Started working at Fedex ISP, it's everything you said it would be unfortunately.

[59 Dano]

TLDR
How about the cliffs note version

The usual complaints about Ground as told by someone who probably has a lot of issues and loooooooves to type.

 

[Cactus]

The usual complaints about Ground as told by someone who probably has a lot of issues and loooooooves to type.

Oh I see one's not allowed to complain about the crappy working conditions that are ever so common at X theses days. But you really wouldn't know from sitting in your cushy shill office at the Memphis Ivory Towers.

 

[bacha29]

That's logical and I remember them really hitting hard to check for defects on the vehicle if not to provide proof if you were to ding a panel during your work day.



Glad to hear you found a good thing, I suppose if one were to weather out even this situation that you could find yourself in a better spot. With such a high turnover rate those that stick it out will probably be rewarded in some way or another. That's interesting to hear your contractor coming back like that.

Look, that contractor is not going to get rid of you if you show anything in the way of promise given the enormous turnover. In fact many of them have 3 guys on one truck. One coming, one driving and one leaving. Accept it for what it is, transitional employment the job between jobs. But if you're good, dependable and other contractors see that then they'll come around to talk to you when nobody's looking. Perhaps with better compensation terms and a truck in serviceable condition. Don't think of yourself as an employee. Think of yourself as an upcoming free agent Then take those terms back to your current employer and give him 24 hours to match it. If he doesn't then it's "hasta lavista baby". Remember it's an every man for himself environment and mindset even among contractors themselves. Best bucks always gets the best people.

 

[It will be fine]

Look, that contractor is not going to get rid of you if you show anything in the way of promise given the enormous turnover. In fact many of them have 3 guys on one truck. One coming, one driving and one leaving. Accept it for what it is, transitional employment the job between jobs. But if you're good, dependable and other contractors see that then they'll come around to talk to you when nobody's looking. Perhaps with better compensation terms and a truck in serviceable condition. Don't think of yourself as an employee. Think of yourself as an upcoming free agent Then take those terms back to your current employer and give him 24 hours to match it. If he doesn't then it's "hasta lavista baby". Remember it's an every man for himself environment and mindset even among contractors themselves. Best bucks always gets the best people.

I've never poached another contractor's driver. I've been approached often and in my experience the drivers that want to switch around aren't the cream of the crop. They are suspect for even trying and I wouldn't trust them to stick around so I won't waste my time.

 

[bacha29]

I've never poached another contractor's driver. I've been approached often and in my experience the drivers that want to switch around ar

Top shelf or bargain basement or cream of the crop they're not going to worry about what happens to you if they can get more money for doing the same work and whether or not you have enough people to cover your route is of no concern to them.

 

[It will be fine]

Top shelf or bargain basement or cream of the crop they're not going to worry about what happens to you if they can get more money for doing the same work and whether or not you have enough people to cover your route is of no concern to them.

I was warning the op about trying to bounce around to different contractors. It's not a good look, the contractors that will hire him will be desperate. If they are desperate there's probably a reason, just like when a driver is looking to switch there's probably a reason. Quality people don't typically do that on either side. There are circumstances when it makes sense, but that is not the norm.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Do contractors in the same building talk to one another about drivers?

 

[bbsam]

Do contractors in the same building talk to one another about drivers?

all the time

 

[It will be fine]

Do contractors in the same building talk to one another about drivers?

Yup. Recently had a position open and another contractor wanted me to take one of his garbage drivers. I declined. A few other drivers called asking about it and after to speaking to them it was clear why they were looking to move, they sucked and would be fired as soon as their replacement was found.

 

[bacha29]

Demanding top of the scale performance for bottom of the scale money. It's an attrition game and eventually the cheap labor will be all gone no matter how big the metro area. That's when the competition for good drivers will heat up. Either that or bring back guys that you terminated a long time ago if you can find them At my small station it happened repeatedly. Guys fired two and some times three times that were brought back by the same or another contractor because there simply was nobody else .

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

"Top of the scale performance?"

 

[By The Book]

I've had minor ones. My drivers have said, "hey, the exhaust is seeping a bit into the cab. Can you fix it before it gets cold and I have to start driving with the door closed?" And I say, "No problem, when the other truck gets back from the shop we'll fix it."
If it was a new hire and he said he was filing a complaint with OSHA due to unsafe work conditions, I would say, "This isn't working out, have a nice life."

Isn't there a way you as the owner of the truck can fix the exhaust leak without being asked by a new employee? A good boss pays attention to detail and knows an exhaust leak isn't the same as a loose license plate frame. I see your point about being asked but you should already have this scheduled to be repaired.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Isn't there a way you as the owner of the truck can fix the exhaust leak without being asked by a new employee? A good boss pays attention to detail and knows an exhaust leak isn't the same as a loose license plate frame. I see your point about being asked but you should already have this scheduled to be repaired.

Based on what? They don't drive the trucks.

 

[By The Book]

Based on what? They don't drive the trucks.

If you know your car has an exhaust leak, do you fix it or do you wait until your employee asks?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

If you know your car has an exhaust leak, do you fix it or do you wait until your employee asks?

I am the only one who drives my car.

 

[59 Dano]

It's an attrition game and eventually the cheap labor will be all gone no matter how big the metro area. That's when the competition for good drivers will heat up. Either that or bring back guys that you terminated a long time ago if you can find them At my small station it happened repeatedly. Guys fired two and some times three times that were brought back by the same or another contractor because there simply was nobody else .

In other words, the cheap labor is still available.

 

[By The Book]

I am the only one who drives my car.

Putting yourself in the other persons shoes/situation. In my post your car is the package car.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Putting yourself in the other persons shoes/situation. In my post your car is the package car.

We have 2 mechanics. One works mornings and the other nights. They work on all of our vehicles and would have no way of knowing that there was an issue if we didn't tell them.

 

[It will be fine]

Isn't there a way you as the owner of the truck can fix the exhaust leak without being asked by a new employee? A good boss pays attention to detail and knows an exhaust leak isn't the same as a loose license plate frame. I see your point about being asked but you should already have this scheduled to be repaired.

I own a lot of trucks in multiple buildings. There's no way to know of all the issues in all my trucks if the employees don't report them to me.

 

[FedGT]

Putting yourself in the other persons shoes/situation. In my post your car is the package car.

I had 13 trucks at my peak with Ground how would you suggest that I know any and all problems with them on a daily basis without employees telling me? Take each truck out every mourning for 30 min so they can get warm, well that would only tak 6 hours every day to accomplish. 90% of the time when I jump on a truck I do find a problem that the damn employee hasn't told me about that gets taken immediately to the shop. Wiper fluid not spraying, brights not working because they broke the lever, door off track, somehow broke of the air ducting so the heat can't blow anywhere, broken steering column shifter on the newer fords that are jimmy rigged together, snapped lever for seat slidder, and on and on and on.i swear most of these damn employees could break an anvil with a rubber mallet and somehow it would be on accident.
Obviously you have never owned multiple vehicles with multiple drivers and have no basis telling others anything about this. "Your car" being singular is not even apples to oranges in comparison to a fleet.