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FedEx Freight | Tips from the Dock

Sure, the job is simple enough not everyone can do it. If they could, they would. Stop selling yourself short. If anyone were able to do it, the problems you listed above wouldn't exist. In fact, the OP never would've started the topic.
I don't know why you're being so sensitive. You asked what planet I'm from and I informed you. Modern day FedEx not "back in my day" FedEx. If you're really that interested in showing everyone how it's done, you can always reapply. Then come back and tell me about dock culture and how much everyone appreciates your input.
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This discussion has already been had here a million times. You're either doing the job currently assigned to you or you're not. I wasn't superman or anything, but maybe at least take pride in what you do and don't bail out with "well if he's not gonna do it then neither am I!" only to go on complaining about the poor quality of output.

If that sounds smug it's totally unintentional, but just kind of the way it is...at any job.
 
Emmitt said:
This discussion has already been had here a million times. You're either doing the job currently assigned to you or you're not. I wasn't superman or anything, but maybe at least take pride in what you do and don't bail out with "well if he's not gonna do it then neither am I!" only to go on complaining about the poor quality of output.

If that sounds smug it's totally unintentional, but just kind of the way it is...at any job.
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The problem is the supervisors running lanes and being the eyes and ears. They focus on the wrong things. A supervisor will close a door knowing the freight on the deck isn't secure and the hazmat isn't strapped to the wall. They won't call people back to fix it because they're either too concerned with close times and trailer weight or because the guy that loaded it is his drinking buddy on Saturday night. These guys are young and came up from the docks and that means they're supervising their friends.

When that happens, who is going to do the right thing? There's no discipline or consequences so nobody cares. It's easy to get people not to care, but fixing that attitude is almost impossible.
 
It's a conundrum. If you work at a hub (especially near a college town) the turnover rate is crazy for obvious reasons, so those guys either don't know or don't care. That got to be an issue for a while. But if/when a place hits the sweet spot where everyone does everything right the whole job always got way easier.

Anyway, I get where you're coming from. In fact when I can get back to work I'm going to try to find a much, much smaller place to avoid these kinds of he-said she-said quarrels every day. I learned to tune out the chatter, but the mess is still there every day and has to be dealt with. It gets exauhsting for everyone eventually.
 
I'll give you guys an example.

Today I had a supervisor tell me I had to stay behind and pick up the freight because I was running the last spot. My show time was 0530 and I told him I won't stay pass that. The reason is because there were 3 of us with 0530 show times, but he let everyone else go and made told me to stay. I run around the dock picking everything up and I'm done by 5.

I head up dispatch and no new assignment. Dispatcher calls the desk, no answer. Dispatcher gets on the radio and asks him to close the doors so he can dispatch me, no answer. And I know he heard it because he walks around with the stupid radio around his neck like he's captain secret service agent Rambo reporting for duty.

He closes the door at 0528. I'm standing in dispatch for half an hour because he wanted to teach me a lesson.

Next time I'm in that building, I will make sure that's plenty of bills left at 0530 and then I'll go sit in my truck. I'm petty and I can absolutely care less and I'll get paid more for doing it.

That's how it works.
 
Yea Big Tough Guy really taught you a lesson .
Guess his father forgot to tell him what goes
around comes around . Treat people with
respect it goes a long way . He keeps it up
call him in for Creating a Hostile Work Environment
for the dock and drivers with his poor attitude .
 
Emmitt said:
What planet are you from? We had to have the regional manager come in for a meeting to keep dock workers from quitting because they were being worked 12-14 hour nights in sub zero temperatures due to shutdowns, and scorching heat during the busy season. Drivers were baying stuff without even putting the bill in the box, which compounded the problem since freight would get lost.

Then those drivers would complain when those accounts inevitably got dropped and their run was compromised, and hilariously they'd angrily wonder what caused it.

Just do this simple job the right way to avoid problems. Pretty much everyone wants to go home ASAP, but there's an etiquette that goes along with it. Lazily passing off work to others is pretty pathetic and is ultimately more trouble than it's worth.
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Emmitt,

If they wanted a dock worker they should hire one. I drive the truck and get forced to work the dock. There is a massive difference.

I give zero ***** about anything that I move that doesn't have my three letter designation as thats my only reason for being there. As it is for most drivers.
 
I'm guessing you knew what you signed up for when you did. It's also pretty telling how attitudes like that change when stuff really starts slowing down. A few years ago on the hub shift drivers were getting furious for being sent on their way while PT dock workers plugged along out there on the clock. Same with drop and hooks: nonstop complaining about it until X vans have to be used during winter shutdowns and that pay is no longer available. This was in the dead of winter and on an unheated dock in the upper northwest.

You need a paycheck - I understand it, everyone does - but you can't always earn it exactly how you want.
 
Emmitt said:
I'm guessing you knew what you signed up for when you did. It's also pretty telling how attitudes like that change when stuff really starts slowing down. A few years ago on the hub shift drivers were getting furious for being sent on their way while PT dock workers plugged along out there on the clock. Same with drop and hooks: nonstop complaining about it until X vans have to be used during winter shutdowns and that pay is no longer available. This was in the dead of winter and on an unheated dock in the upper northwest.

You need a paycheck - I understand it, everyone does - but you can't always earn it exactly how you want.
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Nope, pretty consistent here on my views. If they want dock help they should hire dock help.

I'd be just fine if they turned me at the window back home 90 miles.

Also we deal with the same bullshit around here. Only dock around here that has heat is Chiraqistan as far as I know. Maybe Toledo/Youngstown.
 
Panhandler92 said:
Emmitt,

If they wanted a dock worker they should hire one. I drive the truck and get forced to work the dock. There is a massive difference.

I give zero ****s about anything that I move that doesn't have my three letter designation as thats my only reason for being there. As it is for most drivers.
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I forgot to mention: this outook reminds me of all the complaints among drivers about other drivers not doing post-trip inspections. The thought process of "my job is to drive the truck - not inspect them!" Right, like that was never in your job description, and as though not doing it won't have any negative consequences later on.

We always had late departures (especially Fridays) because of this - from having to swing freight from a busted trailer into a good one. Huge waste of time. The dock hated it, and a driver had to sit around not getting paid. Meanwhile someone with a day run got home a few minutes early for refusing to complete an easy task. Bad memories...
 
Dock Man said:
I know the new driver bids took effect Monday, so just wanted to through out some tips for those going into a barn and working the dock. Just trying to throw out some info for those new drivers.

The dock is a chaotic sh*t show on its best day but manners still help a lot.

Don't forget to speak, if you're going into a trailer and someone is working it, speak up. Say hello, I am looking for that CLT, or they sent me to help, etc. You are more likely to get what you need if you say something. Closed mouths don't get feed.

Also if you have to dig into a trailer to chase something, put the freight behind the trailer in nice rows. Color inside the lines.

If someone is loading a trailer and you have freight for that door, say so. Don't sit there and watch. Say what you have, see if they need something (decking, table, straps, etc) and most likely they will throw it in for you.

Just trying to make all our nights move a bit faster.
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I approve of this message!!!!!
 
Streaker69 said:
Bills in boxes hasn't been a thing for longer than that. We would scan the bill to the bay at the citadel and in 2019 it was computers on the forklift to notate where it was left.

Nobody's crying to management about anything. Dock workers want hours when they're scarce and complain about overtime when it's forced and consistent. Nothing new.

You're offering an opinion based on old data. It's not relevant today. In fact, production goals have doubled from 3 BPH to 6 BPH and it's not hard to do because we have drive thru dimensioners now and freight is moved by tapping a screen. No writing down pros, no bills in boxes and no scanning at the citadel.

When I'm on the dock, dock workers don't look at me as a dock worker. They look at me as a driver. "These damn drivers blah blah blah". I hear it every night. Supervisors also look at me as a driver because when show time I hits, I'm clocking out regardless if the trailers are ready or not. There's reasons for that, but to simplify it it's because we're not a team. I do what's asked of me and then I'm on my way. Lines have been drawn in the sand since I started here. I didn't create the culture, I just work in it.
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Except you are leaving out the first 20 minutes of wasted time whenever one of the POS joke of a forklift tablets are turned on. I thankfully can get hub turns now as I refuse to stand there with my thumb in my arse waiting for that piece of garbage unit to start a few simplistic applications. I wonder how we are as efficient as we were before?
 
I found if I was the biggest ******* on the dock I would get cut out early or get a VIA. When I first started linehaul going to STL and would do 8bph they would keep me until my cut time. My trailers would be done and they would send me down to interregional trailers. But when I started doing 3 bph suddenly they were hurrying me off the dock
 
pig_pen said:
I found if I was the biggest ******* on the dock I would get cut out early or get a VIA. When I first started linehaul going to STL and would do 8bph they would keep me until my cut time. My trailers would be done and they would send me down to interregional trailers. But when I started doing 3 bph suddenly they were hurrying me off the dock
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All they care about is numbers. So if you F them up. Well gotta get you rolling
 
SMOKESTACK said:
Yea Big Tough Guy really taught you lesson .
Guess his father forgot to tell him what goes
around comes around . Treat people with
respect it goes a long way . He keeps it up
call him in for Creating a Hostile Work Environment
for the dock and drivers with his poor attitude .
Click to expand...

They'll pull him into the office and tell him to keep me working for the last 30 minutes.

People today in general have no manners and poor etiquette. Every one is so angry and miserable that it really makes me sad.
 
Citori_cx said:
Except you are leaving out the first 20 minutes of wasted time whenever one of the POS joke of a forklift tablets are turned on. I thankfully can get hub turns now as I refuse to stand there with my thumb in my arse waiting for that piece of garbage unit to start a few simplistic applications. I wonder how we are as efficient as we were before?
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Also why I went extraboard. I try to run hub turns exclusively, but it doesn't always work out that way. This week, I got 2 turns and 3 shuttles.

I let them know they're equipment sucks when they ask why I've been clocked in for 20 minutes and haven't done anything. It's the same thing when they ask why I'm not doing reweigh and dimensions.... Because a bunch of your lifts have busted scales. Now, I intentionally find the lifts with busted scales because I enjoy conversations on the clock.
nasvegas said:
All they care about is numbers. So if you F them up. Well gotta get you rolling
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This is true. On Wednesday night I had an operations manager come up to me to complain about my BPH. I told him my first strip was a headload with 1 bill that had to come off and it was in the nose. Then I had to put everything back in so it can be set to load. They want you to do tasks and run high BPH numbers. This is why I don't care.

I'll load my freight and bay everything that's not mine. If I know what lane it's going to, I'll bay it in that lane. If I don't know what lane it's going to, I'll drop it in any lane that's not ours.
 
My favorite is when I ask a supervisor who takes care of a certain destination while they are at the computer and they say I don’t know. Lazy ass can’t get on the radio or type 3 letters into the computer. So I just drive around for bit then ask someone else until I can get an answer.
 
Diggger86 said:
My favorite is when I ask a supervisor who takes care of a certain destination while they are at the computer and they say I don’t know. Lazy ass can’t get on the radio or type 3 letters into the computer. So I just drive around for bit then ask someone else until I can get an answer.
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That's why I stopped asking and just drop it
 
SMOKESTACK said:
Yea Big Tough Guy really taught you a lesson .
Guess his father forgot to tell him what goes
around comes around . Treat people with
respect it goes a long way . He keeps it up
call him in for Creating a Hostile Work Environment
for the dock and drivers with his poor attitude .
Click to expand...
It's never going to cease to amaze me, is this what a college education gets you these days. Figure out the best way to create a 1, 2,3 ,4,5 discipline proceedure for what reason? Smoke, no more tough guys, caring individuals are what they are shooting for. Just like this above described individual. Back stabbing, chicken s. T supervisors. I think we've all seen how that works out. 1% move ahead. The rest go on their merry way somewhere else.
 
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