Why are FedEx planes so dirty

[taloft]

...because their passengers don't care.

 

[Huck]

I preflight probably 12 MD10/11's a month. I have no idea what you're talking about. When I got hired here I was amazed at how clean the planes are.

They get deice fluid on them in the winter but other than that they're clean, at least the ones I fly.

 

[kilroy]

Is it that white shows dirt more then brown?????????????? Just a thought.

 

[DieselDragRacer]

Is it that white shows dirt more then brown?????????????? Just a thought.

Here in the coatings world we were told UPS spent big money to find/create that particular color because they specifically wanted a color that didn't show dirt.

Whether its true or not I don't know but it makes sense.

While I rarely ever see a dirty UPS truck on the road there are 12 'variances' (meaning the paint companies never matched the prime color correctly to begin with) of UPS Brown so its not real hard to find 2 UPS trucks that don't match each other which is sad when you consider how simple of a color it really is.

 

[AV80R]

Here in the coatings world we were told UPS spent big money to find/create that particular color because they specifically wanted a color that didn't show dirt.


Doubt it; the color you see on airplanes is the standard UPS brown they have on all trucks. I was told they did some research on fuel savings when it comes to cleaning/waxing airplanes and/or trucks (I mean package cars ). With the fuel prices this high I bet you the fuel burn savings are worth the extra hassle - so they wash and wax their equipment quite often…

 

[DieselDragRacer]

Out of curiosity, I'd be interested in a UPS employee researching how UPS Brown came to be.

 

[AV80R]

Diesel, maybe you were right re: the "less visible dirt" theory...Here’s what I found…

1919 – 1930: The Beginning of the Common Carrier Era
In 1919, the company made its first expansion beyond Seattle to Oakland, California, where the name United Parcel Service debuted. "United" reflected the company's consolidated shipments, while "Parcel" indicated the kinds of deliveries the company made, and "Service," noted Charlie Soderstrom, "is all we have to offer." During the same year, Charlie was credited with the idea of painting all the company's cars brown, chosen for its stately appearance.


http://www.100ups.com/history/1919-1930.html

The brown color that UPS uses on its vehicles and uniforms is called UPS brown, which was chosen because it is the same color that was used on Pullman railroad sleeper cars and was seen as professional and elegant. The brown color hides dirt well and was inconspicuous. UPS's department store customers did not want to call attention to the fact that UPS was delivering their furniture, rather than its own delivery men. UPS has trademarked the color brown, which prevents other delivery companies from using it as part of their brand. UPS also operates its own airline (IATA: 5X, ICAO: UPS, and Callsign: UPS ) based in Louisville, Kentucky.
In April 2003, UPS unveiled a new logo, replacing the iconic package and shield originally designed in 1961 by Paul Rand. The new logo features a capital "U" and a capital "S", with an ironically larger lower-case "p" in the middle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Parcel_Service

 

[spitfire1500]

I'll tell you why they are so dirty (and I don't even have to waste my time reading the rest of the thread)....theyr'e too dang busy making money....jackass!!

 

[AV80R]

....jackass!!

Why name calling? He/she just asked a silly question, that's all...

 

[PURPLEHAZE21]

A guy named "Jose" in Mexico City cleans our planes for half the price it cost in the U.S..