Ground to absorb Express

[Operational needs]

Yep. The dad was at his funniest when he was being such a ridiculous obstinate clown.

But at least HE was funny.

 

[Oldfart]

It's like a guy who finds out that the Steelers scout the Browns, study the video, and develop a game plan and thinks that the Browns must really be a good team to get in the Steelers' heads like that... AND THE VANS WERE NICE!!!!

Yep. Their vans were nicer than our Z vans. You said you were there so you know all about what happened in the 70's.

 

[Oldfart]

But at least HE was funny.

Can you hurry up with that beer. Dirty Harry just started again.

 

[Cactus]

He sounds a lot like the old man from Everybody Loves Raymond.

And you sound like Sheldon Cooper talking out of his ass.

 

[vantexan]

I gave you all sorts of readily available specific information about the company as it existed from its entry into the small package segment in the 70s until its exit from that segment in the 90s. You told me about a poster you saw and what your manager told you.

Emery was just another company that wanted to be a player in the small package business and found out that it couldn't do it. I don't know why it's so important to you to present them as a bigger deal than they ever were. I don't know why you think I care how much of a threat they were (or, as is the case, they weren't).

They were the biggest air cargo service for 40 years in the States. And I heard numerous mgrs talk about them. They got crippled by a strike, sold out. You weren't there. But it's important for you to win the argument so you mischaracterized things. All I did was say Emery was a real competitor and you jumped all over that. If you want to hold the illusion that FedEx does no wrong then I've got a word for you...Zapmail.

 

[vantexan]

They were the biggest air cargo service for 40 years in the States. And I heard numerous mgrs talk about them. They got crippled by a strike, sold out. You weren't there. But it's important for you to win the argument so you mischaracterized things. All I did was say Emery was a real competitor and you jumped all over that. If you want to hold the illusion that FedEx does no wrong then I've got a word for you...Zapmail.

P.S. When that strike hit FedEx wasn't even doing a half million pkgs a day. There was still a huge upside to growth and plenty of companies were vying for that business. To say only FedEx could do it is to have a limited understanding of the market then. FedEx made some great moves. And some boneheaded ones. Keeping a union out gave them the revenue to expand. And saved them from a crippling strike. That they milked that at the employees expense says a lot about the character of the people running the company.

 

[Oldfart]

And you sound like Sheldon Cooper talking out of his ass.

Would that be The Big Bang Theory Sheldon or Young Sheldon?

 

[dvalleyjim]

I pull in driveways all day. I do what is easiest for me. Half my freight is over 100 lbs. now. Soooo, what! Of course most of my drives are 1/2 mile long.

 

[59 Dano]

They were the biggest air cargo service for 40 years in the States.

They were a freight forwarding service, as in you take them a large package and they'll plop it onto a passenger plane.

And I heard numerous mgrs talk about them. They got crippled by a strike, sold out. You weren't there. But it's important for you to win the argument so you mischaracterized things. All I did was say Emery was a real competitor and you jumped all over that. If you want to hold the illusion that FedEx does no wrong then I've got a word for you...Zapmail.

I jumped all over it because it was a ridiculously inaccurate assertion, not that your sense of perception is any better now than at any other time in the past few years.

Not sure what Zapmail has to do with anything but I guess guys like you think it proves a point of some kind.

 

[Oldfart]

They were a freight forwarding service, as in you take them a large package and they'll plop it onto a passenger plane.



I jumped all over it because it was a ridiculously inaccurate assertion, not that your sense of perception is any better now than at any other time in the past few years.

Not sure what Zapmail has to do with anything but I guess guys like you think it proves a point of some kind.

Hey Dano. How do I get them to hold the mayo on my burger? Can you speak to management for me?

 

[59 Dano]

P.S. When that strike hit FedEx wasn't even doing a half million pkgs a day. There was still a huge upside to growth and plenty of companies were vying for that business.

Average FedEx daily volume in 1989, when that strike hit? 1,059,882 packages per day. But I'm sure you don't remember it that way and a manager said something and you saw a poster and you were there then and I wasn't there then and Zapmail and blah blah blah.

To say only FedEx could do it is to have a limited understanding of the market then.

Never said such a thing. To allege otherwise is to have a limited understanding of the English language.

 

[vantexan]

They were a freight forwarding service, as in you take them a large package and they'll plop it onto a passenger plane.



I jumped all over it because it was a ridiculously inaccurate assertion, not that your sense of perception is any better now than at any other time in the past few years.

Not sure what Zapmail has to do with anything but I guess guys like you think it proves a point of some kind.

I checked, I was wrong on the numbers. When I was in the Hub in '86 we were around 440,000 a night. But you still weren't there, didn't here what mgrs at both the Hub and my first station were saying. You've been talking all along as if no one can do what FedEx does. It will be extremely difficult to duplicate FedEx, but who says they need to be duplicated? If Amazon can bring in the right consultants and pour enough money into it they could certainly take care of their own freight. If you don't believe that I'm sure you'll tell me.

 

[Oldfart]

Dano are you gonna check on my burger order or do I need to speak to your 18 yr old manager. It must suck being you after Fedex ran you off and you still stay on this forum. Kinda sad.

 

[vantexan]

I checked, I was wrong on the numbers. When I was in the Hub in '86 we were around 440,000 a night. But you still weren't there, didn't here what mgrs at both the Hub and my first station were saying. You've been talking all along as if no one can do what FedEx does. It will be extremely difficult to duplicate FedEx, but who says they need to be duplicated? If Amazon can bring in the right consultants and pour enough money into it they could certainly take care of their own freight. If you don't believe that I'm sure you'll tell me.

Hear not here.

 

[59 Dano]

I checked, I was wrong on the numbers. When I was in the Hub in '86 we were around 440,000 a night. But you still weren't there, didn't here what mgrs at both the Hub and my first station were saying.

OK, van, OK.

You've been talking all along as if no one can do what FedEx does.

Nope.

It will be extremely difficult to duplicate FedEx, but who says they need to be duplicated?

I dunno.

If Amazon can bring in the right consultants and pour enough money into it they could certainly take care of their own freight. If you don't believe that I'm sure you'll tell me.

Is there some reason why I should care? Their freight made up around 3% of FDX volume. I don't care if they start moving their own freight and FDX doesn't care too much about it, either.

 

[59 Dano]

Dano are you gonna check on my burger order or do I need to speak to your 18 yr old manager. It must suck being you after Fedex ran you off and you still stay on this forum. Kinda sad.

Great family, great home, good job, good income, and I can come on here and have a guy in the peanut gallery tell me how bad I've got it, LOL.

 

[Oldfart]

Great family, great home, good job, good income, and I can come on here and have a guy in the peanut gallery tell me how bad I've got it, LOL.

Yet you continue to hang out on an employee forum for a job you no longer have.

You continue to make post about matters that happened before you worked at your former employer and make misinformed post about subjects that you are clueless on. You are clueless on a lot of things and but totally wrong with what was going on in the 70's. If you were there, you must have been sleep walking because you have proven time and time again to be totally incorrect in your observations.

 

[vantexan]

OK, van, OK.



Nope.



I dunno.



Is there some reason why I should care? Their freight made up around 3% of FDX volume. I don't care if they start moving their own freight and FDX doesn't care too much about it, either.

You seem to care quite a bit. You're constantly suggesting that no one can do what FedEx does and are quick to slam anyone who says otherwise. If you think FedEx doesn't care about taking any kind of hit to their volume or the possibility of a growing competitor down the line you're either naive or disingenuous. They cared very much when there were actual competitors and treated them as such. And they emerged on top. Online sales is a growth market and no doubt they want to be the foremost shipper of those products. Amazon is the dominant force in online sales and is looking to control costs. Two very different approaches to the problem. We'll have more clarity in years to come.

 

[dmac1]

You seem to care quite a bit. You're constantly suggesting that no one can do what FedEx does and are quick to slam anyone who says otherwise. If you think FedEx doesn't care about taking any kind of hit to their volume or the possibility of a growing competitor down the line you're either naive or disingenuous. They cared very much when there were actual competitors and treated them as such. And they emerged on top. Online sales is a growth market and no doubt they want to be the foremost shipper of those products. Amazon is the dominant force in online sales and is looking to control costs. Two very different approaches to the problem. We'll have more clarity in years to come.

A lot of contractors believe they are irreplaceable and offer fedex something fedex can't get some other way. They think that fedex can't buy trucks or hire people or maintain trucks as cheap as the contractor can. Fedex would NEVER hire one manager for every 5 or even 10 drivers and already hires drivers with fedex HR in EVERY city/area fedex express operates. Fedex uses contractors ONLY to help it avoid unionization costs. If fedex hires ground drivers as employees, it opens them up completely, including express, to unionization efforts and the possibility of UPS-like wages and benefits. Fedex has nothing against hiring employees, they did it with express. If fedex was against hiring employees, the first express drivers would have been contractors. But since fedex was operating as an airline, they were able to avoid unions, which Smith reportedly hates.

 

[vantexan]

A lot of contractors believe they are irreplaceable and offer fedex something fedex can't get some other way. They think that fedex can't buy trucks or hire people or maintain trucks as cheap as the contractor can. Fedex would NEVER hire one manager for every 5 or even 10 drivers and already hires drivers with fedex HR in EVERY city/area fedex express operates. Fedex uses contractors ONLY to help it avoid unionization costs. If fedex hires ground drivers as employees, it opens them up completely, including express, to unionization efforts and the possibility of UPS-like wages and benefits. Fedex has nothing against hiring employees, they did it with express. If fedex was against hiring employees, the first express drivers would have been contractors. But since fedex was operating as an airline, they were able to avoid unions, which Smith reportedly hates.

It's my understanding that the FAA requires employees to pick up and load freight to have a measure of control over security issues. Apparently anyone can deliver freight, but no getting around the pick up requirement. We've speculated about this in the past if down the road to save costs they might have contractors deliver. I think there's too many concerns to overcome to attempt that, but in a really bad economy who knows, might happen someday.