Station closing

[MAKAVELI]

Doubtful

So you think your drivers are willing to work like UPS for peanuts?

 

[Artee]

Most likely because you’re going to be sweating bricks trying to fill positions.

very very few Express drivers are going to go to ground, so he is not going to have to worry about hiring them or listening to their silly demands. An Ex-Express driver would get better pay and benefits from a fast food joint. People with half a noggin seek to growing their earning potential as they mature. Going from a 20 year Express driver to Ground is going backwards in life. A vast majority will take their severance and move on to other kind of work.

 

[MassWineGuy]

Fast food pays maybe $15 an hour. I make $28. What I meant was that at least some Express folks will successfully be able to demand decent money.

 

[bbsam]

So you think your drivers are willing to work like UPS for peanuts?

No. But I haven’t had problems keeping people the last couple of years. And the people I do bring in can’t have been coddled like Express couriers. If the money isn’t there and they don’t want the hard work, why even try to make it work?

 

[bacha29]

very very few Express drivers are going to go to ground, so he is not going to have to worry about hiring them or listening to their silly demands. An Ex-Express driver would get better pay and benefits from a fast food joint. People with half a noggin seek to growing their earning potential as they mature. Going from a 20 year Express driver to Ground is going backwards in life. A vast majority will take their severance and move on to other kind of work.

If for no other reason then as a matter of principle. Fat Freddy's little plan is heavily dependent on a major share of Express drivers taking the bait and go to Ground. A few will but when they discover that the job is a joint killer they're now nothing more than human Towmotors especially when they discover those one man "team lifts", they'll then wish they had taken the layoff.

 

[bbsam]

If for no other reason then as a matter of principle. Fat Freddy's little plan is heavily dependent on a major share of Express drivers taking the bait and go to Ground. A few will but when they discover that the job is a joint killer they're now nothing more than human Towmotors especially when they discover those one man "team lifts", they'll then wish they had taken the layoff.

I doubt many contractors will hire them. Unless there’s some kind of “hire the company castoff” financial incentive that is.

 

[zeev]

Express couriers were paid well in the beginning when they were thought of as UPS lite. Threat of Teamsters kept Freddy somewhat honest, but the development of Ground with its independent contractors led to the scab low pay labor driver situation.

 

[MAKAVELI]

No. But I haven’t had problems keeping people the last couple of years. And the people I do bring in can’t have been coddled like Express couriers. If the money isn’t there and they don’t want the hard work, why even try to make it work?

The amount of control needed to make Express services and Ground services on one truck will require "coddling" and more pay/benefits. Your drivers aren't going to put up with the workload and bs that UPS has for . That's why this experiment is done before it even started.

 

[Guitarman01]

No. But I haven’t had problems keeping people the last couple of years. And the people I do bring in can’t have been coddled like Express couriers. If the money isn’t there and they don’t want the hard work, why even try to make it work?

Coddled like wearing a tank top and flip flops leaving the truck running while they are at a gas station? The ground driver does that in my area. Contractors are probably mostly happy they show up to work and expectations don't go much beyond that. The difference is there are numerous express drivers I've seen that have and could do something else. There's probably a large percentage of ground drivers that may not have many options beyond what they do.Hypothetically if the contractor was gone and now we are running ground as well in full size trucks with the same half ass step raises, I would be gone in a heartbeat. Easiest decision ever.

 

[FedupExpress]

Most likely because you’re going to be sweating bricks trying to fill positions.

I don't see how they could get express drivers to go to ground. We all know what this mean, even the stupidest courier knows. I could only see them going for a lot more money and even them doubtful... Also this would be against Pakistani Rajs plan to pinch pennies.

 

[MAKAVELI]

I doubt many contractors will hire them. Unless there’s some kind of “hire the company castoff” financial incentive that is.

Like others have said, Ground won't be hiring Express drivers cuz basically no one at Express wants to go to Ground. Most would rather take the severance and do something else. Ground just isn't going to attract quality employees.

 

[snowcat66]

I'm at 30 years and have enjoyed express and would keep going for few more years but may be time for early retirement at 59

 

[MassWineGuy]

Snow, take that pension while it’s still funded. Thirty years gets my boundless respect.

 

[MAKAVELI]

I doubt many contractors will hire them. Unless there’s some kind of “hire the company castoff” financial incentive that is.

Pretty funny that you would think Ground has standards that would preclude hiring Express drivers.

 

[bbsam]

Like others have said, Ground won't be hiring Express drivers cuz basically no one at Express wants to go to Ground. Most would rather take the severance and do something else. Ground just isn't going to attract quality employees.

Again. We’re in agreement. They don’t want to work for me and I don’t want them working for me. We’re good.

 

[MAKAVELI]

Again. We’re in agreement. They don’t want to work for me and I don’t want them working for me. We’re good.

From my perspective Express and Ground really doesn't have a choice who they hire. Don't fool yourself, nobody is knocking down doors to work for you.

 

[NC man]

Because it isn't true.

Ok, you know everything. Fed is not sending out public bulletins ,hey we are closing xyz station ,just so you know. Stations have been closed so wherever this one is could be also. Lot of fb posts get deleted because the company does not want it out there.

 

[vantexan]

Fast food pays maybe $15 an hour. I make $28. What I meant was that at least some Express folks will successfully be able to demand decent money.

If a contractor is up against it trying to pay his costs and make a decent living for himself it's highly unlikely he'll pay you anymore than what he's paying his other drivers. And if he did pay you substantially more than the others and that was found out he'd have a serious problem. If you want to continue this kind of work I think your best bet is straight lining mostly small packages for Amazon. Unless you just enjoy handling tons of box freight and doing pickups.

 

[vantexan]

Coddled like wearing a tank top and flip flops leaving the truck running while they are at a gas station? The ground driver does that in my area. Contractors are probably mostly happy they show up to work and expectations don't go much beyond that. The difference is there are numerous express drivers I've seen that have and could do something else. There's probably a large percentage of ground drivers that may not have many options beyond what they do.Hypothetically if the contractor was gone and now we are running ground as well in full size trucks with the same half ass step raises, I would be gone in a heartbeat. Easiest decision ever.

My mgr saw a Ground guy doing just that back in 2007 when on a check ride with me. Went up to him and demanded he give her his I.D. and follow her to station. She looked shocked when he told her to eff off and drove away LOL.

 

[bacha29]

Snow, take that pension while it’s still funded. Thirty years gets my boundless respect.

Good point. FDX has demonstrated it's willingness to divest itself of retiree "legacy costs" so there's no reason to believe that if any additional opportunities to screw retirees and get away with it were to emerge they wouldn't take full advantage of it.