Question for you Fedex Guys

[The Saint]

Taking to my friends at fedex they say you can drop trips with no problem. They said this was in the contract that if someone is on reserve below you the company has to let you drop it. My question is for junior guys out of MEM how easy is it to drop trips to build blocks of free time.

 

[DornierPilot]

If we're properly staffed, it's pretty easy.

If we're short in the seat that you occupy, then it becomes a little more dicey.

 

[Falconjet]

There is nothing in the contract about being able to drop a trip if there is someone junior to you on reserve. That is incorrect. You can, however, drop trips anytime there is sufficient reserve coverage for the day(s) of the trip you want to drop. What is sufficient coverage? Only the computer and skeds folks know that answer, and I suspect that it changes daily.

You can also trade trips with open time, again assuming there is adequate reserve coverage for the day(s) affected. Reserve days can also be dropped and/or moved, and the contract DOES say that reserve day MOVE requests shall not be unduly denied. What does that mean, again who knows, but the bottom line is they won't let you move or drop if there is insufficient reserve coverage.

Dropping R days in my experience is harder than dropping trips, and as Dornier said, when there are plenty of folks in the seat it is much easier to drop stuff. If the seat is short on bodies, you can't even drop trips.

Holding a line (in my opinion) makes it easier to drop trips and build more days off.

FJ

 

[Echopapa]

I sit reserve by choice, and I have had very little luck in either dropping or moving reserve days. I have only been denied a trip drop when it was over christmas, every other time they have approved it.

It is frustrating that on reserve they disapprove so many move and drop requests. When I have called the scheds to talk about it they always tell me its done by computer program and they have no input. I have been denied move and drop request when there are no trips in open time, always getting "insufficient reserves" as the reason.

Long story short, if you want to be able to move days and drop days bid lines or seconday lines.

 

[FedEx1]

All of the above is true. If I do get a denial for a drop, though, I wait a few hours, until I think Scheduling has had a shift change, and then put my request in again. I have gotten my drop about 80% of the time.

 

[JohnQ]

I sit reserve by choice, and I have had very little luck in either dropping or moving reserve days. I have only been denied a trip drop when it was over christmas, every other time they have approved it.

It is frustrating that on reserve they disapprove so many move and drop requests. When I have called the scheds to talk about it they always tell me its done by computer program and they have no input. I have been denied move and drop request when there are no trips in open time, always getting "insufficient reserves" as the reason.

Long story short, if you want to be able to move days and drop days bid lines or seconday lines.

At Delta (Bankruptcy discussions aside) it is both better and worse. On the one hand the reserves required formula is part of our contract. I cannot believe that at FedEx you leave that solely to your Flt Ops mgmt to determine? (!) On the other hand, so what if it is in our contract? The formula is so ridiculous that you can have quite a few reserves that are never used, but you still cannot drop a trip due to "reserves required greater than available" by the formula.

So, my recommendation is to get your formula negotiated in your contract (if it is not already) but also to make sure that the formula is realistic.

 

[regionaltard]

On the one hand the reserves required formula is part of our contract.

Would you mind either posting the relevant language or PMing me with it?