New branding!

[MAKAVELI]

Would you please get over yourself?

He is mostly right though. It may not be because they are completely unable to but the culture of the Ground scam has them completely brainwashed to put customer service last. There might be a few good contractors out there that would instill customer service first, but they are the exception not the norm.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

He is mostly right though. It may not be because they are completely unable to but the culture of the Ground scam has them completely brainwashed to put customer service last. There might be a few good contractors out there that would instill customer service first, but they are the exception not the norm.

It would not be hard to teach them how to break off for service commits.

 

[dmac1]

No one here thinks we are indispensable. We just know turning the Express div into a contractor model is highly improbable. There is a point of diminished return with the lack of control at Express which you and other ground jocks seem to lack an understanding of. The brand was built on Express and that is something FedEx cannot afford to lose. If Express goes contractor, the brand is no longer and we become just a large Ontrac.

They won't turn express into a contractor model. They will eliminate the express drivers, the fleet, the terminals, the managers, the payroll personnel, and turn over all the packages to the contractors they already have, who can't afford to lose 'their' business, and force them to hire enough people to handle all the express packages, even if it means having drivers return to the hub, or work part time. The potential savings for fedex are so high, and the 'contractors' already have so much invested, that fedex risks little for those potentially enormoius savings. Won't happen overnight, but little by little, it's the future, like Airbnb, and Lyftt, and Uber.

A contractor can hire part timers, full timers, split shifters, or anyone else to deliver packages as needed just as easily as express, and at a lower cost. The proof that it is possible is provided by express drivers here admitting that new hires at express can do the job. It doesn't take a genius to get from point a to point b by a certain time. It means that the 'contractors' will have to be more diligent in overseeing their operation, and becoming or hiring full-time managers, but if they can't or won't, the contractors will lose their tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars they have invested. There is nothing but the egos of express drivers claiming that they are indispensable as evidence against it.

 

[MAKAVELI]

It would not be hard to teach them how to break off for service commits.

You ever heard the saying it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks? They are very much set in their ways.

 

[dmac1]

Think for one minute if FDX thought they could combine OPCOs they would have.
There are big legal hurdles, and the RLA exemption that they cherish that they would be risking.
not to mention Express is the face the company, the speedy on time deliveries is what built the company
they aren't about the chance it, with a risky move like letting ground take it.

With the ISP model, the legal issue is nearly moot. UNder the old IC model, you were right. And the RLA is a non-issue when the drivers don't actually work for fedex anymore. The RLA exemption isn't needed when you don't have drivers who may unionize. You express drivers who disagree just haven't followed the legal issues.

 

[MrFedEx]

They won't turn express into a contractor model. They will eliminate the express drivers, the fleet, the terminals, the managers, the payroll personnel, and turn over all the packages to the contractors they already have, who can't afford to lose 'their' business, and force them to hire enough people to handle all the express packages, even if it means having drivers return to the hub, or work part time. The potential savings for fedex are so high, and the 'contractors' already have so much invested, that fedex risks little for those potentially enormoius savings. Won't happen overnight, but little by little, it's the future, like Airbnb, and Lyftt, and Uber.

A contractor can hire part timers, full timers, split shifters, or anyone else to deliver packages as needed just as easily as express, and at a lower cost. The proof that it is possible is provided by express drivers here admitting that new hires at express can do the job. It doesn't take a genius to get from point a to point b by a certain time. It means that the 'contractors' will have to be more diligent in overseeing their operation, and becoming or hiring full-time managers, but if they can't or won't, the contractors will lose their tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars they have invested. There is nothing but the egos of express drivers claiming that they are indispensable as evidence against it.[/QUOTE

OK. I'll remember that the next time the Ground driver parks nose-first at the loading dock with his engine running and the mirrors duct-taped to the window.

 

[dmac1]

You and the optimistic ground contractors have experienced X squeezing them for making profits that X self-righteously claims as theirs, and you whine bitterly. What WE are saying is you've only experienced the tip of the iceberg of asinine micromanagement that would destroy your business dreams. Taking over all delivery aspects has you licking your chops, but the reality of it would have you contemplating suicide. That's the experience that Express drivers are bitching about that you can't seem to grasp. The grass is always greener...

I don't think anyone is or should be licking their chops except fedex. It is more work for about the same profit for contractors. But for fedex it is going to be a huge windfall. Fedex can force the contractors to do almost anything now that they have required such a huge commitment from them with the ISP model. ISPs have so much at risk that they will have to fall in line as fedex requires more and more.

No, not good for the contractors, but do you think fedex really cares what is good for them????????

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

You ever heard the saying it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks? They are very much set in their ways.

The said the same thing when we started offering air service and then when we went from paper to the DIAD.

 

[MAKAVELI]

The said the same thing when we started offering air service and then when we went from paper to the DIAD.

Apples and Oranges.

 

[dmac1]

The said the same thing when we started offering air service and then when we went from paper to the DIAD.

And from home heating with coal to natural gas, and from gas/oil light to electric lights, and from vinyl records to all manners of digital recordings.

 

[MAKAVELI]

http://seekingalpha.com/article/400...cantly-better-ground-feeling-competitive-heat

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Apples and Oranges.

Is it?

 

[dmac1]

http://seekingalpha.com/article/400...cantly-better-ground-feeling-competitive-heat

The fixed costs discussed are the terminals, the fleet, and the managers, all of which would be eliminated with simply(not so simple) having ground contractors make the deliveries the last couple miles from the terminal to the customer.

 

[MAKAVELI]

Is it?

Yes it is. Ground is a free for all compared to UPS. they tried to have that same control with the drivers as they do at Express and got slapped with lawsuits. The fact is you will not find employees who give a shiat and be professional for the peanuts with no benefits that they are paid. That's a fact.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Yes it is. Ground is a free for all compared to UPS. they tried to have that same control with the drivers as they do at Express and got slapped with lawsuits. The fact is you will not find employees who give a shiat and be professional for the peanuts with no benefits that they are paid. That's a fact.

You would have to think that any shift of premium product to Ground would be accompanied by an increase in settlements which you would hope would be passed in part to the drivers.

 

[MAKAVELI]

You would have to think that any shift of premium product to Ground would be accompanied by an increase in settlements which you would hope would be passed in part to the drivers.

You obviously haven't been paying attention. TTKU

 

[dmac1]

Yes it is. Ground is a free for all compared to UPS. they tried to have that same control with the drivers as they do at Express and got slapped with lawsuits. The fact is you will not find employees who give a shiat and be professional for the peanuts with no benefits that they are paid. That's a fact.

You will find a few, maybe 4/10 people try to do a good job, but contractors need to accomplish with volume of drivers and not necessarily the best. To get the performance I needed, I paid a set wage of about $12.50 an hour ten years ago, and an extra dollar per stop over a set number. It gave them an incentive to do more faster. Faster, since they got the same pay even if it ook longer, and more because they knew they had an opportunity to make more money in the same time if they worked faster.

The type of bonus system I used would work for getting timed deliveries out also. Then, if they can't meet time deadlines, you fire them.

 

[dmac1]

Yes it is. Ground is a free for all compared to UPS. they tried to have that same control with the drivers as they do at Express and got slapped with lawsuits. The fact is you will not find employees who give a shiat and be professional for the peanuts with no benefits that they are paid. That's a fact.

And you don't seem to realize that with ground contractors hiring employee drivers, control is no longer an issue.

 

[MAKAVELI]

And you don't seem to realize that with ground contractors hiring employee drivers, control is no longer an issue.

We can go around in circles all you want. But the fact remains Express is still all employees. If they decide to eventually give it to contractors, we'll deal with it then.

 

[vantexan]

And you don't seem to realize that with ground contractors hiring employee drivers, control is no longer an issue.

Have you addressed the need for front counters, for CSA's, for dispatch? Most stations have a mechanic. The priority freight must be on time, but under your scenario many contractors will be scrambling to obtain vehicles when one goes down because of no dedicated mechanic. Tell me why FedEx went through all the cost cutting measures in the last few years if they are going to turn it all over to contractors anyways? Why the whole pay raise exercise when they could've just kept the status quo since it's all going contractor anyways(and the turnover would've been a good excuse to do so)? Too many holes in your hypothesis.