About FedEx

• FedEx is one of the largest package and parcel delivery companies in the U.S. and Canada, perhaps best known for its expedited next day delivery service. FedEx maintains a fleet of jets and semi trucks to service its operations, but its smaller trucks used for actual delivery are owned and maintained by delivery personnel who work under an independent contractor status. The main rivals to FedEx are UPS and the United States Postal Service.
  
  

A Day as a FedEx Delivery Driver

• A FedEx delivery driver is a contractor responsible for delivering FedEx packages to residences and businesses within a certain route contracted for in advance. At the start of a route, a driver goes to the appropriate FedEx warehouse facility in his area where he loads all the packages to be delivered to destinations within his route. The rest of the shift is spent driving the route and hand delivering packages to the doors of the recipients. Packages are either given to the recipients if they are home or left at the door, provided the delivery was designated as not needing a signature. Packages that cannot be delivered are returned to the distribution center for later delivery attempts or pick-up by the customer. Since drivers service the same routes, they will sometimes become familiar with certain customers who receive a large number of packages, which can inject some human interaction into the flow of driving and delivering parcels.
  
  

Drivers are Rewarded for Efficiency

• Since FedEx drivers are paid as contractors, the emphasis of a day at work is on speed. The more deliveries a driver can make in a day, the more money he stands to be paid--an efficient driver will be able to take on more routes and make more money. As a result, drivers try to load their trucks as fast as possible, since they are not paid hourly for the loading time. They also spend time figuring out the best possible route to deliver to all the customers receiving packages on a given day to optimize speed and fuel consumption. Drivers that work dense urban areas where many packages are delivered will usually not be able to alter their routes as much from one day to the next.