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FedEx Freight | Now Hiring - Class B Drivers - In a Big way

SwampRatt said:
The official statement on the topic:

New opportunity for Class B drivers

A new driver program will give interested team members a chance to explore new career pathways with a Class B commercial driver’s license (CDL). Class B drivers will be eligible to drive commercial vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more that isn’t hitched to a trailer—such as a straight truck or box truck. Drivers will perform mostly residential deliveries/ pickups stemming from our growing FedEx Freight Direct service and at times perform business deliveries/pickups.

Not only does this program give team members the unique opportunity to grow their careers, but it will also help us close the gap on current driver shortages impacting the industry.

Any questions?
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No memtion of HazMat qualified?
 
That just chopped the legs out from under a lot of potential drivers. I could have seen a lot of Lowe's delivery guys and the like jumping at this job,but no longer.
Also, can't imagine why someone would take this gig at a significant lower pay than just being a class A.
You'll be dealing with basically the same BS, but just making far less.


But make no mistake, now that the class B will be Haz Mat qualified, it will take work away from the class A guys, and FxF will not need as many, nor have motivation to keep pay competitive.
 
No F-bdy Bs said:
That just chopped the legs out from under a lot of potential drivers. I could have seen a lot of Lowe's delivery guys and the like jumping at this job,but no longer.
Also, can't imagine why someone would take this gig at a significant lower pay than just being a class A.
You'll be dealing with basically the same BS, but just making far less.


But make no mistake, now that the class B will be Haz Mat qualified, it will take work away from the class A guys, and FxF will not need as many, nor have motivation to keep pay competitive.
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I assume the imbalance in tractors has been getting larger as more freight moves to PT? Needing fewer road trucks produces fewer hand me downs and sharing opportunities.

A center wouldn’t need as many expensive combination tractors after utilizing box trucks? They should be cheaper to: purchase, insure, maintain, fuel, tax, staff, tolls, tows, tires…

What am I missing?
 
I think you both have excellent points .
Then do not forget how increased rail
work will also cut road back further .
Any Joe Blownelski with a tandem can
pull them to any close yard and dump
and run with a simple signature and
seal check , if the supervisor on duty
is not too lazy to go out and check it .
 
No F-bdy Bs said:
That just chopped the legs out from under a lot of potential drivers. I could have seen a lot of Lowe's delivery guys and the like jumping at this job,but no longer.
Also, can't imagine why someone would take this gig at a significant lower pay than just being a class A.
You'll be dealing with basically the same BS, but just making far less.


But make no mistake, now that the class B will be Haz Mat qualified, it will take work away from the class A guys, and FxF will not need as many, nor have motivation to keep pay competitive.
Click to expand...
I think in an ideal FXF world they'd be able to take away some class A work with class Bs but I don't think it's realistic to think it's actually going to become reality. Like you mentioned, why would any prospective driver go for class B at a significantly reduced pay rate? They will never be able to recruit and keep enough class Bs to threaten the class As. Compare even a pup route. Similar amount of freight to a class B but driver can knock it out and then come back to the center and grab another loaded pup, no load/unload time. Not to mention these class Bs are a pain to unload/load with a pallet jack.

I'm envisioning lots of sitting box trucks or class A drivers getting forced into class B routes. If class B trucks were meant for LTL, all the major players would be using way more of them. FedEx probably thinks they're going to reinvent the wheel with huge success. Then there's reality....
 
I just heard today that class B will start out at top scale at my center. I think our OM said it was something around $29/hour.
 
The class b trucks have a lot of problems. They only hold 10-12 skids. A city van can hold 18-22. It takes the same amount of time to load a straight truck and a city van, even though the production numbers are a lot lower. They're loaded with a pallet jack and that takes forever. How are pick ups going to work? You can only pick up so much stuff in a straight truck.

I don't see class b drivers replacing city drivers or taking away much work. It would take 2 straight trucks to do what one city van does. It costs more because it's not efficient.
 
Butterdick said:
I look at it this way, Class B drivers will also help free up Class A drivers to run the semis. We don’t need qualified Class A drivers running around delivering patio furniture.
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Yes, but the narrative seems to be evolving away from strictly Residential/Office - "Direct".

What started out as "final mile" - across the threshold - premium service, to capitalize on the huge shift to E-commerce, seems to be changing. This, as we predicted.

NOTE the required HazMat AND TANK endorsements. Only reason to need both would be to deliver (or pick up) totes.

Don't know about the rest of the class, but the combination of HM, totes, and liftgates, doesn't fit the original residential and/or "FedEx Freight Direct" profile.

:popcorn:
 
SwampRatt said:
Yes, but the narrative seems to be evolving away from strictly Residential/Office - "Direct".

What started out as "final mile" - across the threshold - premium service, to capitalize on the huge shift to E-commerce, seems to be changing. This, as we predicted.

NOTE the required HazMat AND TANK endorsements. Only reason to need both would be to deliver (or pick up) totes.

Don't know about the rest of the class, but the combination of HM, totes, and liftgates, doesn't fit the original residential and/or "FedEx Freight Direct" profile.

:popcorn:
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Well, they will want them to make some pickups I’m sure. It still doesn’t bother me, what I’m reading into some of these comments is “we will get pushed out by class b drivers”.
 
There going to run these box trucks the same way they there doing it now. It’s just like a pup route, you might have all residential or might be a mix with some commercial businesses. Then they’re going to expect you to make the same pickups you do in a 48. I do it all the time with the box trucks now only difference is they might pay these drivers less for the same job.

On a side note the box trucks do not handle heavy weight well, if you put a 3k tote on there and nothing to counter it, those trucks lean so bad I’m always worried it’s going to turn over. You’re also limited in the height of freight you can pickup.
 
Maybe it's just me, but Hazmat totes, delivered via liftrgate, seem like a less than desirable mix, for anyone. How many totes do you want to P&D with a pallet jack, off of a straight truck liftgate?

Awfully high expectations for the typical B candidate, said to be focused on residential.

Safety concern? Or nothing to see here? Real questions.
 
SwampRatt said:
Maybe it's just me, but Hazmat totes, delivered via liftrgate, seem like a less than desirable mix, for anyone. How many totes do you want to P&D with a pallet jack, off of a straight truck liftgate?

Awfully high expectations for the typical B candidate, said to be focused on residential.

Safety concern? Or nothing to see here? Real questions.
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Nothing to see. It's already being done except the lift gate part. You get them to the back and they forklift them off
 
SwampRatt said:
Maybe it's just me, but Hazmat totes, delivered via liftrgate, seem like a less than desirable mix, for anyone. How many totes do you want to P&D with a pallet jack, off of a straight truck liftgate?

Awfully high expectations for the typical B candidate, said to be focused on residential.

Safety concern? Or nothing to see here? Real questions.
Click to expand...
Swamp. If you ever get a chance, maybe video a class B driver trying to get a 3,000 lb tote to the rear of his box truck to deliver, and post it... Would make for a laugh or 2.
 
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