Shirts and ties

[highway star]

The bow tie is a risky fashion statement that only a handful have really pulled off.

George Will, Peewee Herman...

(Pulled off... Peewee Herman... I crack myself up sometimes.)

 

[Turtle]

The bow tie is a risky fashion statement that only a handful have really pulled off.

George Will, Peewee Herman...

(Pulled off... Peewee Herman... I crack myself up sometimes.)

Well, it certainly gives me a mental image of George Will that I could have lived without.

 

[Dakota]

Well there goes my knee high white socks, combat boots, and short short look, mercy me.

We have a driver that wears knee high white socks with his shorts

 

[teamjdw]

Yeah. Maybe I was wrong about the whole "not so gay" thing. Purple and teal are tough to get around.

Do you have a broucher or order sheet?

 

[teamjdw]

I sincerely hope this thread is a joke and not serious

Serious as a heart attack! I was reading the latest edition of the Drivers Seat,it's the flip side of the Road king.Anyway the article said that drivers who wear ties make more money.I thought getting the load as quickly,and safley to the customer.Then getting on a bid card as quickly as possible would make us more money.I also call this "turn and burn",but i guess it's dressing well that dispatchers care about.If wearing a tie will get us dispatched out quicker why not?

 

[greg334]

Read the article carefully and think about the people who make the company look good who achieve that level money.

Not saying dressing nice doesn't matter, but come on not everyone can look like Erkel on the dock.

I wasn't kidding to look at FedEx's dress code standards, there is a book that describes every stitch of clothing that you can and can not wear, including shoes and hats. I don't think the CC people even know about it but it's very very real. The alternative is to wear the company colors, get some shirts made up with them, even embroidered with the company colors looks nice.

I think the dispatchers are too dumb (yea d u m b) to understand what proper dress is, but managers who want to further their career will know how to spot 'like' people and use them to further their career - contractors or employees.

BUT what ever you do, don't drag out the pom poms on the dock.

 

[xiggi]

Serious as a heart attack! I was reading the latest edition of the Drivers Seat,it's the flip side of the Road king.Anyway the article said that drivers who wear ties make more money.I thought getting the load as quickly,and safley to the customer.Then getting on a bid card as quickly as possible would make us more money.I also call this "turn and burn",but i guess it's dressing well that dispatchers care about.If wearing a tie will get us dispatched out quicker why not?

Wearing a tie with a shirt that works with a tie might work for the better. Wearing one with the wrong thing just to wear one makes no sense at all. Unless your trying to give the dock workers something to chuckle about that is.

 

[Dakota]

Serious as a heart attack! I was reading the latest edition of the Drivers Seat,it's the flip side of the Road king.Anyway the article said that drivers who wear ties make more money.I thought getting the load as quickly,and safley to the customer.Then getting on a bid card as quickly as possible would make us more money.I also call this "turn and burn",but i guess it's dressing well that dispatchers care about.If wearing a tie will get us dispatched out quicker why not?

I agree looking nice and not wearing a dirty holey shirt/or clothes makes a good impression. But wearing a tie with a polo shirt? Come on now

 

[Dakota]

Wearing a tie with a shirt that works with a tie might work for the better. Wearing one with the wrong thing just to wear one makes no sense at all. Unless your trying to give the dock workers something to chuckle about that is.

Yeah, a tie with a t-shirt would get chuckles.

I also know everytime the UPS guy comes in at Towne there are chuckles due to his socks with the UPS logo on them. A little overboard in my opinion. Then again some wear "Those Shorts"

 

[jjoerger]

Not to ruin the fun but FedEx does have a long sleeve dress shirt that looks nice with a tie.
Item number FC1146 it costs $13.57.
I personally will not where a tie unless it's a wedding or a funeral.

 

[Dakota]

Not to ruin the fun but FedEx does have a long sleeve dress shirt that looks nice with a tie.
Item number FC1146 it costs $13.57.
I personally will not where a tie unless it's a wedding or a funeral.

I don't wear or own ties and even at a wedding or funeral you would see me in a polo shirt and nice slacks. I have always hated having anything on my neck and can't even wear a turtle neck.

 

[ATeam]

Serious as a heart attack! I was reading the latest edition of the Drivers Seat,it's the flip side of the Road king.Anyway the article said that drivers who wear ties make more money.I thought getting the load as quickly,and safley to the customer.Then getting on a bid card as quickly as possible would make us more money.I also call this "turn and burn",but i guess it's dressing well that dispatchers care about.If wearing a tie will get us dispatched out quicker why not?

I think it is more true that the drivers who make more money may also be willing to wear a tie on occasion or as a matter of course. I doubt that the top producers who wear ties would see their sales and customer service skills disappear or their revenue decline if they stopped wearing ties.

To hear people tell it at our carrier (FedEx Custom Critical), dispatch is automated. It would not matter if you showed up to visit dispatch wearing smelly street clothes, a clean and crisp FedEx uniform or a scented tuxedo, dispatch is done by computer and the computer is blind to what you wear.

In the visits we have made to the office and dispatch in our seven years with FedEx Custom Critical -- whether it is a short stop to pick up supplies or a two or three day visit for training -- Diane and I dressed every time in the uniform we wear at pick ups and deliveries. We want the people in the office to see us as our customers see us, and to know what the customers see when dispatch puts us on a run.

It's true, I believe, that dispatch is blind. I don't know of a single case where Diane and I have been sent to a customer because of the professional appearance we present in the office and at customer locations (we have been sent in special a couple of times because of our known professionalism and reliability). I know of several cases where the dogs prohibited in White Glove trucks would represent the company better than some of the slob drivers that have been dispatched on some very sweet runs.

I have no doubt that a professional appearance will be an asset if you are running under your own authority and getting your own customers. I believe it would be also helpful if you were running with Landstar where agent relationships matter. But with our carrier, where the dispatch system is centralized, dispatchers and the computer are blind to what you wear.

 

[Dakota]

I am sure if I driver shows up and is dressed unprofessional or is dirty or smelly, some places might complain, then dispatch would know, not sure if they have a place for notes in dispatch though. Same would be said if the driver acted unprofessionally.

 

[greg334]

In the visits we have made to the office and dispatch in our seven years with FedEx Custom Critical -- whether it is a short stop to pick up supplies or a two or three day visit for training, Diane and I dressed every time in the uniform we wear at pick ups and deliveries.

I was under the impression that W/G people were to be in a uniform most of the time. Maybe there is a need to have them checked out?

 

[jjoerger]

Generally, the only times a White Glove driver must be wearing the company apparel is at pick up and delivery. (There may be a few exceptions) Since there are so many choices in apparel and the prices are reasonable a lot of the FedEx CC drivers chose to wear the apparel most of the time.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Generally, the only times a White Glove driver must be wearing the company apparel is at pick up and delivery. (There may be a few exceptions) Since there are so many choices in apparel and the prices are reasonable a lot of the FedEx CC drivers chose to wear the apparel most of the time.

Must? Is that the 'must' of employeeism?

"You must, therefore we pay SSI."

 

[ATeam]

Must? Is that the 'must' of employeeism?

They dance around this issue with grace and finesse. There was a time when they asked in departure calls if we were in uniform. That changed to "contractor apparel" at some point.

Diane and I like the idea of wearing a uniform at pick ups and deliveries. It presents a good image and reinforces our carrier's brand with the customer. You have to wear clothing of some kind when you pick up and deliver freight. Our uniforms serve as suitable work clothes and because they are uniforms, they are tax deductible without question.

I don't know what would happen if an independent contractor said "No" when asked on a departure call if he or she was in contractor apparel. It's not an issue for us because we like the contractor apparel and are proud to be seen wearing it.

 

[LDB]

I hate any shirt other than a button up shirt with pocket(s). I have a few Fedex shirts and several of my own. All are nice enough for any customer to work with shipping/receiving/docks. I have friends who are doing the necktie thing but I dislike ties so I'll stick with nice shirts.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Must? Is that the 'must' of employeeism?

"You must, therefore we pay SSI."

I would imagine like the dog issue..if it is in the contract and you sign off your rights...then it turns into a MUST do issue...

 

[ATeam]

In another life, I worked in a profession where people who wore ties played the game for keeps. In that world, you develop a keen eye for tie quality, fabric, style, width, color, design, knots, trends, etc. You played the tie game well not to stand out but to blend in. Wearing the wrong tie at the wrong place, or at the wrong time, or with the wrong clothes could count against you or serve as a distraction when you are making an important presentation. Wearing the right tie signaled that you belong and gave you a pass to continue on without penalty.

A handful of stories have recently appeared in the industry literature about truckers who wear ties. I have also seen a few sporting ties at truck shows.

It's like anything else in life. If you are going to play the necktie game, play it well. Playing it poorly makes you look like an idiot.

You may make yourself stand out if you are a trucker in a tie and even get your picture in a trucking magazine, but if you do not know ties and do not wear them well, you may end up standing out in a way you do not like. People may comment positively on your tie to your face. What they say after you leave may be something quite different.