winter has come to western WA, which means many gloomy days….days that don’t exactly make you want to run outside and take pictures. today was an exception, sorta. we had a glimpse of sun amidst the clouds. i took advantage of this hint of natural light and decided to dissect my old laptop computer…a computer so old it came with Windows 3.1 (and to think, some of the young’ins probably don’t know what the heck Windows 3.1 is!). so of course i have to share.
until today i have been struggling inside trying to light my macro shots properly. the challenge is i’ve switched to a white background, which shows every shadow. not good. a real pro would avoid the shadows. an almost pro would fix it in photoshop. i can’t quite do either yet, but i’m getting there. practice makes perfect!
The interesting thing about FedEx is that none of the drivers actually work for FedEx. Wait, I should back up a bit and clarify something. To keep things simple, let’s just say that FedEx Express is a different entity than FedEx Home Delivery and Ground. They live in separate buildings far apart from each other and never communicate with one another. It’s as if FedEx Express is an entirely different organization that just happens to have the same name. Consequently, when I speak of FedEx, I am not in any way, form, or fashion speaking of FedEx Express. I am only referring to FedEx Home Delivery and Ground.
FedEx Home Delivery and Ground drivers work for themselves. (FedEx Express drivers work for the company FedEx). They are all Independent Contractors. They own or lease their vehicle; they own their route. It is absolutely one of the major difference between FedEx and UPS. UPS drivers are union. ‘nuf said, right? FedEx drivers aren’t. Shortly after I started working for FedEx my friend emailed me the following email from care2.com:
“FedEx Ground advertises efficiency and professionalism. But when these delivery drivers try to form unions, they’re met with intimidation and propaganda - even firing.
Give benefits and respect to the people who make FedEx so successful >>
More than 15,000 FedEx Ground drivers don’t have a voice at work, or the ability to stand up to the company.
These men and women work long hours, often without benefits, are frequently harassed and even fired for supporting a union.
So why don’t the drivers just quit if they don’t like their jobs? FedEx makes them lease their own trucks (which cost around $40,000), so quitting can mean losing a major personal investment.
Resorting to nasty labor tactics to increase company profits is just not right. Sign today >>
Thank you for standing up in support of America’s hard-working families.
P.S. The National Labor Relations Board has already issued complaints against FedEx Ground.”
And apparently there was even some sort of movement encouraging the public not to use FedEx for package delivery. Interesting. Unfortunately due to my newness to the position and the stress accompanying any new job- especially one that starts around Christmas- I was unable to get any driver opinions about the situation. That was a huge shortcoming on my part because personally I don’t understand why anyone would chose to work for FedEx rather than UPS. I suppose it’s nice to work for yourself, but there is something to be said about the good pay and great benefits that goes along with being part of the Teamsters Union. The only insight I got was during a brief conversation with fellow temp Greg. Last holiday season he was a driver for UPS. Evidently he had no desire to go back, hence his arrival on the scene at FedEx. When asked why, he said UPS drivers are just putting their time in. It’s just another job for them. On the other hand, FedEx drivers really care about the customer and delivering excellent customer service. Interesting. Yet why did the FedEx drivers seem to be so grouchy? Maybe it was just the stress of the season.
Here’s the job description to be an Independent Contractor for FedEx:
“Join 15,000 other small business owners and become an Independent Contractor for FedEx Home Delivery. Start and grow your own package delivery business with the power of the FedEx brand behind you. Own one or multiple routes with an established customer base while receiving sales and customer support from FedEx Home Delivery. Receive regular weekly income based on your own individual performance and business management skills; fuel supplement and customer service incentives are available. You must own or have the ability to lease from a third party a suitable vehicle.”
Hmmm, maybe next year I’ll try being a driver for UPS so I can experience first hand what the difference is.
Just another side note, although FedEx Home Delivery and Ground share the same building, they are separate divisions. I worked for FedEx Home Delivery, as they understandably needed the most assistance during the holiday season. My supervisors were Jason and Tommy. Yet Vinnie, who heads the Ground Division, trained our class. Not a huge deal, except that I was glad that after training, my time with Vinnie was almost non-existent. He’s a real firecracker and for some reason we butted heads. But that’s another story for some other time.
Whoops, another side note for those interested: according to Vinnie, FedEx only has about 27% of the market share. Wow. No wonder UPS hires Driver Helpers during the holiday season!
Big Hint: click on the object for a larger view.
Think Inky and Blinky.
Last night I watched Nova and their program about the quest for Absolute Zero. All I can say is WoW! and why didn’t I ever take a Physics class? That stuff is fascinating!! Here’s a webpage about Bose-Einstein Condensation….and if you don’t know what that is then you’d better get over there to read all about it!
In other ‘news’, according to the Oct 2007 issue of Budget Travel, there is apparently restaurant in Italy that is all the rage. What makes it so special? It is located in a high-security prison! In addition to making reservations, you also need to submit to a background check and receive security clearance just to eat there! To quote from Budget Travel “the restaurant, which is staffed with murderers and thieves, is an experiment in modern-day prison rehab: the idea is that reformed inmates can find work in the restaurant business upon release. (4 convicts have so far.)” Hmmmm, I don’t think I’ll be flying to Italy to eat there anytime soon.
And now for an unrelated puppy picture which gives you an indication of how I spend my time.
I have already lost my enthusiasm to write about FedEx. Which is a shame, really, because I do have some funny stories to tell. Like the time I locked my keys in the van. With it running. With my cell phone inside. I usually leave the van running when I deliver a package. After all, most times I’m just hopping out for mere moments to drop a package off. The problem is the auto lock feature. I must have elbowed the button on my out that time. I was in the middle of delivering a Dell computer, which requires a direct signature by the future owner. I had delivered one box and while the lady was signing, was going back for the second. My van door had closed in the meantime and when I went to open it, no such luck. I was flabbergasted. I did the ole walk around the van in disbelief while trying every door, looking puzzled as to how this could possibly happen. The lady came over to investigate my delay and I told her what happened. She said, ‘well, it couldn’t have happened at a better place…my husband is a locksmith.’ I couldn’t believe it!! We went inside to call her husband and all I distinctly remember is a sign above their dining room table that read, “God is Gracious.” Now you know I’m not a particularly religious person but all I could think was ‘Indeed He is.’ After all, somebody was smiling down on me that day! A big Thank You to Bigfoot Locksmith for helping me out!!
