FedEx and the Great Resignation

OrganicZed

OrganicZed

Fractal Fanatic
It seems that FedEx is being hit hard by the great resignation and high package volumes. They are understaffed and over capacity.

I first experienced this when I returned a guitar last month. I dropped it off at the pickup site and it sat on a truck for five days before it was even scanned as having been picked up. I was told several different stories by FedEx customer service during this time and even opened a claim when a FedEx customer service rep told me they had lost it. A day or so after initiating the claim the guitar was scanned again and eventually made its way to the destination.

Now I've got a pair of packages that have been listed as "on FedEx vehicle for delivery" since early Monday morning. The FedEx customer service rep told me that they are overloaded with work and they cannot provide me with an anticipated delivery date at this time.

Apparently my experiences are indicative of a trend.

https://www.wlbt.com/2022/01/06/fedex-blames-covid-local-customers-experience-shipping-delays/

A search show several similar articles dating back to 2020. UPS seems to be fairing better.

https://www.logisticsmgmt.com/artic..._performance_data_is_solid_reports_shipmatrix

"ShipMatrix reported the following for week 50 OTP metrics, from December 5-11:

  • FedEx came in at 84.8% (below 93.9% from week 50 of 2020), UPS at 95.8% (below 96.1% from week 50 of 2020), and USPS at 95.0% (above 87.5% from week 50 of 2020), in line with week 49, from November 28-December 4, when FedEx was at 83.9%, UPS at 96.1%, and USPS at 95.5%; and
  • data for performance measured for express service being on time if delivered by end of day and Ground within one extra day, for week 50, showed FedEx at 97.1%, UPS at 99.3%, and UPS at 98.5%, which were in line with week 49, which saw FedEx at 97.4%, UPS at 99.0%, and USPS at 98.6%"
In summary, FedEx sucks at their primary function: delivering packages.
 
Several people I work with at my job, including my wife, tried working at FedEx, and they all hated it. Poor training, overworked and understaffed, disorganized. There's a lot of work available in my area so it's easy to jump ship to other warehouses or manufacturers. They are constantly advertising for workers. Maybe not true in all locations, but they have a horrible reputation here.
 
One thing that some may not know is that your local FedEx driver is actually a contractor. So FedEx has contracted smaller companies to operate those smaller delivery trucks. Sort of the same model that Amazon uses. UPS on the other hand is all corporate and very consistent, better benefits, etc.
 
fcs101 said:
One thing that some may not know is that your local FedEx driver is actually a contractor. So FedEx has contracted smaller companies to operate those smaller delivery trucks. Sort of the same model that Amazon uses. UPS on the other hand is all corporate and very consistent, better benefits, etc.
Click to expand...

Yes, that is what they have told me about my currently delayed packages. They transferred the packages to their third party and that third party delivery service is “a little behind.” Being nearly a full week behind is unacceptable from my perspective.
 
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OrganicZed said:
It seems that FedEx is being hit hard by the great resignation and high package volumes. They are understaffed and over capacity.

I first experienced this when I returned a guitar last month. I dropped it off at the pickup site and it sat on a truck for five days before it was even scanned as having been picked up. I was told several different stories by FedEx customer service during this time and even opened a claim when a FedEx customer service rep told me they had lost it. A day or so after initiating the claim the guitar was scanned again and eventually made its way to the destination.

Now I've got a pair of packages that have been listed as "on FedEx vehicle for delivery" since early Monday morning. The FedEx customer service rep told me that they are overloaded with work and they cannot provide me with an anticipated delivery date at this time.

Apparently my experiences are indicative of a trend.

https://www.wlbt.com/2022/01/06/fedex-blames-covid-local-customers-experience-shipping-delays/

A search show several similar articles dating back to 2020. UPS seems to be fairing better.

https://www.logisticsmgmt.com/artic..._performance_data_is_solid_reports_shipmatrix

"ShipMatrix reported the following for week 50 OTP metrics, from December 5-11:

  • FedEx came in at 84.8% (below 93.9% from week 50 of 2020), UPS at 95.8% (below 96.1% from week 50 of 2020), and USPS at 95.0% (above 87.5% from week 50 of 2020), in line with week 49, from November 28-December 4, when FedEx was at 83.9%, UPS at 96.1%, and USPS at 95.5%; and
  • data for performance measured for express service being on time if delivered by end of day and Ground within one extra day, for week 50, showed FedEx at 97.1%, UPS at 99.3%, and UPS at 98.5%, which were in line with week 49, which saw FedEx at 97.4%, UPS at 99.0%, and USPS at 98.6%"
In summary, FedEx sucks at their primary function: delivering packages.
Click to expand...

How can they suck if this is indicative of trends beyond their control? Does Fractal suck because of a
chip shortage and higher demand than supply?

Just asking. :)

If you do anything at a 97-98 percentile you are at the top of your class. I guess Fed Ex gets a B for standard
and an A to A+ for Express. Where I come from none of that is remotely close to sucking.

I get a good rant and all, but....

 
@la szum

I find this to be a poor analogy to the global microchip shortage from which FAS is suffering. It would be more similar if all of the other manufacturers who needed the SHARC processors were finding ways to get them while FAS, due to their own decisions of how to conduct their business, was failing to secure the processors needed to fulfill orders.

I realize that I'm being overly dramatic here. I'm annoyed that my Sweetwater order has been sitting on a truck for several days. They killed by new gear day buzz. It is undeniably a 1st world problem.
 
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I don't blame anyone for having to deal with circumstances beyond their control. Could be
an entire nation of people forced to deal with something they didn't ask for, or a company
that had projections for business that could not be met due to supply chain issues, or a single
person who falls ill unexpectedly and can't show up for work. None of that is a "failure."

I feel those (especially in the consumer-driven West) are going to have to part with the notion
that how things were from 2010 to 2020 is how they will be again. They won't. Not. Gonna. Happen.
This is why patience, understanding, and maybe learning to enjoy what we already have are going
to be really healthy practices to engage in going forward.

It is really no one person's fault. As Red Green would say, "We are all in this together." :)
 
OrganicZed said:
@la szum

I find this to be a poor analogy to the global microchip shortage from which FAS is suffering. It would be more similar if all of the other manufacturers who needed the SHARC processors were finding ways to get them while FAS, due to their own decisions of how to conduct their business, was failing to secure the processors needed to fulfill orders.
Click to expand...

Not really. Circumstances a business cannot control---in this case---by not having enough
employees/contractors---is also a supply chain issue, only on the labour side. It's all connected.
 
fcs101 said:
One thing that some may not know is that your local FedEx driver is actually a contractor. So FedEx has contracted smaller companies to operate those smaller delivery trucks. Sort of the same model that Amazon uses. UPS on the other hand is all corporate and very consistent, better benefits, etc.
Click to expand...
Being unionized is working out pretty well for UPS these days.
 
This thread is very depressing for me. My NEW Martin OM28E LRBaggs Anthem is coming to Florida from Nevada via FedEx. estimated Delivery Sunday!
:-(
 
GlennO said:
Being unionized is working out pretty well for UPS these days.
Click to expand...
Yeah, they've always been a good company to work for. I won't comment on unions.

I had a buddy that started working part-time loading trucks in college. He then got a driver job and never left even after graduating b/c the pay was so good. They use the short term labor market during the holidays to screen potential full-timers.
 
Somehow Amazon consistently outperforms others on my deliveries with whatt appears to be smaller contracted shippers. And when deliveries are en route, the big shippers rarely seem to be able to provide me with accurate tracking (too often no tracking), and poor tracking can't be blamed on supply chain issues. Seems quite obvious, the big shippers are losing their edge.
 
Obviously if FedEx wanted to, they could reorganize their staffing and get employees. Better pay, better benefits, they'll get employees. Right now, everyone has to compete for them. Same with USPS. Used to be, Postal jobs were sought after. Govt pension, benefits, but they can't get employees anymore either. I still don't get where a ton of these people went, but it doesn't matter. Obviously shipping costs will go up, and that'll get passed to us, and shit gets more expensive, etc.

Right now, don't use them for shipping. I know at my last place, I had a real problem with one particular carrier at that address. I sometimes had to make purchases from places I don't normally shop, or god forbid, actually make the trek to a brick and mortar store for something. UPS for me has been pretty solid though the pandemic, and continues to be.
 
skolacki said:
Several people I work with at my job, including my wife, tried working at FedEx, and they all hated it. Poor training, overworked and understaffed, disorganized. There's a lot of work available in my area so it's easy to jump ship to other warehouses or manufacturers. They are constantly advertising for workers. Maybe not true in all locations, but they have a horrible reputation here.
Click to expand...
My son worked for them. Low wages, bad management down to the lowest levels, poor working conditions, you name it.

Stockholders don't do the work. The workers do, and should be taken care of before the leech class skims profit off the top....
 
Joe Bfstplk said:
My son worked for them. Low wages, bad management down to the lowest levels, poor working conditions, you name it.

Stockholders don't do the work. The workers do, and should be taken care of before the leech class skims profit off the top....
Click to expand...


I guess part of the issue is that if FedEx is contracting out deliveries to whatever low bid contractor they can find, then those delivery people aren't employees. FedEx could be paying out the ass to those contractors, but they could be the ones not passing it down to employees.

Roommate of a guy I worked with drove for Amazon for a while. It wasn't really Amazon, but some company contracting for them in an area. Basically, he'd show up in the morning, there was a pre-packed truck, and a GPS loaded with an optimized route. He still had to deliver 100 packages in an 8 hour period. So, 4.8 minutes per package, not even figuring driving time to the area he had to deliver in, time to eat, get water, pee break. I think he was making $19/hour, and of course, hours were rigged so no benefits by the company contracting it out.
 
spagthorpe said:
I guess part of the issue is that if FedEx is contracting out deliveries to whatever low bid contractor they can find, then those delivery people aren't employees. FedEx could be paying out the ass to those contractors, but they could be the ones not passing it down to employees.

Roommate of a guy I worked with drove for Amazon for a while. It wasn't really Amazon, but some company contracting for them in an area. Basically, he'd show up in the morning, there was a pre-packed truck, and a GPS loaded with an optimized route. He still had to deliver 100 packages in an 8 hour period. So, 4.8 minutes per package, not even figuring driving time to the area he had to deliver in, time to eat, get water, pee break. I think he was making $19/hour, and of course, hours were rigged so no benefits by the company contracting it out.
Click to expand...
My son worked at a FedEx hub in Phoenix, directly for the company. They treat their people like crap there, and turnover was copious. To make my kid uncomfortable enough to get out and look for a new job takes quite a bit of effort. He puts up with way too much before acting....
 
I guess the subcontractors here are on the good side. We've had the same delivery driver for a few years, tracking is good, stuff shows up on time.

USPS is another story. At least one carrier at our post office got caught dumping mail in a creek bed a few years ago. Things still occasionally show as "delivered" early, and predictably...if it's supposed to be delivered "today" and hasn't been at 4:45 pm, it'll show as delivered in the tracking and actually show up either the next day or not at all. It's very annoying getting replacements for things that show as delivered. Amazon is pretty much the only shop that's never really argued with me about that.
 
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