RedeyeAV8r

FYI
We had day flying (Day sort in MEM) Tuesday-Thursday long before we had the Postal Contract.

The Postal Contract did add a Friday-Saturday Day launch and increased the Day sort flying out of IND and OAK.

While it would be a Big hit to lose some or all of the USPS contract, it won't be the end of the world.

MEMA300

No. They flip flop them in the outstations. Leave mem go clt then rdu then go to IND for a layover. the next day leave indy on afternoon for a three leg into oakland or worse yet back to memphis for a night hubturn. they have the technology and the work rules to to do that. Just look at the crappy lines in the airbus. they have been doing that for years.

Shockwaves

Fred Smith will be announcing the restart of the recalls at UPS. Happy Days!

ClutchCargo

Yes, I recall the day sort pre-USPS. It seems to me that the day sort increased dramatically with USPS. Almost 100%, I think. I remember the first day that we flew the postal contract back in '01. A huge Charlie Foxtrot due to the overnight increase in departures. Just look at how many orange and blue bags are going on your airplane when you fly the day trips. hopefully, we won't have a too much of a cut in flying. We'll find out next week.

Regards,
Clutch

FDX28

Heard at the instructor meeting they were talking about a B767 KIND domicile....

nakazawa

Rumor is, FedEx is contemplating establishing a specific operations hub and domicile for it’s B-767F aircraft at the Indianapolis International Airport. Several factors have weighed into the decision which will logically result in the specific operation of the B-767 away from Memphis.

FedEx has expanded operations in Memphis to the point of near maximum density. On a night not encumbered by weather, FedEx can recover nearly 150 aircraft in slightly over 90 minutes. Increasing that time due to larger (heavy) aircraft will delay freight sorting times and subsequent package delivery. In the past 15 years FedEx has expanded to virtually every available square meter of ground space available, including the former Tennessee Air National Guard Ramp. Expansion to facilitate B-767 operations doesn’t seem likely or efficient. With a wingspan of over 170’, larger than the MD-11F and nearly 50 feet larger than the B-757, accommodating the new B-767 in Memphis would be problematic.

The B-767 purchase will require a totally new freight container. Efficiency now is based on being able to move similar containers between different aircraft when a trans-load is required due to an aircraft gauge change or maintenance problem. The B-767 with its’ new container will not be compatible with the B-757. By establishing the B-767 hub in INDY, efficiency will be enhanced, containers can be pre-positioned, and trans-load issues will be minimized if not avoided. Establishing a pilot domicile in Indianapolis will also bring economic enhancements with an expected 400 high paying crew member positions.

OKLATEX

Two Different things.

FedEx Express is regulated by the RLA (Railway Labor Act). In regards to Labor Law, simply put, Labor Groups at FedEx Express, or any Airline for that matter, can't organize on a local level, has to be all or nothing across the entire company in regards to Union Representation for that group. Thus every labor at Express faces this challenge in organizing.

With the NLRA (National Labor Relations Act), Labor can organize locally, ie, a company can have a group of couriers in some cities be represented by a union, while couriers in other cities are not. FedEx Express Couriers are classified under the RLA, UPS Couriers are classified under the NLRA. The basic reason is that UPS started as a Trucking Company, FedEx Express started as an Airline.

The Company has fought UPS, the Teamsters and Congress (James Oberstar) regarding this issue. (Remember the "Brown Bailout Campaign" and the clause in the agreement with Boeing when we ordered the 777s?)

Regarding the Contractor Model, that is FedEx Ground. When Ground was created, or rebranded after FDX bought RPS, they continued to use the existing contractor model that RPS used for its ground network. This has been challenged in court many times, and FedEx continues to win, with slight adjustments to the model.

Both the classification of FedEx Express and the FedEx Ground Contractor model offers huge cost savings to FedEx in regards to Labor cost. This is very important to Mr. Smith.

OKLATEX

That is what concerns me. The FedEx Express business model, while still great, is a model based upon business practices of the 1980s and 1990s. I have read that some analysts feel that this restructure is 10 years overdue.

While we promise "time", seems that customers today only really value "dollars". That isn't a secret, Mr. Smith has been talking about this for several months now.

Should we start to see a shrinking Domestic System (Express Domestic being switched to Ground) it is going to require continued growth in the International System to keep the musical chairs moving!

JethroFDX

......oops.....

JethroFDX

I heard that we're gonna move the TANG to Millington and take over their new facility for the 777 crews. No one else will be allowed there.