Fedex, didn't it used to mean Federal Express?

Fedex Ground is a separate operation. They are slowly integrating. Fedex have been buying out commercial shippers around the US trying to build a national network to take on UPS ground. In my area they bought out national shipper RPS.

Since they agreed to keep most of the personnel of the old companys, I guess it will be evolution, not revolution, as far as retraining, etc. RPS did things differently, and there is probably resistance to change and growing pains. I wonder if RPS was Teamsters? Fedex is non-union.

I have been please with Fedex Ground in this area (Baltimore/Washington DC). There is an industrial park a mile behind my office which has truck depots and direct drop-offs/pickup for Fedex, UPS, as well as the regional sorting center for the Post Office where big packages can be handled, so I have lots of choices near by.

Fedex doesn't sort at every location. Even Fedex Overnight. It used to be (and may still be so) that if you wanted to send a letter across town in Manhattan, it would be picked up, flown to Memphis, sorted, then sent back to the Manhattan destination by next morning. Maybe your package was moved to a resort facility. Fedex Ground is less efficient and stuff sits in one place for a long time, probably because the shipper isn't paying for faster delivery and Fedex wants to save the higher labor costs it would need to incur to be prompt. What's our alternative?

All of these shippers including the post office have hubs (regional sorting facilities). The local trucking hubs behind my office all hold packages. Out going ground packages go to a larger center between Washington/Baltimore before going national by rail, or 18 wheeler. The air packages go to Dulles Airport. Fedex and the Post Office are sharing airplanes to some locations to keep the planes full and keep costs down.

I bought a pair of mint mono blocks here. FedEx ground pierced the double HD corrugated boxes and smashed the 3/4" thick aluminum faceplate and sheared the cover screws. Fine...insurance should cover it...FedEx claims no insurance was purchased. Seller had to fax claims dept proof. FedEx pick up unit for inspection. Driver gave no receipt, I had to go out to the truck and ask the driver for a receipt, he gives me a sticker. They do not inspect the unit in Toronto, Canada. They send it back to California. Who only know what further damage they have added to the unit? It arrives at the seller’s location. FedEx has done no inspection yet. FedEx goes to seller to pick up unit for inspection. Inspection damage report states it is packed with peanuts. The seller did not use peanuts. When it originally arrived in Toronto, there were no peanuts. When it arrived at seller’s location, no peanuts. When it was picked up, no peanuts. Why did a FedEx employee add peanuts? Or why was this false statement put on the damage report? The person handling the claim rejected the claim based on PEANUTS. The boxes were PIEARCED through, even if it was lined with sheet metal or wood, it would not have been able to stop the force that was exerted on the ¾” faceplate. So now there has to be an investigation. A superior is in charge now. Maybe the incompetence shown thus far was the result of the minimum wage employees. Great, now some management personnel are involved. With what result? FedEx LOOSES the amp. They do not know where it is and cannot find it. Seller gets a call from Virginia. FedEx shipped the unit to the original store that had sold the amp. Duh! Seller telephones FedEx to inform the claims dept management person that he found the amp. I called and asked the dealer in Virginia if there was any peanuts or evidence of peanuts in the box and there was NONE. Only original packaging. It has now been sitting in Virginia for a few days now. FedEx has made no attempt to communicate, inspect or pick up the amp. Limo This is where we are now. Probably will get even more interesting (frustrating) by this afternoon.