Fedex rant!

[javacontour]

Somewhat related to this topic as I get parts couriered to many of my customer locations, so I deal with delivery drivers on a daily basis.

A lot of it depends on the driver. Some drivers who stick around, learn some of the idiosyncrasies of the locations from which I work. Others can't read. However, many times the special instructions I give, such as call when you are 10 minutes away don't even make it to the courier.

There are so many places for this to go wrong that it's hard to pin the blame on any one person.

That doesn't lower the level of frustration. When I have several other service calls I need to address, and I'm sitting idle waiting for the parts, I'm stressed. The customers are stressed because their system is often in pieces and what the engineer can't remember how to put it back together, or I don't have the diagnosis right, or the million other things folks worry about when someone is working on the computer that holds the corporate golden eggs.

The other customers are stressed because I have to call and say I'm being held up, or I try to find another on my team and say I'm still stuck at...

Or I'm at the other end of that. One of my team calls me because they are stuck...

So I feel your pain. I feel that pain almost everyday I call in an order for the courier and there is any sort of "special instruction" such as call me before you leave, or don't deliver before 9AM (when I call in the order the night before.)

Sometimes it really is easier if I just get in my car and go get the parts myself. But alas, that's often not feasible as I might be at Scott AFB and the parts are in Earth City, or Westport or in "da hood" on Goodfellow (for those who know STL)

So I ask for a courier to deliver and ponder Forest Gump's take on this, "Life is like a box of chocolates..."

 

[Drew99GT]

Fed Ex, IMO, is kind of s screwed up deal. Fedex Express is still classified as an airline so they aren't subject to most labor laws, EVEN though a good amount of packages in the division never see an aircraft AND ALL of them are delivered via truck to and from their destination to the terminal. There's enough evidence by drivers spilling the beans that some volume of Express packages see the trailers of Fed Ex ground trucks. That's why UPS is fighting them so bad over labor law issues as UPS's labor costs are vastly higher.

Fed Ex Ground is just a joke. The delivery guys are all independent contractors and make probably 1/3 what a UPS driver makes. I'm convinced that's one of the reasons they have worse customer service. Their workers don't care.

UPS and the Teamsters are fighting hard and things will likely change in the coming years.

 

[H2GURU]

Delivering packages is an art form for UPS, the USPS is a close second, and FEDEX a distant, never to be any different, third. For the record casually mentioned in previous posts, there was a show (NG?) on an LA based "package car" driver and he did slip in that w/OT he made $84,000/ year and more than a few reading this would like to swap w/him and oh by the way, he'll have a PENSION that will allow him to retire at 55 and net $5000/month? No , drivers never deliver in any neighborhood they live in, probably to prevent "axe grinding". When I receive packages I would love the ability to spec Fedex OUT of the equation. Fedex Freight is also the worst of their ilk with poorly trained employees, but they are currently the cheapest, gee I wonder why?

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: H2GURU
he'll have a PENSION that will allow him to retire at 55 and net $5000/month?


Those kind of pensions from the Teamsters are going by the wayside. Many locals have way under that kind of defined benefit, and they're losing their retirement health care as well. Not taking sides, just stating what I've read.

The Teamsters have finally unionized UPS freight after UPS bought out Overnite, and their contract is peanuts compared to UPS package operations. 21.50/hour is the top rate after 3 years for local drivers, with hardly any pension. UPS Freight and Fed Ex freight/LTL wages and benefits are essentially equal. Me thinks Fed EX package operations and UPS package operations will see similar equality in the near future.

The days of big Teamster pensions and benefits are gone.

I've always found it odd that UPS package car drivers earn so much more then the guys who need a Class A CDL with years of experience. The freight drivers need way more skill on what they do to drive those big trucks into tight loading docks!