties for cash. You have the rest of your life in front of you. You have a steady low risk cash flow. You literally write your own destiny. Then come back and tell us how well your doing. That is a post I celebrate reading.

 

[MAKAVELI]

The entry level positions may be below your pay grade, but it does not take long to get promoted from say Ops Admin I to Ops Admin II, Senior, coordinators, special assignment, etc; which have significantly higher pay grades. There is an avenue of advancement. Heck, you can even jump opcos and get a nice lateral move bonus. What does a courier get promoted to? Or do they just stay couriers throughout their entire career?

Again , you are clueless as to how Express works.

 

[Cactus]

The entry level positions may be below your pay grade, but it does not take long to get promoted from say Ops Admin I to Ops Admin II, Senior, coordinators, special assignment, etc; which have significantly higher pay grades. There is an avenue of advancement. Heck, you can even jump opcos and get a nice lateral move bonus. What does a courier get promoted to? Or do they just stay couriers throughout their entire career?

You've GOT to be kidding.

 

[CJinx]

Well, our employee structure was shaken up a few months back so the job titles correlate with Express. So yes, I do have some "clue" how Express works. What I don't have is practical experience because I've never been attached to the opco. Why not enlighten us?

 

[cancan]

It just don't work that way. Its dead end whatever you do in Ops. If ground is different. Go do that thing!

 

[cancan]

Now that I think about it. I am surprised how dead end it is. I worked at McDonalds in my teen years and a couple of the people I started with are making 70 plus now and are in a position to go as high as they want. Fedex is not built for upward mobility. But a few do ok. When I was at Mcds as a manager, I never had integrity issues. I never had to tow the company line. People knew what they were hired for and my job was to babysit.

 

[MAKAVELI]

Well, our employee structure was shaken up a few months back so the job titles correlate with Express. So yes, I do have some "clue" how Express works. What I don't have is practical experience because I've never been attached to the opco. Why not enlighten us?

No, you really don't have a clue. Express and Ground are night and day as to how they run. As many have said from "practical experience" FedEx is a dead end job unless you sell your soul and excel at stepping over people to climb your way to the top. From your posts I suspect you would have no problem with either.

 

[Sniper]

There is one way to top out REAL quick. I have seen it twice in my tenure.

 

[FedexCares]

A couple thoughts here.

First, I think Hypo is totally right about working the oil fields. You can get plenty of OT and make 6 figures. In areas where the oil fields are booming FedEx can not keep couriers because of the massive pay difference.

Second, to answer the original question the highest paying areas are also the most expensive. SF, LA, NYC. The pay does not make up for the increased COL IMO. SF markets may start at around $18/hour and that is the highest you can get except for Swing which is about $1.50 more plus $.30 at the bottom of scale. I think a higher market level without exorbitant cost would be my choice if you MUST stay with Express --think Chicago $16.61, Dallas around $16. Go to a station that has an opportunity for OT if you want to make any money.

All postings include the market level. Once you know that you can log onto the intranet site at Keyword: Compensation to check the current hourly rates. You can check most other positions as well including management and other salaried positions.

Lastly, you would go to top of range or very near if you enter management and step down. Policy dictates that your pay can be cut a certain max % so you would get a hefty raise. 1 year though is not enough time to voluntarily step down. More like 2 years.

Nice, thanks for this information. I didn't realize that the market level is on the actual postings, and that I can use this to look up what the hourly rate would be. Very helpful.

 

[MrFedEx]

The entry level positions may be below your pay grade, but it does not take long to get promoted from say Ops Admin I to Ops Admin II, Senior, coordinators, special assignment, etc; which have significantly higher pay grades. There is an avenue of advancement. Heck, you can even jump opcos and get a nice lateral move bonus. What does a courier get promoted to? Or do they just stay couriers throughout their entire career?

Sorry, but there is no jumping between opcos unless you're upper management. The only real promotion possibilities for a courier are RTD, Dispatcher, Sales, or Manager. The first 2 are invariably PT and rare, the third usually requires prior Sales experience, and the last one requires selling your soul, becoming a disciple of Satan, and forgetting about your family and friends for small money. Oooh!!

 

[hypo hanna]

Sorry, but there is no jumping between opcos unless you're upper management. The only real promotion possibilities for a courier are RTD, Dispatcher, Sales, or Manager. The first 2 are invariably PT and rare, the third usually requires prior Sales experience, and the last one requires selling your soul, becoming a disciple of Satan, and forgetting about your family and friends for small money. Oooh!!

In most cases going into dispatch would be a substantial cut in pay. Rate is the same as a swing driver but there is little if any OT to speak of. You would be bringing home far less, hurting your retirement, stuck on PM shift forever and under a great deal more pressure.

 

[hypo hanna]

Happy to enlighten you.

The success rate for a new ops manager in my district, (lasting more then three years without quitting, getting fired or stepping down) is about 65%. The reasons they don't make it are endless but mostly its one of the following.
Incompetence, they shouldn't have been ops managers in the first place.
No support. Their senior either can not or will not set them up to succeed.
Backstabbing by their peers. I see this one a lot. The existing managers take advantage of the new guy because he doesn't know how to protect himself and his operation. They smile at him, take him out for drinks and tell him how they are a team then steal his employees hours away and leave him hanging in the wind with nobody left to cover his routes.
Going into management will shorten your career at FedEx express not extend it.

 

[CJinx]

Sorry, but there is no jumping between opcos unless you're upper management.

I called our HR rep to ask about it and he said yes; I also checked out irecruiter and found positions within Express and Linehaul that I could apply for. It would end up being the decision of HR and the manager conducting interviews.

 

[MAKAVELI]

I called our HR rep to ask about it and he said yes; I also checked out irecruiter and found positions within Express and Linehaul that I could apply for. It would end up being the decision of HR and the manager conducting interviews.

The only people that I have seen jump opco are ground drivers to express drivers. They never last long. But if you think you can then go for it and let us know.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

The only people that I have seen jump opco are ground drivers to express drivers. They never last long. But if you think you can then go for it and let us know.

Would that be like going from Single A to Triple A with the hope of someday making it to the majors?