FedEx drivers are brilliant and efficient employees who represent the final step in getting your goods right to your doorstep. They deliver an average of 13 million packages daily, many of them containing consumer merchandise.
After years of experience, we have found some of the lesser-known facts surrounding the FedEx driver’s job. In this article, we will reveal those facts
ALL FEDEX DRIVERS DON'T WORK FOR FEDEX.
Surprised? FedEx Express and FedEx Ground are two separate entities. Ground routes are executed to save money. People can purchase FedEx routes and then hire their drivers. These things should not affect the consumer all that much. Sometimes, you will face people who were upset that an Express employee couldn’t pick up Ground packages. Ground drivers also handle heavier items that aren’t being sent overnight. Express is about more business and paperwork.
One more important difference: FedEx Express drivers use Mercedes Sprinter vans, while Ground drivers can choose whatever their contractor wants them to use.
CELL PHONES USE IS NOT ALLOWED IN THE TRUCK
Express trucks are not fancy; they’re not loaded with GPS or other high-tech distractions. Most of the express driver company frowns on having electronic devices of any kind in the cab. None of the trucks even have radios. Some leave their phone in the back with the packages. Headphones and earbuds are also prohibited. That’s why some drivers use a wireless Bluetooth speaker upfront to stream music from their phone in the back. For route guides, drivers use maps, but some drivers know their route so well they don’t need any help.
DRIVERS EARN BONUSES FOR NOT SMASHING YOUR STUFF.
If a FedEx driver breaks anything, he’ll be cut very quickly from a bonus. Small bonuses range anywhere from $50 to $100 for doing well. It depends on the equation based on how many misdeliveries and late pickups. If a driver comes clean with nothing wrong for the month, they get extra money as a bonus.
THEY CAN TELL YOU'RE SHIPPING SOMETHING VALUABLE
People often use the wrong address for their valuable shipments. Lots of packages delivered are in diaper boxes so that people don’t think twice about the contents inside.
THEY CAN DELIVER PACKAGES LATER IF THE NEIGHBORHOOD SEEMS UNSAFE
For those packages in which the receiver signature is not required, some FedEx employee’s package is held for delivery for another day. They also address if a neighborhood seems run-down or otherwise at a higher risk of theft, then delivery on another day is the best option.
THEY WISH YOU'D PUT UP A HOUSE NUMBER
Without a house number, it can be challenging to know which house is yours. Don’t let your package get lost or taken back to the distribution center because you don’t have a house number.
FEDEX DRIVERS CAN USUALLY TELL IF YOU'RE TRYING TO SHIP DRUGS.
People wrap drugs in tons of duct tape or use some kind of fragrance to mask the smell and trying to make them inadvertent drug couriers. Sometimes contractors will let drivers deliver these types of packages so recipients can get caught.
HOLIDAY SEASON MEANS LOTS OF FRAUD
During the holiday’s people order tons of stuff. People might order thousands of dollars’ worth of leather jackets, and to avoid fraud, it’s recommended you pick it up at the sorting facility. During these days, FedEx is so efficient; this is when items expected to arrive in three days might get there in two.
THEY SOMETIMES GET FOLLOWED
Sometimes thieves follow the delivery drivers and scoop up packages as they are dropped off. That is why FedEx drivers were taught to keep an eye out for familiar vehicles following them. They know if a homeowner is not at home during the day, the delivery driver will wait until they turn a corner. After that, they pick up the package. If you are ordering something expensive, like a TV, it’s crucial to request a signature.
THEY WISH YOU WOULD STOP RE-USING BOXES
Sometimes, packages arrive as if they are beaten with bats because they re-use a box too much. As a contractor, we do not want to deliver something broken.