Difference Between Ground And Express

[Meat]

Piss poor management at the top. They’re living in a bubble and thinking all is well at Fedex because they’re either being lied to or they’re choosing to ignore the problems and refusing to make needed changes. Think of that children’s story The Emperor has no Clothes. They probably can’t figure out why turnover is so high. All they’d have to do is skip front line management and ask any hourly front line employee and they’d get lots of good answers why. Unfortunately, they’re insulated from the sweaty hourlies except in planned quick meetings with limited questions.

They don’t WANT to know. They’re getting theirs. They’ve figured out how to provide the least possible service to customers and still retain most of them. Also, society as a whole has learned to lower their expectations, allowing them to get away with even worse service.

As a customer, you’re screwed. Fedex sucks and UPS is getting worse too. You just have to hope for the best when shipping your packages. On behalf of myself and other Express couriers who bent over backwards to take care of FedEx’s customers, those of us who put our heart and soul into the company, I apologize. It is what it is now though.

Seems like you held yourself to a pretty high standard in your professional life. I respect that.

All too often these days you come across people that seem very comfortable sucking at their job, and it places an added burden on those that have professional standards.

 

[burrheadd]

I am just your average consumer, and have never worked for either company, but I am still curious to know the difference between Ground and Express.

It seems, 5 or 10 years ago, each company had specific and exclusive branding (e.g. uniforms and trucks); but now it seems the lines have been blurred, and it’s difficult to tell the difference between which company is making a delivery to your home.

Is there a reason for this? Is one company better than the other?

Just wondering. I like to be an informed consumer.

Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

It’s all a big grift

 

[burrheadd]

I’m just a conscientious consumer.

What’s the big deal?

If your package gets where it’s supposed to be when it’s supposed to be there
You needn’t worry yourself about the details

 

[Meat]

If your package gets where it’s supposed to be when it’s supposed to be there
You needn’t worry yourself about the details

So you’re saying it’s best to be apathetic to the plight of your fellow citizens?

 

[burrheadd]

So you’re saying it’s best to be apathetic to the plight of your fellow citizens?

No just trying to figure out your agenda
Because I know you have one

 

[Meat]

No just trying to figure out your agenda
Because I know you have one

You are correct. I indeed do have an agenda and here it is: work my ass off Monday through Friday afternoon, and then spend as much time possible with my family between Friday afternoon through Sunday night (maybe have a few cocktails and a few great meals along the way).

 

[burrheadd]

You are correct. I indeed do have an agenda and here it is: work my ass off Monday through Friday afternoon, and then spend as much time possible with my family between Friday afternoon through Sunday night (maybe have a few cocktails and a few great meals along the way).

Yet here you are

 

[zeev]

You are correct. I indeed do have an agenda and here it is: work my ass off Monday through Friday afternoon, and then spend as much time possible with my family between Friday afternoon through Sunday night (maybe have a few cocktails and a few great meals along the way).

Hey stay as long as you like.

 

[Operational needs]

Why is Express deteriorating in your opinion?

Things Ike this are another reason. You don’t treat your employees like this.

 

[It will be fine]

Things Ike this are another reason. You don’t treat your employees like this.

View attachment 391584

Do express drivers really accept this? If I tried that with my guys they would laugh their asses off and work their normal schedule. If I needed people to work more to cover everything, I’d ask and offer more money to get it done.

 

[Star B]

Do express drivers really accept this?

Yes, because management will make your life hell if you don't comply. Mind you, this is for FULL TIME people only. the only thing they can mandate for part timers is 30 hours a week. Anything over 30 hours is at the CRRs discretion.

 

[dezguy]

Do express drivers really accept this? If I tried that with my guys they would laugh their asses off and work their normal schedule. If I needed people to work more to cover everything, I’d ask and offer more money to get it done.

The weak ones do. Mandate me all you want. You get me Mon-Fri, for 8 hours.

 

[MAKAVELI]

Do express drivers really accept this? If I tried that with my guys they would laugh their asses off and work their normal schedule. If I needed people to work more to cover everything, I’d ask and offer more money to get it done.

I guarantee you this is a station that has Estar implemented Mon-Sat. It really comes down to each driver pushing back. Slowing down, following methods, coming back when you don't feel it's safe, and loads of unattempted is the only way to change this.

 

[It will be fine]

I guarantee you this is a station that has Estar implemented Mon-Sat. It really comes down to each driver pushing back. Slowing down, following methods, coming back when you don't feel it's safe, and loads of unattempted is the only way to change this.

It’s just crazy to me. This station clearly needs more people. A message like that would at best piss off everyone and at worst get 30% to quit without notice. It’s beyond tone deaf to current labor.

 

[MAKAVELI]

It’s just crazy to me. This station clearly needs more people. A message like that would at best piss off everyone and at worst get 30% to quit without notice. It’s beyond tone deaf to current labor.

That's basically what upper management is in a nutshell. FedEx is one hot mess right now and peak will probably be the mother of all failures.

 

[Operational needs]

Do express drivers really accept this? If I tried that with my guys they would laugh their asses off and work their normal schedule. If I needed people to work more to cover everything, I’d ask and offer more money to get it done.

Not the smart ones. First thing I would’ve done is look up policy. Then called HR if it was against policy.

 

[zeev]

HR is totally worthless, you have no contract.

 

[59 Dano]

I guarantee you this is a station that has Estar implemented Mon-Sat. It really comes down to each driver pushing back. Slowing down, following methods,

How is using methods considered pushing back? Why wouldn't they be using methods in the first place?

 

[MAKAVELI]

How is using methods considered pushing back? Why wouldn't they be using methods in the first place?

Why? Because most just want to get done and go home. It's not rocket science. Ttku....

 

[fedx]

I am just your average consumer, and have never worked for either company, but I am still curious to know the difference between Ground and Express.

It seems, 5 or 10 years ago, each company had specific and exclusive branding (e.g. uniforms and trucks); but now it seems the lines have been blurred, and it’s difficult to tell the difference between which company is making a delivery to your home.

Is there a reason for this? Is one company better than the other?

Just wondering. I like to be an informed consumer.

Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

Ground are contractors and not employees of FedEx. They don't get paid directly by FedEx or have benefits from FedEx. They are paid by the contractor who is paid by FedEx. The contractors owns their vehicles as well. It was set up that way so FedEx couldn't unionize.

Express are company employees and have benefits like health insurance, 401K, and pension for most. Now at Express there are 2 groups: one group that was hired before, say, 1993 who were on the fast track to being topped out. Most were topped out by 5 years of employment. Those hired after (again this is an estimate) 1993 are on the 20 or 25 year top out plan. Many of these guys won't be topped out until they are close to retirement. Express can't unionize because they are considered an airline, so are protected by the Railway Labor Act. Had they combined Ground and Express as just Express at the start, they could have unionized since they wouldn't have been just an airline, but would have been a trucking company as well.

They are blending the colors together and branding because they are slowing merging the 2 companies. They are now starting to share stations (where couriers work) together. Eventually, we believe Express will be done away with and will be all contractors just like Ground. That's why they have started to merge them together.

Currently FedEx Express and Ground are seriously understaffed, because they no longer pay a decent wage. People don't want to break their backs working for measly wages, but FedEx refuses to see this.

Hope that helps.