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FedEx Freight | "Significant number" of straight trucks coming to FXFE

Purple Hammer said:
I think the purchase of the straight trucks is in response to the rise in residential deliveries as well as the inability to make such deliveries with full size tractor trailers. The voice of the city drivers has finally been heard in regards to the safety of trying to drive 48 and 53 foot trailers in neighborhoods. Some residential deliveries are a real pain in the ass in a full size rig. I have had to back out of neighborhoods plenty of times sometimes for over a mile after being told by the homeowner " Oh yeah you can get turned around." The article never said there would be two classes of drivers. Fear mongering without facts yet again.
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What kind of driver with a shred of common sense heads off in a neighborhood with a 48 or 53? LoI If i have a residential in a long wagon they either meet me or I bring it back.
 
Crazy Trucker said:
What kind of driver with a shred of common sense heads off in a neighborhood with a 48 or 53? LoI If i have a residential in a long wagon they either meet me or I bring it back.
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I look at the Google Earth satellite view first. If it's inaccessible in a van it's pulled off before leaving and put on a pup. Many residential deliveries can be made safely in long vans. No need to have all of them brought back. That just costs the company profit by loading and hauling it twice.
 
Purple Hammer said:
I look at the Google Earth satellite view first. If it's inaccessible in a van it's pulled off before leaving and put on a pup. Many residential deliveries can be made safely in long vans. No need to have all of them brought back. That just costs the company profit by loading and hauling it twice.
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How well does that work for low hanging wires and tree limbs ?
 
Purple Hammer said:
I look at the Google Earth satellite view first. If it's inaccessible in a van it's pulled off before leaving and put on a pup. Many residential deliveries can be made safely in long vans. No need to have all of them brought back. That just costs the company profit by loading and hauling it twice.
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I seriously doubt your a driver just sayin that sounds like something a manager would say. You can't tell anything from Google earth other than where the exact location is.
 
Redracer3136 said:
Just curious, why are speculating about another class of driver and what "might" happen if freight levels dip anyways? Wouldn't the smarter business decision be to just continue hiring class A drivers? :idunno:
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1st off, it's not a question of if, but when freight levels dip. It's the nature of LTL, and trucking in general.

If you pay close attention, I've been asking questions up until now, rather than speculating on what will happen.

You are on the record saying it's "smarter" to just continue hiring Class A drivers. Are you aware that FXFE is still looking for driver apprentices, at many locations? Not just for city, but occasionally road too? Does this not indicate a challenge in staffing?

Now, if we must speculate... Straight truck usage looks like a trend in the industry. Fred Smith confirmed this publicly as it applies to FXFE. Adding, we'll do so "in a big way".

Looking at several factors, am I the only one willing to connect the dots? With a challenging Class A driver market AND the integration of Class B, C or non-CDL equipment, the dots seem to connect themselves.

Do you really think "significant numbers" of Class-A qualified drivers will be driving something like this, on a regular basis?

ALXsYI9.jpg



We are hearing non CDL drivers are driving these, starting around $17/hr.. Anyone want to verify this?

Red? Do you still stand by your position?
 
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Big R, do you know where that bridge is located? I was just wondering if it's the same one from a lengthy youtube video I saw. A guy who lives right next to it set up a video cam and caught one truck after another getting it's top torn off.
 
Freight Crusher said:
Big R, do you know where that bridge is located? I was just wondering if it's the same one from a lengthy youtube video I saw. A guy who lives right next to it set up a video cam and caught one truck after another getting it's top torn off.
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Not sure where it is, but it seems no matter what class CDL the driver has now a days,there seems to be a steady flow of inexperienced people driving these vehicles that lack common sense.....
 
BIG R GUY said:
Not sure where it is, but it seems no matter what class CDL the driver has now a days,there seems to be a steady flow of inexperienced people driving these vehicles that lack common sense.....
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Did it ever catch a Dew driver??
 
Just a thought. .... fedex ground hires local cartage companies with straight trucks in every city to deliver smartpost to the post office. It costs them money. You freight guys are closer to the prevailing rate of pay for delivering mail than ground guys. So maybe an outside chance you may get some of this work. ...it is all skided and wrapped. ...easier to keep it in house .... all just speculation. ...:idunno:
 
SwampRatt said:
1st off, it's not a question of if, but when freight levels dip. It's the nature of LTL, and trucking in general.

If you pay close attention, I've been asking questions up until now, rather than speculating on what will happen.

You are on the record saying it's "smarter" to just continue hiring Class A drivers. Are you aware that FXFE is still looking for driver apprentices, at many locations? Not just for city, but occasionally road too? Does this not indicate a challenge in staffing?

Now, if we must speculate... Straight truck usage looks like a trend in the industry. Fred Smith confirmed this publicly as it applies to FXFE. Adding, we'll do so "in a big way".

Looking at several factors, am I the only one willing to connect the dots? With a challenging Class A driver market AND the integration of Class B, C or non-CDL equipment, the dots seem to connect themselves.

Do you really think "significant numbers" of Class-A qualified drivers will be driving something like this, on a regular basis?

ALXsYI9.jpg



We are hearing non CDL drivers are driving these, starting around $17/hr.. Anyone want to verify this?

Red? Do you still stand by your position?
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Correct, freight levels rise and dip just like the stock market...it's the nature of almost everything in general...

Your questions are speculative which requires speculative answers since none of us can tell the future.

Certainly, driver apprentices that will move into a CDL role, that's the way it's worked for sometime. Perhaps being at a former EOL center you weren't aware of this??

Again, I think you're making a mountain out of a mole hill...having a bunch of non-CDL drivers on hand won't help when the freight levels rise, thus they become a liability...requiring every driver to be Class A provides the flexibility to adjust to the rise and dips of the markets.

Yes, I could be totally off base but I will stand by my position.
 
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