SFA Meeting Aftermath

[zerocool5468]

A better way to cut hours would be check ride the hours whores for a week or two, managers know who they are. My loop as an example, check ride one courier, could save the company ten hours a week. Another courier on the way back to the station yesterday, saw her truck parked on the side of the road, nothing around. He thought she was broken down, so he stopped to check on her. She wasn't broken down, she was reading the paper and told him "Stick with me, I'll show you how to get all the hours you want." Like I said, could save ten hours a week on a topped out thirty-five year employee.

You know somebody that's topped out? BS

 

[zerocool5468]

Sure it does. As long as we have Amazon, cellphones, Walmart and Directv, Dell, HP we have a steady supply of freight. We haven't experienced 10% growth but volume is steady. Our SM keeps manning at a reasonable figure and we tweak routes as volume moves from 1 area to another. We have less routes now than we did 5 years ago and in many instances, we don't replace people who retire or move on, we just obsorb them. I have small business on my rt closing or downsizing but by working the numbers and analyzing the zip codes needs, we adjust and move boundaries and keep hours available. If people want to leave Fedex around here, good luck on finding a job paying what we make. Unless you have a college degree in a field that is in demand, $65k to $75k jobs in my area are at a premium.

What percent of couriers at express do you think actually make 65k+. I've only been with the company 8 months, but from what I can tell it is a VERY small percentage making anything decent. We have a 20+ year and 30+ year couriers that aren't topped out...and what's top anyways a measly 26.xx? Not sure how even if by some miracle you reach top you'd be making 65k+. Most 10 year couriers only make a $1 or 2 an hour than I do. Its just sad really.

 

[Oldfart]

What percent of couriers at express do you think actually make 65k+. I've only been with the company 8 months, but from what I can tell it is a VERY small percentage making anything decent. We have a 20+ year and 30+ year couriers that aren't topped out...and what's top anyways a measly 26.xx? Not sure how even if by some miracle you reach top you'd be making 65k+. Most 10 year couriers only make a $1 or 2 an hour than I do. Its just sad really.

Swings where I am make 28.46. That is close to 60k without OT. A few OT hours here or there, hello 70k. Couriers at top range here make 25 and some change. You get 5 or 6 hrs OT and hello 62k. Most of us get 8 to 10 hrs OT so 65 to 70k is not out of the norm. I have no idea what other stations or employees do. Just speaking from personal experience.

 

[Oldfart]

What percent of couriers at express do you think actually make 65k+. I've only been with the company 8 months, but from what I can tell it is a VERY small percentage making anything decent. We have a 20+ year and 30+ year couriers that aren't topped out...and what's top anyways a measly 26.xx? Not sure how even if by some miracle you reach top you'd be making 65k+. Most 10 year couriers only make a $1 or 2 an hour than I do. Its just sad really.

Sounds like you should quit and go find another job. It is a shame you should work for such measly wages.

 

[zerocool5468]

Haha "quit and find another job." Tell that to the 10-15 year couriers that have been strung along with promises but are still only making $2 an hour more than a new hire and $15 an hour less than a Brown driver. It is measly and its a disgrace to how hard some of these guys work. I've only been browsing the forums a short while and I already recognize this to be your standard response. No real addressing of the actual issue. It makes sense though, given your profile picture.

Again I'd bet less than 10% of couriers are topped out, which is being very generous, and an even smaller percentage of those are swings. Id bet less than 5% of couriers make over 60k a year. That said, I'd love to see the actual data.

For whatever reason your station seems to be fortunate on having enough hours. Kudos to you all.

 

[Oldfart]

Haha "quit and find another job." Tell that to the 10-15 year couriers that have been strung along with promises but are still only making $2 an hour more than a new hire and $15 an hour less than a Brown driver. It is measly and its a disgrace to how hard some of these guys work. I've only been browsing the forums a short while and I already recognize this to be your standard response. No real addressing of the actual issue. It makes sense though, given your profile picture.

Again I'd bet less than 10% of couriers are topped out, which is being very generous, and an even smaller percentage of those are swings. Id bet less than 5% of couriers make over 60k a year. That said, I'd love to see the actual data.

For whatever reason your station seems to be fortunate on having enough hours. Kudos to you all.

Less than 10% of all couriers are at top of the current range? Less than 5% bust 60K? At my station those numbers are about 75% topped and close to that make 60k. We have several making mid to upper 70's. They do work 3 out of 4 Saturdays.

I have over 40 years and when I last looked on the corporate seniority list that is available, I was below 200 or so among couriers. Plenty of 30 year couriers behind me that will be top of range. I believe your %'s might be low. You should check out the corporate seniority list. You can break it down by SM, Director, even by first name. Kinda cool to check out.

 

[zerocool5468]

Like I said your station does seem to be an anomaly. Is there a keyword search or a link to the seniority list?

 

[Oldfart]

Like I said your station does seem to be an anomaly. Is there a keyword search or a link to the seniority list?

I had a link in an email. Its a little out of date. Its a PDF and not a running list.

 

[It will be fine]

I had a link in an email. Its a little out of date. Its a PDF and not a running list.

I would guess within 5 or so years most topped out couriers will be retiring and the numbers will be more like what zerocool is saying. There will be hardly anyone left that is topped out with the average of the workforce around step 3 on the step system. It's not a job meant to be a career, too physically demanding.

 

[Oldfart]

I would guess within 5 or so years most topped out couriers will be retiring and the numbers will be more like what zerocool is saying. There will be hardly anyone left that is topped out with the average of the workforce around step 3 on the step system. It's not a job meant to be a career, too physically demanding.

It is demanding but I have done it and I am no physical specimen. I move way slower than I used to and no longer jump up and down loading docks. Then again, we have couriers in their 30's that have had knee and hip surgery. We have women that would kick my butt when it comes to moving boxes. I wouldn't want my wife doing it but some women do an excellent job. Others, not so much.

 

[Star B]

You suggest managers lost their backbone when we went public then ADMITTED you were not there back then. How can you make that statement if you weren't there back then.

I walk the belt every morning and talk to the 25+year vets.

Would you have rather me lie and deceive everyone? Nah, I'd rather full-disclosure vs twist facts.

DirecTV will also be dying down as AT&T is moving towards online streaming.

I don't see that. It's more profitable for AT&T to add 100 DTV subs than to add 100 DTVnow subs. The satellite doesn't care that it is broadcasting to one or 10k dishes. Yes, there are additional costs for DTV vs DTVnow, however, those are typically amortized over the contract term. DTVnow was brought out to compete with Sling. However, there are major parts of the USA that does not have high-speed broadband, so... its Dish, DTV, or Antenna TV.

 

[Oldfart]

I walk the belt every morning and talk to the 25+year vets.

Would you have rather me lie and deceive everyone? Nah, I'd rather full-disclosure vs twist facts.
.

More proof you have no idea what you are talking about. The company didn't go public till sometime in 1978. That means your fellow employees would have to been hired in 1977 or so to have worked under managers before AND after the company went public to watch them lose their backbone.. There are not many couriers around that started in 1977. Just how many 40 plus year couriers do you walk the belt with everyday? I would bet not many. Try another tale, maybe you will be closer next time.

 

[MAKAVELI]

I don't see that. It's more profitable for AT&T to add 100 DTV subs than to add 100 DTVnow subs. The satellite doesn't care that it is broadcasting to one or 10k dishes. Yes, there are additional costs for DTV vs DTVnow, however, those are typically amortized over the contract term. DTVnow was brought out to compete with Sling. However, there are major parts of the USA that does not have high-speed broadband, so... its Dish, DTV, or Antenna TV.

The industry as a whole is moving towards online streaming. That's why AT&T has jumped into it now and have invested a ton of $ into their new service. Cable and satellite TV will die because customers no longer want to pay for 500 channels they don't want but rather an on demand service that they can pick and choose what programming they want to watch.
It's Official: The TV Industry Is Dying -- The Motley Fool

 

[ManInBrown]

M

That job comes with its own set of problems. Take a stroll over to the UPS part of this forum and you'll see its not always greener on the other side. If you think money will solve all your problems, well I don't know what to tell you except that you're mistaken.

No...trust me money does solve everything. We're just complacent and like to bitch and moan. 99% of us wouldn't trade what we do for a living for any other job, other than maybe shortstop for the New York Yankees. We drive around and deliver and pickup cardboard for 90-100K a year. It's a sweet gig.

 

[Route 66]

I won't be kicking back and drawing a mailbox income in the not too distant future to worry about it anyway.

That's kind of a confusing statement.

 

[MAKAVELI]

That's kind of a confusing statement.

Just like all of his statements.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

The industry as a whole is moving towards online streaming. That's why AT&T has jumped into it now and have invested a ton of $ into their new service. Cable and satellite TV will die because customers no longer want to pay for 500 channels they don't want but rather an on demand service that they can pick and choose what programming they want to watch.
It's Official: The TV Industry Is Dying -- The Motley Fool

A la carte subscriptions will become a reality for cable service within the next 5-10 years.

I pay about $135/month for my cable and Internet, which does not include any of the premium channels. I watch 5-10 channels on a regular basis and would love to have the ability to pick and choose which ones I want to watch and which ones I don't.

Our local NBC affiliate has been in a contract dispute with Dish for the past two months and the number of Dish returns has increased exponentially.

 

[!Retired!]

I read on here about FT's barely getting 30 hrs. I find it very hard to believe that freight is down so bad in their area that that is all the hours available.

It's not volume alone that dictates hours. When you don't have anyone on vacation, day off, etc you are 'overstaffed'. We had a 2-3 week stretch where the swings were getting 15-17 hours of minimum pay.

We have a 20+ year and 30+ year couriers that aren't topped out...and what's top anyways a measly 26.xx?

BS...ask them to show you their check.

No...trust me money does solve everything. We're just complacent and like to bitch and moan. 99% of us wouldn't trade what we do for a living for any other job, other than maybe shortstop for the New York Yankees. We drive around and deliver and pickup cardboard for 90-100K a year. It's a sweet gig.

BS...when I see the Brown driver delivering in my neighborhood at 6:00-7:00 PM and I'm sitting down having dinner with my family, THAT's what's important to me. I may live in a smaller house or drive a 12 year old car with 122K miles, but I got to ALL the swim meets, awards ceremonies, plays and volleyball games.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

M


No...trust me money does solve everything. We're just complacent and like to bitch and moan. 99% of us wouldn't trade what we do for a living for any other job, other than maybe shortstop for the New York Yankees. We drive around and deliver and pickup cardboard for 90-100K a year. It's a sweet gig.

Money DOES NOT solve everything.

Do you have any idea what the number one reason most divorced couples give when asked why their marriages broke up? Arguing over money.

BTW, very few FT drivers break the $90K barrier. My personal best is $78K.

 

[59 Dano]

However, every station is different and it should be up to local management to decide that, not some pinhead in MEM.

Local management already decides that.