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Fed up with FedEx

1466IH

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2014
Messages
613
Location
prairie du rocher, il
A couple weeks ago I had a piston nut for a Kobelco boom cylinder next day aired from their hub in Texas. 10 days later it never showed up so called local dealer and had them next day another one. Sure enough the original got dropped off later that day and 4 days later the second one shows up. Was talking to parts guy at dealer and he says it happens all the time with FedEx. Told me he ordered a pair of idlers for a customer a few months ago and they were the last 2 in the US. They "lost" the idlers so then had to order 2 more from factory in Japan. I couldnt believe that losing not 1 but 2 idlers was even possible. Fast forward a few weeks and ordered a rail for another machine through one of our other suppliers and FedEx lost an entire rail for 250 excavator. How does this stuff even happen? I can see the loss of a little box or envelope getting dropped under something or picked up with something else but how do you "lose" these 2000 lb items? The only thing I can even think is that these items are getting stolen by employees since scrap prices are so high right now.
 

Bumpsteer

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2009
Messages
1,333
Location
Front seat on the Struggle Bus
Occupation
Mechanical designer
Our fedex driver is tolerated, not appreciated. Your setting the damned box right under my house number! Can't look up and verify its correct? Flagged him down on the return trip past the house. Wrong address, NOW, where's MY package thats on the truck? He went and found it....blamed it on being coded wrong. I blame it on nothing of value in a "chewie" box, but something cool in an acme tools box.
Local gestapo also wrote him for 46 in a 25..really?

Ed
 
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Birken Vogt

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2003
Messages
5,305
Location
Grass Valley, Ca
There about 10 different LTL companies to choose from, if Fedex give troubles then walk.

As far as small packages, they are not my favorite, either. UPS is much better in every respect at the moment, still not perfect.
 

1466IH

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2014
Messages
613
Location
prairie du rocher, il
There about 10 different LTL companies to choose from, if Fedex give troubles then walk.

As far as small packages, they are not my favorite, either. UPS is much better in every respect at the moment, still not perfect.
Kobelco warehouse in Houston has some sort of contract with FedEx and will only ship with them. The other issue was with one of our suppliers so we have no control over either of those but we have an account with UPS and use them for anything we can control. Our UPS driver has been on our route for years and does what he can to help when we have problems but they are few and far between. You can tell he is one of those people who cares about his job and is not just there for a paycheck
 

JPV

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2015
Messages
756
Location
S.W. Washington
The ups drivers around here are great. In my life I can think of only 3 regular drivers with this route, they have stuck with it for years until retirement. FedEx, not so much.
 

Tones

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2009
Messages
3,059
Location
Ubique
Occupation
Ex land clearing contractor, part-time retired
FedEx must have dropped the ball somewhere along the line. A few years ago I had a 100cc hydraulic motor sent from Wooster Ohio to Brisbane Australia. It took 4 days and one of them was 4th July. It can take longer to overnight freight out of Melbourne like 6 days for a fuel rail pressure sensor. That was with Tomorrow Not Today (TNT)which FedEx now own.
 

Junkyard

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2016
Messages
3,621
Location
Claremore, OK
Occupation
Field Mechanic
Based on my experience I think it’s the culture and they way they run things vs UPS. I have similar issues with FedEx. Never the same driver, never the same delivery time which drives me crazy as I’m seldom at the shop all day. They drive like they stole the truck and are delivering to reduce suspicion.

Growing up my mom ran a business from home and we had the same delivery guy forever. Knew his birthday and had something for him, he knew mine as my aunt always sent me a package. At the shop I have two drivers, usually a younger guy and occasionally an older guy. They know to leave the package if I’m not there, where to stash it etc. FedEx never does that.

If you want your envelope to get from Joplin to Topeka overnight they’re great. We send stuff like that multiple times a week. Beyond that I’ve not had great experiences.
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,248
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
Probably has something to do with some Fedex routes are subcontractors. It says Fedex on the van but they are not Fedex employees. I saw on one of the business for sale websites where you can purchase 3-4 van Fedex routes.
 

John C.

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
12,865
Location
Northwest
Occupation
Machinery & Equipment Appraiser
I'm having a similar problem with the mail. We had one driver for years. You could set a clock for the right time when he was at the mail box. He retired a couple of years ago. A young lady then got the route and she was good as well but the times would slip occasionally. Now she has moved up the ladder and they keep bringing in new blood. They have all been immigrants who barely speak english. They don't understand the address systems and no one trains them on the routes. Our mail ends up all over the place and you have to check what you get for stuff addressed to someone else. I wonder if the new blood at the post office are rejects from FedEx.
 

56wrench

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
2,074
Location
alberta
I’m waiting on a small package of cutting tool inserts. They are paying the shipping. Don’t know for sure how they are sending it or exactly where it will show up. It’s day 3. Just playing the waiting game:rolleyes:
 

4x4ford

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2007
Messages
237
Location
Las Vegas Nevada
Occupation
aunts on the strip Currently drive a 1951 chevy pa
With fedex it all boils down to lowest bidder they don’t own any trucks. That’s a lot of why you see so many fedex trucks wrecked verses ups. They own the otr trailers but all trucks are private contractors.
 

1466IH

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2014
Messages
613
Location
prairie du rocher, il
FedEx sucks as badly as USPS. I will use UPS all day every day! Also with UPS, anywhere in FL regular ground is next day.
I am in South western Illinois and can get parts from Regal in Knoxville or American Crane in Kansas city next day as long as I specify to ship brown
 

Zewnten

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2018
Messages
553
Location
Earth
Fedex contractors is the reason. Fedex squeezes them , they squeeze the employees and bam you've got yourself the most incompetent team ever.
 

Camshawn

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2017
Messages
585
Location
Langley BC
Occupation
retired
Here in Langley BC, fed ex air lady is great. Knows our names, cookies for the dog, no issues. Fed ex ground, left a fragile box in the rain ( in a clear plastic bag) on the driveway 50 feet from the road and 350 feet from the house. Ups has been good as well. Misc other couriers stuff big bags into a small mailbox on the street. Spent 10 min trying to extract the last one without breaking the items or the mailbox. Cam
 

Former Wrench

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
470
Location
Montesano, WA
Occupation
Retired
The wife and I get hybrid citrus from a farm in FL, (we live in western WA). FedX transports it west to Olathe, KS, where it sits for a day or two, then ships it east to WI. It usually kicks/sits around for a few days before heading to the Seattle/Tacoma area. A few days later our pricey, freeze burned, over-ripe fruit is set on the door step. This is not how I would run a freight Co.
 
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