FedEx Warts

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
First, FedEx is a very good company, very professional overall and a good company to work with. That said, like every other company out there, they have warts. Company warts come in various sizes and are located in various positions. That small wart on the side of the knee doesn't mean much. That pea size wart on the tip of the nose is more of an issue. FedEx has a couple of nose warts and here they are.

1. Check in/out. Express center check in/out shouldn't exist. The QC should locate the vehicle at all times. I presume the ck in/out is a holdover from the "old days" of Roberts when there were no cell phones, no QC's, nothing except "please deposit 25 cents for the first 3 minutes" and a phone call to the office to ck in/out. Newsflash, we're paying $30 weekly for a device that should be doing these things for us.

2. Excessive insistence on phone calls. Departure calls should not exist for standard loads. There is no reason at all not to, oh my gosh, us that $30 weekly QC to handle loaded/departing from the shipper. I'll concede and agree that if the information is different than what was given in the load offer a call should be made. I could maybe see making a call on hazmat loads although again if nothing is different than the load offer information there's no true reason for a call. Perhaps on DOD loads and perhaps on high value loads but again, with proper orientation training why is any call really necessary unless there is a discrepancy in what was given in the offer.
 

piper1

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Hopefully Leo the new Qualcomm units (whenever we get them) can solve some of this stuff. I agree that on standard loads it could be a QC checkout process, just give us a checklist to agree to and be done...all that 1-800 phone time has to be costing FedEx money as well as us. I would also love it if they would quit asking us Canadian guys if we have our CVOR, of course we have it, we live in Ontario or reminding us not to approach the border until the freight has cleared, we do 90% cross border....we know. I realize they have a checklist to go through, its not the dispatchers fault.
 

nightcreacher

Veteran Expediter
guess im an old dog that doesnt like new tricks.I dislike the automated version of the depart call,much rather talk to a live body,lso i alwys hit the zero.
When i was at Con-Way Now,everything was done on the Qualcome,I still called in for my departs
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I don't like the automated departure call either. I agree that having everything done on Clink would be better. That would free up the dispatchers time as well. I understand why it may still be needed for certain loads. Cutting it back to those high dollar/hazmat or DOD loads would really help keep the costs down at FedEx and free up time.
 

rikd57

Seasoned Expediter
Actually, if you think about 2010 techology capabilities and prices, $140 a month can get you a WHOLE LOT MORE than we get withthis antiquated Qualcomm system.
The carriers have had no incentive to update or upgrade to newer technologies since WE pay for this. Most of our cell phones have more capabilities than the QC system offers. For the money they charge for the QC, we should be getting full internet service as well as Audio GPS (talking GPS).
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
FedEx would like to upgrade to a newer version of Click. They have been testing on some trucks. The recent recession has slowed that process.

Cell phones do not give you the security features that Clink does. They don't have the ability for tracking the trucks as closely. There are just too many areas without cell service. There are very few areas that Clink will not work.
 
Top