# Fedex Express Driver anyone?



## crowsandcats

Is anyone here a Fedex express driver?

I'm considering getting a job as one of the express van drivers. Can anyone help me understand the hiring process? 
Also, what is the job like?


----------



## Daniel Quick

I'm an Express driver in Oklahoma City. What are your questions. you can pm me for details or post back here.


----------



## crowsandcats

Daniel Quick said:


> I'm an Express driver in Oklahoma City. What are your questions. you can pm me for details or post back here.


Do drivers lease their own vans? Are express drivers the ones I see driving the Mercedes Sprinter vans? Are you an Independent Contractor or Employee? Do they have any part time positions that start around 10-11am?


----------



## Daniel Quick

FedEx Express has their own company vehicles. Not leased as ground and home delivery - which is a branch of ground. Yes, the Mercedes are Express vehicles. You are an employee of FedEx Express, not an independent contractor. Apply on the main fedex website -There are full and part-time positions available but PM pick-up side starts around 2:00 PM and goes until 9:30PM and the morning can start anywhere from 5:00ish to 8:30-11-2ish, depending on route assigned. We also have handler positions available, but they don't make as much as couriers-drivers. The Ramp is also hiring package handlers and ramp agents. At least they are short 8 people.


----------



## mkl6t6

Daniel Quick said:


> FedEx Express has their own company vehicles. Not leased as ground and home delivery - which is a branch of ground. Yes, the Mercedes are Express vehicles. You are an employee of FedEx Express, not an independent contractor. Apply on the main fedex website -There are full and part-time positions available but PM pick-up side starts around 2:00 PM and goes until 9:30PM and the morning can start anywhere from 5:00ish to 8:30-11-2ish, depending on route assigned. We also have handler positions available, but they don't make as much as couriers-drivers. The Ramp is also hiring package handlers and ramp agents. At least they are short 8 people.


how much can you make?


----------



## Daniel Quick

I'm making 15.xx at the moment. I'm part-time with full benefits. Handlers and Customer Service Agents also have full benefits. We're self-insured non-union. We had a max cap on pay, but were recently approved for a step-progression raise schedule. I'm not sure of the details, because I don't really care about the inside politics.

I work afternoon pick-up side only. I seldom do deliveries, because I like a pretty normal structured route. However, there's plenty of overtime available for morning and evenings - always.


----------



## crowsandcats

If I chose a "morning" position you're saying the hours would be 5am-2:00pm? I don't see how you could be making deliveries to anyone that early in the morning. How is the workload? I Know from firsthand experience that UPS drivers get overtime everyday because they have a huge workload. My priority is to just have a consistent 8hr day so I can have a life outside work. What would be your recommendation?

Do you have to work Saturdays?
Do you have to load your own truck or do handlers load it in delivery sequence?

What experience are they looking for from a candidate and how is the interview? You don't need to have seniority to get a driving job like at UPS? I don't see why anyone would want to be a package handler in that case.

Do they provide you with any turn-by-turn gps software or do they expect you to know the route like the back of your hands?

How is the training? Is it paid training? How many hours total?


----------



## Daniel Quick

It depends on what type of morning position, what route, and if you're full or part-time. Morning position would be handler usually station opening to end of sort. FO (First Overnight) would be our highest priority service and usually has to be delivered by 8AM or depending on your designated service area by 10 or 10:30. Remote outreaches by 12, at least for my stations service area. Regular drivers cannot drive over 14 hours so you could be looking at a 14 hour day. 

Overtime: There's always overtime and if not some at the time, there's always usually an overtime sheet to sign up on. Usually with the days and shift you'd like to work.

Saturdays: Depends on managements decision. 
Weekends: Depending on your route you could have a split weekend. Not your traditional Saturday-Sunday combo. You can ask about this in your interview and make this a determining factor for acceptance of the position.

Experience: They'd like you to have been a courier or some type of job that requires minimum supervision and something that required prioritization of your time. But, it's not a requirement. No DUI's and no more than three moving violations. Parking violations they could care less about. If you get a ticket on your route for a parking violation they'll just pay it, because you don't always have time to look for a proper parking space.

Seniority: No
Package Handling: Some people don't want to be full fledged couriers. We have DOT drivers, drivers (couriers) not required to have DOT medical certificates (letting them drive more than 14 hours I believe but don't quote me on that), DOT handlers - they can drive trucks, but aren't considered couriers (they can do one or more pickups that letting a full fledged courier do not make sense for his job category). But usually they work just mornings or evenings. Both are/can be very stressful as you must get everything loaded/unloaded for the couriers to hit their delivery times.

GPS/Routing: No. Actually, we're not even supposed to use our mobile computers while driving. But, that's like telling a police officer he can't use his MDT/Laptop while he's driving to lookup license plates or answer CAD (computer-aided-dispatch) calls and look at call notes. It happens. We're not issued or suppose to use GPS. Almost all routes, but not all, have a yellow sticker that tells you the stop sequence you need to deliver that package in, what time it's due by, etc. For a route with the stickers you'll get a map with stop sequence and what is to be delivered. Such as 1 DOC (document) 1 package, etc... Yes, some routes don't have a routed sequence map. You'll receive a "little" extra training time with the courier training you on that route, but not much 

Training is two weeks. 1 week classroom and 1 week driving. Training is paid. Usually hour-wise, it's 7 or 8 - 3 or 4. Depending on class vote you can adjust hours to get out of class earlier or later. Just depends on your classes ability to assimilate the material and understand courier concepts. 

Of course, there are other positions such as CSA (Customer Service Associate - Initiate traces, handle front counter of station, etc..) DG - Dangerous goods specialist (requires extra training) They handle flammable, radioactive, biological, explosive, etc... Make sure the paperwork/documentation and product packaging meet ICAO and IATA requirements. Of course, there's also management positions, but I don't think that fits the scope of your question here.

Hours: I think total would be 80 +/- hours. Two weeks of training, regular work hour days.

Trucks and loading: Bulk drivers usually get a little help loading their vehicles, but as far as I know, because I don't participate in the morning sort, you load your trucks and put it into sequences yourself. Couriers help each other out, especially if they're new and they look like they're drowning. We all drown in the beginning unless you've had prior experience. No handlers load your truck for you like UPS. Sorry. That's my understanding. But on the bright side. You'd know what you have on-board.

First Overnight drivers: They have a smaller workload, but it's understood/usually expected that they handle package overflow or missorts that need to be taken out to meet service. I wouldn't do that personally. 

If you want a consistent work day. Honestly, I wouldn't pick either UPS, DHL, FedEx (Any Service- ground, express, etc...), or USPS (even though it's Federal), because you'll have to meet demand and deadlines.

In my experience: I work a PM pick-up route. I usually get 1-4 pieces several times a week that the morning courier couldn't fit onto their truck or overlooked. Other times, I get pieces where the sending party put in the wrong delivery zipcode and it was routed to the wrong station. I end up having to take it out in the afternoon. The time deadline is nullified because it was the sending party's fault, but somewhere in the route you must make an attempt on the package to be delivered. Sometimes you'll get delivery window (Pick your delivery time windows - advertised by UPS and FedEx) so that you'll be home to receive your package. For PM deliveries that falls on the PM pick-up courier. I hate those personally, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I start at 2:05 PM and am supposed to be done around 9:30PM. That isn't always the case. Sometimes the ramp where I have to unload at the airport because my route gets done so late is slow (the ramp). They can be backlogged with heavy freight, short on staffing, making their process stop-and-go, etc... There have been nights I was also asked to stay late to help them, because they were so short handed. That can also happen at the station you're assigned to as well. Once you're back you'll be asked to check-in with a manager before you leave. In short, they want to use you to unload trucks, split the belt (sort packages by service to either side of the belt), load/scan packages, and load/scan cans (what the packages go into for transport by either airplane or truck(s). It just won't usually be a consistent 8hr wrk day. Especially around PEAK. (Christmas) or major holidays.

We are self-insured (Express) ground are contractors and it's a turkey shoot on what you'll be offered. Not sure about freight or office. They're under the fedex umbrella, but different divisions.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.


----------



## LadyDi

Daniel Q - as a PM Courier you did a grand explanation through and through of our positions.


I will add that I am a shuttle driver and once you learn that position as well as DG, you can never back down when asked to do them. LMBO. Shuttle drivers get some extra hours in the evenings as they help load the freight that has been collected all day and sorted out. Whatever cannot fit in to the "cans" for the 18 wheeler truck to take, shuttle gets it. Dangerous goods is one of these examples as it cannot go into a can. There's 2 types of DG, there's placarded DG (flammable liquids, gases, etc) and non placarded (not as hazardous such as dry ice, non flammable liquids, gases, etc and yes... specimen that cannot be loaded near humans). I am a non DOT driver so I cannot carry hazmat (hazardous material). I've made about 8 hours during the week and 4 or more loading my shuttle truck to the top of the sprinter on Saturday. So yes, there are times where you load your own trucks especially on Saturday mornings which some of us do work that are new. I have split days Fri & Sun but I can just take an off day to get three in a row. Daniel has summed it up so best of luck whatever your decision. I make more than Daniel and I think this is by the market you are in. Not really sure. 21-15 hours in the printed hours but I've been getting around 30. Managed to get a lil above 40 this past holiday week. This time of year it falls flat until just before Valentine's Day. Then Mother's Day is next. It flattens out unless (on PM) unless you learn some morning routes or get bulk shipment pick up or deliveries like District Photo.


----------



## Aga Muhlach

.


----------



## LadyDi

Still there and still awaiting "step increase" info. I had it in the PO and topped out after 16 yrs but it was great as any extra cash is. FE couriers are the top of the delivery/pickup salaries after CDL/DOT compliant drivers.


----------

