New branding!

[dmac1]

Did you know that x isn't just going to to give you express volume without renegotiating your contract????? If you think x is going to double your volume AND you paycheck you are a bit daft. As you said x is in the business of making money. You guys are going to get screwed just like everyone else.

X doesn't have to do anything but tell the ISP to deliver the boxes. It may be that an addendum is needed, but I haven't seen the ISP contract. If an ISP doesn't agree to the addendum, the ISP knows that at renewal time, he is risking his contract. And if fedex is willing to pay extra for timed deliveries at HD, then doing the same with express deliveries won't be an issue.

An ISP should WANT the extra volume, AND fedex should want to get rid of all the extra overhead that every express station costs. I am amazed that none of the express drivers has even addressed all the overhead fedex has in duplicating terminals, managers, utilities, package handlers, that they will save even without including express driver pay and benefits. If fedex even splits those savings with the ISP, it will help the ISP provide a better workforce.

Fedex has basically already started the full integration of HD into ground, and has partially integrated express into ground. You can bet the bean counters are drooling over the cost savings available from just shutting down express terminals.

 

[Slick silver]

I still can't imagine a ground driver having to deal with dispatch a couple times a day, doing re attempts. Taking on call pick ups with a hour window. Let's be honest, there are many ground guys on my route area that still will not pick up a box that's been sitting at a location they deliver to daily for over a week. A simple 2 pound box. If they can't do that right, then imagine just doing a priority stop or re attempt on a business. Do you really think a ground guy is going to do a re attempt.

I'm actually going to opposite and say they will eventually weed out the contractors down the line. FedEx loves to have to much control. There just building there infurstucture off of the contractors back. Heck the pay progression has been low and benefits have been going away at express but people are still sticking around. So why not go absorb some of the ground drivers into express and have better control over everything.

 

[59 Dano]

So in one of the contiguous areas I cover I run 8 trucks a day. I've only ever seen 2 express drivers in the whole area and one of them I assume is a PM part timer since I've never seen him in the morning. Let's be generous and say there's 30 priority delivery stops for the AM express driver. You don't think I could manage to get those 30 stops covered by 9 or 10 trucks? Depending on how many trucks I'd need to add for the non priority packages. What control over my employees am I lacking that express management has? I can't tell them these 4 stops need to be done before 10:30?

You don't have the stops and aren't getting them.

 

[59 Dano]

Wrong. Like you are most of the time. Twenty three years with Ground going back to the development stages of RPS. That elitist mentality you X jocks will be your undoing.Why do I say that? Smart contractors like IWBF are already gearing up for the transition. Why? BECAUSE THEY DON"T HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE. They hand you the new contract specifications and if you can't meet them It's hasta la vista baby. Now you X jocks can go on living in your sheltered, elitist little worlds with my blessing. At the same time when you look at small pay raises and the evisceration of benefit plans and the growth in the part time work force which you Xjocks are constantly bitchin about, you should not need Fred S to tell you that Xpress is an unit that has become too expensive to operate. You can see that with your own two eyes.

When someone makes the point that you don't know what you're talking about, the ideal response isn't to do all you can to prove them right.

 

[It will be fine]

You don't have the stops and aren't getting them.

Compelling argument on why it can't happen.

 

[It will be fine]

I still can't imagine a ground driver having to deal with dispatch a couple times a day, doing re attempts. Taking on call pick ups with a hour window. Let's be honest, there are many ground guys on my route area that still will not pick up a box that's been sitting at a location they deliver to daily for over a week. A simple 2 pound box. If they can't do that right, then imagine just doing a priority stop or re attempt on a business. Do you really think a ground guy is going to do a re attempt.

I'm actually going to opposite and say they will eventually weed out the contractors down the line. FedEx loves to have to much control. There just building there infurstucture off of the contractors back. Heck the pay progression has been low and benefits have been going away at express but people are still sticking around. So why not go absorb some of the ground drivers into express and have better control over everything.

You're talking like they give a crap about service. Reattempts? Why bother. On calls within an hour? Meh, we might make them, might not. Service is and has been secondary to profit for years.

 

[59 Dano]

Compelling argument on why it can't happen.

Don't need one when there's no compelling argument why it could or would.

 

[bacha29]

You're talking like they give a crap about service. Reattempts? Why bother. On calls within an hour? Meh, we might make them, might not. Service is and has been secondary to profit for years.

You just nailed it man. EPS and return on shareholder equity is ALL that matters .Nwver more important than it is in today's search for yield driven economy.

 

[It will be fine]

Don't need one when there's no compelling argument why it could or would.

There's only one. $$ There are obvious cost savings to integrating the networks. Pretending otherwise is dishonest.

 

[MAKAVELI]

There's only one. $$ There are obvious cost savings to integrating the networks. Pretending otherwise is dishonest.

There's also a huge cost, one way or another.

 

[bacha29]

When someone makes the point that you don't know what you're talking about, the ideal response isn't to do all you can to prove them right.

The challenge for you is not to simply dismiss what we Ground guys are saying. The challenge is to disprove it The problem for you elitist, self absorbed egomaniacs is that you can't accept the fact that the " dirtbags" are very much a threat to your little kingdoms. This debate would have never been undertaken if you Xjocks had been able to get your costs in line. The only remaining roadblock to the transition is regulatory in nature and that firewall will be slowly but steadily dismantled in the days ahead.

 

[Gone fishin]

The challenge for you is not to simply dismiss what we Ground guys are saying. The challenge is to disprove it The problem for you elitist, self absorbed egomaniacs is that you can't accept the fact that the " dirtbags" are very much a threat to your little kingdoms. This debate would have never been undertaken if you Xjocks had been able to get your costs in line. The only remaining roadblock to the transition is regulatory in nature and that firewall will be slowly but steadily dismantled in the days ahead.

Dude,you are way to smart to be a truck driver. Your wasting your time here
I'm thinking Doctor,lawyer,hedge fund manager,but no way truck driver. Now get your butt out there and start your new life

 

[bacha29]

There's only one. $$ There are obvious cost savings to integrating the networks. Pretending otherwise is dishonest.

The dishonesty is their being dishonest to themselves by trying to hang on to a service that has become too expense to operate in it's present form. If the Xjocks believe that the cost reductions needed to improve margins that are equal and or greater than network integration exist then why haven't they presented them? As you and I both know network integration is probably all that's left. There's nowhere else to go.

 

[vantexan]

What I'm trying to doing to you X jocks is recommending in the strongest terms possible that you need get prepared as best you can for a dramatic and completely unforeseen turn of events and to stop believing that Ground can't do what you guys do. Yes every contractor will have to scale up and to acquire more redundancy but they have already. been doing that for years. Keep mind because there is no formal collective bargaining agreement in place it allows X to add, subtract, amend and abolish any of it's past ,current and future labor policies as they see fit . Furthermore there appears to be an unofficial and unwritten but ongoing nationwide effort to get the older workers out of not in the workforce given the fact that the economy is only generating half the number of new jobs needed to keep up with the number of new workers entering the work force. Recently I talked to the people at OVR about trying to get back into the workforce despite spinal stenosis and both hip joints replaced. I heard nothing encouraging. Therefore I put in for Social Security Disability despite knowing that 74% of all first time disability benefit claims are denied and it takes an average of 21 months just to get an appeal heard. With those numbers I know that my claim will be denied. It's all in keeping with my belief in the importance of hoping for the best but planning for the worst and in the world of today it's now more important than ever

If you consider the logistics involved there's no way there will be a sudden, dramatic shift. Ground will have to hire 10's of thousands of drivers, train them, put them in vehicles, etc. Restructure routes, renegotiate contracts. No way that goes on under our noses. And if that isn't happening now then in no way will it happen until all that gets sorted out. We won't show up at Express one morning to find the gates locked to our surprise. Stop the hysteria already.

 

[vantexan]

The dishonesty is their being dishonest to themselves by trying to hang on to a service that has become too expense to operate in it's present form. If the Xjocks believe that the cost reductions needed to improve margins that are equal and or greater than network integration exist then why haven't they presented them? As you and I both know network integration is probably all that's left. There's nowhere else to go.

It's called competition. UPS will lose market share to Ground unless they reduce prices. That's the growth. The only way I can see Express going away is if we lose too much to Amazon delivering it's own. More likely a scaled down Express with Ground being the main opco at some point.

 

[bacha29]

Dude,you are way to smart to be a truck driver. Your wasting your time here
I'm thinking Doctor,lawyer,hedge fund manager,but no way truck driver. Now get your butt out there and start your new life

Thank you. Your point is well taken. However I still have an economic interest ongoing and will have one for several years to come. At the same time I have seen first hand and in graphic detail Fedex's well known but equally well swept under the rug capacity to treat people badly. Therefore, all I can do is to bring to the attention of as many people as possible the growing likelihood of a period of extreme uncertainty as to the future security of their employment. I am indeed very happy to hear that you are nearing trails end when it comes to your employment with Fedex.

 

[vantexan]

Wrong. Like you are most of the time. Twenty three years with Ground going back to the development stages of RPS. That elitist mentality you X jocks will be your undoing.Why do I say that? Smart contractors like IWBF are already gearing up for the transition. Why? BECAUSE THEY DON"T HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE. They hand you the new contract specifications and if you can't meet them It's hasta la vista baby. Now you X jocks can go on living in your sheltered, elitist little worlds with my blessing. At the same time when you look at small pay raises and the evisceration of benefit plans and the growth in the part time work force which you Xjocks are constantly bitchin about, you should not need Fred S to tell you that Xpress is an unit that has become too expensive to operate. You can see that with your own two eyes.

Was just looking at Express job postings. FT couriers being hired everywhere.

 

[dvalleyjim]

I wouldn't say that x jocks are elitists. They have just seen what used to be a good company gradually turn into a crony capitalist, globalist pos. It's not just Ex, All major corporations are share holder driven and only care about the stock price. This is all their shareholders care about. Just like elected politicians only care about their donors, x only cares about shareholders. Not customers or constituents. We the people keep tolerating this and don't cherish our Liberty. Liberty will be lost and X jocks will have to drive for ISP's that are controlled be crony capitalists. There goes liberty. Keep voting against it and keep losing it.

 

[It will be fine]

Was just looking at Express job postings. FT couriers being hired everywhere.

It'll take quite a long time I imagine. I've been hearing about integrating smartpost for a few years and haven't seen any yet and that's a Ground service. The only way I see an integration being fast tracked would be the death of dear leader. A new CEO might want to make a splash and quickly increase profits. A gradual shift of low priority express packages to Ground with Express focusing on real priority and international packages seems like a reasonable plan for the next decade.

 

[bacha29]

It's called competition. UPS will lose market share to Ground unless they reduce prices. That's the growth. The only way I can see Express going away is if we lose too much to Amazon delivering it's own. More likely a scaled down Express with Ground being the main opco at some point.

This is what I was saying earlier. The transition will be incremental and will take the biggest part of a decade to complete. For someone like yourself who is on the backside of your working lifetime you won't be impacted. At the same time we see the onset a new generation who upon hearing the name Fedex immediately think of a lifetime's worth of secure full time employment with good working conditions, good pay and benefits. That's not going to be the case going forward. In fact I saw scores of young men and women come into the terminal where I was expecting to find terms I just mentioned only to be shocked to find nothing of the sort. And as time goes by they will be likely to discover more of the same over at Xpress and no doubt will be disappointed , frustrated and angry.