WaltL1
Senior Member
FedEx used to be the one you could count on. If it was something important/valuable you chose FedEx even though it was more expensive.
Not so much anymore.
Not so much anymore.
I retired from FedEx Express last year after 34 years..... if I have a choice between FedEx ground or UPS I’ll choose UPS every time..... FedEx ground are sub contractors and are not FedEx employees
Fedex Ground is a result of the UPS strike in ‘95 or ‘96. Fedex only had an Express system at the time. When UPS went on strike, FedEx got hammered by UPS customers for the 5-6 week duration. Many UPS customers were looking for an alternative and the suits at Fedex decided to jump into the ground game. They bought RPS (Roadway Package Systems, formerly Purolator) from Roadway Trucking. They ran them as RPS for a couple of years before changing the name to Fedex Ground. I assure you that Express employees wanted no part of being associated with them, even if in name....we were right to feel that way!I follow you on that, but what company in their right mind would deem it okay to have a company with their name on it using unreliable and negligent employees? If I was going to do it that way I’d call it something else. “Delivery America” “DA” for short. Most of us here don’t and didn’t work for them and it’s all just “FedEx” to us.
That’s it. They even operate under different labor laws.It’s actually simple as how the companies were conceived, they do their core business better. FEDEX is an airline that went into trucking. UPS is a trucking company that went into the airline business.
Hey Dub, let me give you the kinda funny flip side to the dropped at mailbox. There are plenty of dirt trails off of dirt roads with multiple residents on them. There will be a cluster of mailboxes at the beginning of the trail at the dirt road. You drive down the trail and not a one has numbers on their residence. Basically you have to go to each one or take your best guess. I can’t tell you how many times I spent close to a 30 minutes looking for someone only to have them laugh when I told them so. They act like they’re part of the hole-the-wall gang and don’t want to be found.....yet they expect us to do just that. Some weren’t to pleased when I told they should be glad I wasn’t an ambulance looking for them while they were clutching their chest.
I could write a book with the stories. Probably a long chapter just for dog stories.I hear ya.
One of the jobs I had in college was working for an independent freight contractor....contracted out to a competitor of UPS & FedEx. Helped fund my way through last two years of school.
Delivered packages to houses, businesses and such.
Was often an adventure.
The good days were when you had the in-town business route....the gals at the doctors offices were the greatest. Fun routes.
The worst were the inner-city drops....signature required....and nobody wanted to claim any type of express letter envelope....."I ain't signing fo that.....what it is, anyway ???? Ya'll be trying to sneak sumptin' on us". I'm standing there simply wanting to get a sig, deliver the package and make it back to my van without getting in a knife fight or having the van stolen.
Some of the rural routes were doozies, too. Just like you described.....No clear way of knowing which dwelling was which.....and knowing that you were driving into a situation where they didn't want visitors.....period.
One thing I never had much problem with was dogs. Ran into a pile of 'em....but never got bit. They were easier to work with than their owners in many cases....especially if it was a repeat stop.