Any New Tech to Help New Drivers?

[Fred's Myth]

Drive around

Blasphemy!
Throwback!

To suggest one spend their own time, and fuel, to scope out a route like we did! The shame!

Not to mention it's not Earth-friendly.

 

[It will be fine]

Blasphemy!
Throwback!

To suggest one spend their own time, and fuel, to scope out a route like we did! The shame!

Not to mention it's not Earth-friendly.

Why on earth would anyone just drive around an area on their own time to learn the route? That’s idiotic, what would an employee have to gain from that? It’s not a transferable skill, it wouldn’t make them more money, it’s just providing free labor.

 

[Fred's Myth]

Why on earth would anyone just drive around an area on their own time to learn the route? That’s idiotic, what would an employee have to gain from that? It’s not a transferable skill, it wouldn’t make them more money, it’s just providing free labor.

It's shocking, almost SCANDALOUS, that someone would demonstrate the character and fortitude to personally research an area that would be their responsibility to service, ON THEIR OWN DIME!

Just shows you're from the "what's in it for me" generation.

 

[It will be fine]

It's shocking, almost SCANDALOUS, that someone would demonstrate the character and fortitude to personally research an area that would be their responsibility to service, ON THEIR OWN DIME!

Just shows you're from the "what's in it for me" generation.

I am opposed to working for a company without compensation. I don’t think that’s generational, it’s common sense.

 

[cosis]

repetition - gps, maps, etc, help but repetition is when you will officially learn

 

[Nolimitz]

when you wake up and realize you were dreaming 100/1000 blocks you know you're there.

 

[59 Dano]

Why on earth would anyone just drive around an area on their own time to learn the route? That’s idiotic, what would an employee have to gain from that? It’s not a transferable skill, it wouldn’t make them more money, it’s just providing free labor.

I don't know of anyone who looks at it in that way ("Am I using my own time to develop a non-transferable skill that won't make me any more money?"). I do know plenty of people who either won't do anything unless they're getting paid for it or, by contrast, aren't overly concerned with making sure the meter is running before they'll play around with something new to get a feel for it.

If you want to limit your career and income opportunities, then the former is the right choice.

 

[bacha29]

I don't know of anyone who looks at it in that way ("Am I using my own time to develop a non-transferable skill that won't make me any more money?"). I do know plenty of people who either won't do anything unless they're getting paid for it or, by contrast, aren't overly concerned with making sure the meter is running before they'll play around with something new to get a feel for it.

If you want to limit your career and income opportunities, then the former is the right choice.

The workplace environment in the real world is much different from the sheltered little world you know. So let me help you out here.

The majority of contractors pay a flat daily rate that doesn't change whether you work 8 hours or 14 hours or whether you do 35 stops or 135 stops. It all pays the same and not very good at that And as is the case with contractor employed drivers there's little chance for advancement Just something to tide them over until the kind of job worth working comes along and often it's a case whereby the more you do the more you'll be given to do and it doesn't pay a cent more money.
Oh sure, many won't get very far in life but you have to give them credit for, unlike yourself, their unwillingness to puff the corporate peter.

 

[Fred's Myth]

I am opposed to working for a company without compensation. I don’t think that’s generational, it’s common sense.

And I perceive that as the type of "value" that Ground brings to FedEx.

Headed to the lowest common denominator.

 

[Star B]

@Fred's Myth There's a difference between old time Expressers learning an area vs Ground learning an area.

Namely a Pension and decent pay for the work. Ground... doesn't get that.

 

[It will be fine]

I don't know of anyone who looks at it in that way ("Am I using my own time to develop a non-transferable skill that won't make me any more money?"). I do know plenty of people who either won't do anything unless they're getting paid for it or, by contrast, aren't overly concerned with making sure the meter is running before they'll play around with something new to get a feel for it.

If you want to limit your career and income opportunities, then the former is the right choice.

Cool story, keep working for free, doesn’t bother me any. Driving around a route in your car to learn the area is an ineffective learning method with the added bonus of costing you money and time. I value my time and money. YMMV

 

[59 Dano]

The workplace environment in the real world is much different from the sheltered little world you know. So let me help you out here.

The majority of contractors pay a flat daily rate that doesn't change whether you work 8 hours or 14 hours or whether you do 35 stops or 135 stops. It all pays the same and not very good at that And as is the case with contractor employed drivers there's little chance for advancement Just something to tide them over until the kind of job worth working comes along and often it's a case whereby the more you do the more you'll be given to do and it doesn't pay a cent more money.
Oh sure, many won't get very far in life but you have to give them credit for, unlike yourself, their unwillingness to puff the corporate peter.

Those who allow the time clock to determine their fate will blame the time clock for their fate. If someone wants to let that be such a major determinant of their professional success, so be it, but don't complain about it when you realize that it comes with shackles.

 

[Nolimitz]

Those who allow the time clock to determine their fate will blame the time clock for their fate. If someone wants to let that be such a major determinant of their professional success, so be it, but don't complain about it when you realize that it comes with shackles.

WTF are you rambling about?

 

[59 Dano]

Cool story, keep working for free, doesn’t bother me any. Driving around a route in your car to learn the area is an ineffective learning method with the added bonus of costing you money and time. I value my time and money. YMMV

There were courier hires at Express who would spend an hour or two driving around to get an idea of the area. Some would get a route's planet station report and go home and look up the addresses on a map to get a better idea of stop sequence and getting in the habit of finding frequent addresses on the map. Other things as well. They tended to get off to a markedly better start than those who didn't.

I don't think any one of those things made much of a difference and it could be argued that they didn't make that much of a cumulative difference. Those actions were simply the byproducts of people who are instinctively driven to take initiative and master what's presented to them. The drawback was that they were more likely to become bored with the job and go on to greater and more lucrative things.

Some people have no use for professional growth, and that's fine.

 

[59 Dano]

WTF are you rambling about?

Bacha's rambling post.

 

[Code 82 Approved]

The workplace environment in the real world is much different from the sheltered little world you know. So let me help you out here.

The majority of contractors pay a flat daily rate that doesn't change whether you work 8 hours or 14 hours or whether you do 35 stops or 135 stops. It all pays the same and not very good at that And as is the case with contractor employed drivers there's little chance for advancement Just something to tide them over until the kind of job worth working comes along and often it's a case whereby the more you do the more you'll be given to do and it doesn't pay a cent more money.
Oh sure, many won't get very far in life but you have to give them credit for, unlike yourself, their unwillingness to puff the corporate peter.

I've gone from 60+ hours/week at $500 to double that and sometimes 10/hours a week. I just reset some routes and I doubt if I even worked 10 hours last week.

 

[OrioN]

I dunno, u better have your DOT card ready... we lost a few supplemental drivers in the fall & haven't seen new drivers for the peak 2018 season

 

[vantexan]

There were courier hires at Express who would spend an hour or two driving around to get an idea of the area. Some would get a route's planet station report and go home and look up the addresses on a map to get a better idea of stop sequence and getting in the habit of finding frequent addresses on the map. Other things as well. They tended to get off to a markedly better start than those who didn't.

I don't think any one of those things made much of a difference and it could be argued that they didn't make that much of a cumulative difference. Those actions were simply the byproducts of people who are instinctively driven to take initiative and master what's presented to them. The drawback was that they were more likely to become bored with the job and go on to greater and more lucrative things.

Some people have no use for professional growth, and that's fine.

First route I ever did was a pickup route that required parking the van and walking in a large office complex, periodically returning to the van to check DADS for oncalls. After my first day of training bought a tape recorder. Guy training me laughed and laughed as I walked along describing every turn, every landmark in that very large, confusing complex. Went home and wrote it all down. First day by myself really shocked them as I ran the route better than previous couriers just following my notes. And I too have driven around new routes to get familiar with them. What IWBF doesn't seem to get is there was a time when being a FedEx courier was considered a profession that many took very seriously. We loved the company back then and worked hard for it. And many ripped those they didn't perceive as making the effort. Last thing we ever thought back then was that it would be the company that would let us down.

 

[Fred's Myth]

Those actions were simply the byproducts of people who are instinctively driven to take initiative and master what's presented to them.

Sad fact is that those who strive to provide more than a dollars' effort for a dollars' pay aren't recognized or compensated by the company they work for. A clear conscience and a sense of self-worth is its own reward, I guess.

 

[59 Dano]

Sad fact is that those who strive to provide more than a dollars' effort for a dollars' pay aren't recognized or compensated by the company they work for.

And when they aren't, they move on.