Message for B units

[interstategar]

If your driving single in a B unit and would like to try to increase our crippling 700 mi load limit write Jason Frederick directly with pen and paper. I've done this twice and he brought the subject up at the Safety Board meetings but the Board shot it down twice.
If a number of us let the board know we would like the equal opportunity our competition has (900-unlimited, when not being placarded) we might have a chance to change this Fedex Rule.
When I wrote Jason F, he called me back on the phone twice to discuss this and I mentioned for the OPTION for a driver to go more than 700/per run and suggested a 36 hour off duty prior to be qualified for it. I know not every driver wants to run more than 700 after speaking to a few, but now more than ever we need it since business is slow, in my opinion. If your interested, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. I'd greatly appreciate some help on this.

Gary
WIL Center

 

[hdxpedx]

The BOARD needs to UNDERSTAND first how much REVENUE damage FLAT RATES have ALREADY CREATED!! Then take a second look at this ridiculous 700mi. cut-off! It's like the 2 -refusals out-of-service rule--ALL losers!

 

[interstategar]

During this economy I can better understand the flat rates that our competition had before ours went into effect, even though I don't like it. But the 700 mile limit NO ONE has but us, making us lose even more money. The Safety Board that decided the 700 mile limit rule is separate from the people who decide on the tariffs we charge, as far as I know. We need everybody reading this thread to act and write a letter to Jason Frederick, no action and we'll all be stuck with this rule forever...

 

[aileron]

We are stuck with it. In the last conference call with Jason Frederick, he said that they looked into it and they decided to leave it as it is. Stinks, but that is what it is.

I understand that rules are rules, but when someone takes it to the extreme without thinking 'outside the box' is what bothers me.

Here is my latest experience with this. It happened about 2-3 months ago. I was sitting at home one morning and they call me with a load from downtown Atlanta to Chicago area picking up tomorrow afternoon. All in all, with deadhead about 725 miles if my memory serves me right. No mention about swaps, so I thought they wizened up, but no way. Tomorrow noon comes and my phone is ringing off the hook. Found 3 messages from them, then I call them. They inform me that they have to swap my load, since I did not do the 30 miles deadhead the day before, and going on and on how it is a DOT rule and safety blah blah blah. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Safety? What do you call sleeping a night in downtown Atlanta? Is that safe? Or it does not matter if I get killed in the process, as long as I don't kill someone else in those 25 extra miles.
I started making some phone calls to contractor relations and safety, but all I accomplished was a big nothing. They still ended up swapping my load. I did get them to admit that this is not a DOT rule (but they like to tell you it is to pass the blame to someone else) but a FedEx rule.
I don't know if I would have accepted the load if I knew it was that short, and then wait 32 hours to pick it up. I would have had a great chance to pick up a load that day, not tomorrow afternoon.
Oh well.

 

[interstategar]

They will not change the policy unless they get flooded with mail from single B unit drivers. They know our competition is allowing more miles and they will sit on their *** until they are pressured.
The always say the 700+ miles is a safety issue because they once got sued from what I heard by a driver falling asleep and Fedex wound up paying for that. All Fedex has to do is any driver who wants to run more miles is to put on the lease a waiver that Fedex
would not be responsible for any drivers injuries do to fatigue. That's why I suggested some rules to be made qualifying for the 700 plus runs. It can be done but they won't do a **** thing unless they feel some heat. If they got 200 letters in favor of increasing the miles, the meetings at Fedex would change.