Hello Everyone
After reading a post about FedEx Custom Critical. I feel that a picture needs to be painted so everyone can understand better why a carrier does things. In that post I feel FedEx Custom Critical did nothing wrong. People need to look at it from a business stand point. Lets see what it is like when a customer calls in to set up a shipment and what can happen when things go wrong.
The customer calls in to FedEx Custom Critical at 2 pm.
The Customer:
Hello this is Bill from ABC Auto Parts. I would like to set up a shipment at our Oak creek, Wi Plant for tomorrow at 8 am.
FedEx agent:
What size of unit are you looking for?
The Customer:
Well, we will have one skid 48X48X40 for sure at 800 lbs, but we may have a total of two at 1600 lbs.
FedEx Agent:
We can put this shipment on a B Unit to save you money. A B-unit floor space is up to 8.5 feet of space with up to 2500 lbs. Is this okay.
The customer:
Yes
FedEx Agent:
Where is the shipment going too?
The customer:
Its going to the GM plant in Atlanta, Ga.
FedEx Agent:
Okay, the shipment is 797 miles and with a 8 am pickup. We can have your shipment at the drop off by 3:45 am the next morning is that okay?
The Customer:
They don't take freight at that time, they start taking delivery's at 8 am.
FedEx Agent:
Okay, we can set that up right now for $1426.23. Do you want to set up this shipment?
The Customer:
Yes.
FedEx Agent.
Okay your order is set up and here is your order number of 20110101. We will e-mail you the unit number that is picking up this shipment. Thank you for calling FedEx Custom Critical.
The Customer:
Thank you and have a great day.
Now the agents has to get the run covered with a B unit team or a solo with a transfer half way to keep both van drivers happy. The agent looks and see's that there is a B-Unit team sitting in Oak Creek, Wi. three miles from the pick up. The offer is sent out to the truck and the B-unit team accepts the load.
The next morning the van team is at the pick up on time at goes into the shipping office to find out the they are picking up two skids at 1800lbs. The team calls FedEx and says this is not the load we accepted. This load is two skids. The FedEx agent says this is what the customer called in and your unit can do the load. Based on your floor space you have 110 inchs of space and the freight is 96 inches long. We can't do this load safely because we have no place to sleep.
Now remind you that this team goes on EO and posts they one can stay up and drive 36 to 48 hours with no sleep safely. But can't do a 20 hour run safely. Now lets look at what could have happened if this team refused to pick up the shipment. They said that FedEx forced them to do this load, which I disagree on this one. Lets say that this customer ships 4 to 5 loads a week with FedEx CC. Now the driver is saying this is not the shipment that we was offered and we aren't picking this up and leave the pickup. Now the agent has to find another unit and there is no units with 300 miles of this pickup. So FedEx has to call another carrier in to pick up this shipment for them or maybe risk losing this customer. So lets say FedEx calls Panther and Panther says they can do the shipment for $1500.00 all in. FedEx is now taking a lost on the shipment of $73.77 because they don't want to lose this customers business.
So they call the customer up and tell them that the driver unit can't do the load and they are sending in another unit. So the Panther unit goes into the shipper and says he is here to pick the load going to the Gm Plant in Atlanta, Ga. The shipper says who is Panther Expedite because we have never heard of Panther. The driver gives the shipper a magnet with Panther phone number and info and saying " We can do your shipments cheaper than FedEx". Now the shipper has the number to another carrier to call. When I was on the road I would do this all the time. Cups, Hats, Magnets, Pens and so on. Your best sales force is your drivers, plus it's free. So the Panther driver picks up the freight and gets to the consignee on time.
Now the damage has been done. The shipper will remember it was a Panther driver that came in an picked up that freight the last time and got it to their customer on time. Plus the driver said that Panther can do it cheaper. So who is the shipper going to call the next time? Panther not FedEx because of one drivers actions. I'm sure this has happen many times over the years at FedEx and Panther. Now the customer did almost $400,000.00 a year in business with you that was just lost. Would you keep this Team? Nope.
Now this didn't happen and this story was made up. But it can happen. I have learned that sometimes people can get upset in the heat of the moment. I have done it myself and have learned that things don't always work out the way you want them too. If this had been me and another driver in a van I would have picked up the freight and slept in the jump seat. If this had happened the team would have lost about $900.00 of income.
Just something to think about the next time you call your carrier being mad at a pickup.
After reading a post about FedEx Custom Critical. I feel that a picture needs to be painted so everyone can understand better why a carrier does things. In that post I feel FedEx Custom Critical did nothing wrong. People need to look at it from a business stand point. Lets see what it is like when a customer calls in to set up a shipment and what can happen when things go wrong.
The customer calls in to FedEx Custom Critical at 2 pm.
The Customer:
Hello this is Bill from ABC Auto Parts. I would like to set up a shipment at our Oak creek, Wi Plant for tomorrow at 8 am.
FedEx agent:
What size of unit are you looking for?
The Customer:
Well, we will have one skid 48X48X40 for sure at 800 lbs, but we may have a total of two at 1600 lbs.
FedEx Agent:
We can put this shipment on a B Unit to save you money. A B-unit floor space is up to 8.5 feet of space with up to 2500 lbs. Is this okay.
The customer:
Yes
FedEx Agent:
Where is the shipment going too?
The customer:
Its going to the GM plant in Atlanta, Ga.
FedEx Agent:
Okay, the shipment is 797 miles and with a 8 am pickup. We can have your shipment at the drop off by 3:45 am the next morning is that okay?
The Customer:
They don't take freight at that time, they start taking delivery's at 8 am.
FedEx Agent:
Okay, we can set that up right now for $1426.23. Do you want to set up this shipment?
The Customer:
Yes.
FedEx Agent.
Okay your order is set up and here is your order number of 20110101. We will e-mail you the unit number that is picking up this shipment. Thank you for calling FedEx Custom Critical.
The Customer:
Thank you and have a great day.
Now the agents has to get the run covered with a B unit team or a solo with a transfer half way to keep both van drivers happy. The agent looks and see's that there is a B-Unit team sitting in Oak Creek, Wi. three miles from the pick up. The offer is sent out to the truck and the B-unit team accepts the load.
The next morning the van team is at the pick up on time at goes into the shipping office to find out the they are picking up two skids at 1800lbs. The team calls FedEx and says this is not the load we accepted. This load is two skids. The FedEx agent says this is what the customer called in and your unit can do the load. Based on your floor space you have 110 inchs of space and the freight is 96 inches long. We can't do this load safely because we have no place to sleep.
Now remind you that this team goes on EO and posts they one can stay up and drive 36 to 48 hours with no sleep safely. But can't do a 20 hour run safely. Now lets look at what could have happened if this team refused to pick up the shipment. They said that FedEx forced them to do this load, which I disagree on this one. Lets say that this customer ships 4 to 5 loads a week with FedEx CC. Now the driver is saying this is not the shipment that we was offered and we aren't picking this up and leave the pickup. Now the agent has to find another unit and there is no units with 300 miles of this pickup. So FedEx has to call another carrier in to pick up this shipment for them or maybe risk losing this customer. So lets say FedEx calls Panther and Panther says they can do the shipment for $1500.00 all in. FedEx is now taking a lost on the shipment of $73.77 because they don't want to lose this customers business.
So they call the customer up and tell them that the driver unit can't do the load and they are sending in another unit. So the Panther unit goes into the shipper and says he is here to pick the load going to the Gm Plant in Atlanta, Ga. The shipper says who is Panther Expedite because we have never heard of Panther. The driver gives the shipper a magnet with Panther phone number and info and saying " We can do your shipments cheaper than FedEx". Now the shipper has the number to another carrier to call. When I was on the road I would do this all the time. Cups, Hats, Magnets, Pens and so on. Your best sales force is your drivers, plus it's free. So the Panther driver picks up the freight and gets to the consignee on time.
Now the damage has been done. The shipper will remember it was a Panther driver that came in an picked up that freight the last time and got it to their customer on time. Plus the driver said that Panther can do it cheaper. So who is the shipper going to call the next time? Panther not FedEx because of one drivers actions. I'm sure this has happen many times over the years at FedEx and Panther. Now the customer did almost $400,000.00 a year in business with you that was just lost. Would you keep this Team? Nope.
Now this didn't happen and this story was made up. But it can happen. I have learned that sometimes people can get upset in the heat of the moment. I have done it myself and have learned that things don't always work out the way you want them too. If this had been me and another driver in a van I would have picked up the freight and slept in the jump seat. If this had happened the team would have lost about $900.00 of income.
Just something to think about the next time you call your carrier being mad at a pickup.
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