FedEx will have 160,000 vehicles on the road in the next month, making sure you get the packages you ordered for Christmas. So what better time to learn more about the hard-working delivery drivers that play Santa Claus under pressure? Several drivers talked to Mental Floss about what goes on behind the scenes at FedEx.
1. NOT ALL FEDEX DRIVERS ACTUALLY WORK FOR FEDEX.
Surprised? So were we. According to Ian, a former driver in Ohio, FedEx Express and FedEx Ground are actually two separate entities. “Most of the routes for Ground are contracted out to save money,” he says. “People can purchase the routes [from FedEx] and then hire their own drivers.” While that shouldn’t affect the consumer all that much, Ian says that he sometimes encountered people who were upset that, as an Express employee, he couldn’t pick up Ground packages. Ground drivers also tend to handle the larger, heavier items that aren’t being sent overnight. “Express can be more business and paperwork,” he says.
Another key difference: FedEx Express drivers often get sleek Mercedes Sprinter vans, while Ground has to settle for whatever their contractor wants them to use. Ian drove for both, but when he was a Ground driver, “I didn’t have any heat or air conditioning. In winter, it was like driving a giant freezer.”
Now the next time you see a FedEx truck, you'll look to see if the Mercedes logo appears anywhere on it. I know I will. Read the rest of the 12 secrets of FedEx delivery drivers at Mental Floss.
(Image credit: Coolcaesar)