February 16, 2007
New FedEx Sorting Facility: NYC Street & Sidewalk
It's the FedEx Package shuffle!
Reader Joshua Yates sent us some photographs and this downtown Manhattan query:
For the past week I've have noticed everyday around 2:30 the impromptu gathering of FedEx trucks across the street. The drivers of these anywhere from seven to ten FedEx delivery trucks quickly jump out and start unloading all their packages, right in the middle of the street. Once their trucks are substantially emptied they begin resorting and repacking their trucks. What is up with this? Is this a legitimate and approved practice of FedEx? Is this a product of employees taking up the reigns of an inefficient sorting system? This has to be breaking some sort of legal statute about the handling of parcels. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?
In this age of tracking numbers, we're sure the packages made their way to their destinations. but it's still very strange. Plus, they're double parked and we think they're blocking a bike lane. We called FedEx to ask them, but they didn't know either! Maybe another reader out there does?
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"This has to be breaking some sort of legal statute about the handling of parcels."
Suuure it does.
this is very common practice, and not just with fedex but ups and the others too. its funny when they turn one truck around and go end to end!
At first glance I'd say they're doing what Whole Foods does, using the public space to conduct their business to save money. Who cares who they inconvenience?
so wrong. go with brown.
so wrong. we don't do that.
They do the same thing on Houston and Suffolk St. Every morning like clockwork. I've even seen a lady from the neighborhood pick up a package there rather than waiting for delivery.
I didn't realize this was common - I thought packages would get sorted at a facility...then the trucks are sent on their routes.
You completely forgot to mention the fact that the law they are breaking is parking in a bike lane. this endangers the lives of cyclists by forcing them to move into traffic lanes.
This is about the lives of cyclists, not some silly package moving.
They are blocking a vehicular and bicycle lane, contrary to NYC traffic laws. If this is happening on a regular basis, call your local police precinct and give them an exact time and cross streets AND what side of the street this is happening on. Sooner or later a patrol car will catch them in the act.
Many evenings you can see UPS trucks double parked on Broadway in SOHO, sorting packages between the trucks.
Yeah, they are blocking the bike lane. someone should call the 9th Precinct so they can go all ticket-y on their asses.
who cares about cyclist lives? As long as we get our packages on time it's alright. Go ahead and do a protest bike march and rally it ain't gonna do jack shit. Cest la Vie.
Perhaps this explains why for every 1 UPS screw-up I deal with, there are 10 FedEx screw-ups. At this moment I have a bunch of perishable merchandise rotting in a FedEx facility somewhere in the wilds of Brooklyn.
hey jen chung... mindya business
Since the city is so densely populated, it's often impossible for a courier assigned a local route to carry an entire day's deliveries in a single truckload. Add the time-critical factor for late-arriving deliveries, and you have carriers sending out waves of "update" and "additional" packages in trucks that meet the couriers along the way. They'd rather pay a traffic ticket than disappoint a paying customer.
There have been stories in the TIMES about FreshDirect's habit of blocking lanes on upper Broadway to serve its UWS customers. Even the USPS uses the same tactics, but they have the legal right to install "relay boxes" (they look like regular street mailboxes, but have no letter slots) where they can leave sacks the carrier could not possibly carry from her home station.
Any way to set up similar transfer stations for the likes of FedEx, UPS, DHL, FreshDirect, etc.?
You all have no idea ! If your parcel gets to it's destination in one piece be glad . This is a common practice of the company . Due to the fact that their sorters really don't pay attention to what they are doing . They throw packages into the trucks . Use them as seats to take breaks, The list of infractions goes on and on . Don't it twisted folks FedEx is a great company to work for with the programs for college students . The overall working conditions suck like hell ! If you've ever had a job working outside then you know what the deal is here . Try sorting boxes on a metal deck in the middle of a serious cold spell with wind chills in the single digits . The shit ain't pretty folks . They pay very well for a company that hires manual labor part time . [$9-$22} By now you may be thinking "How the hell does he know all this "? Because I used to work for them . No I'm not angry with the company it's just that the fact need to be addressed .
It looks like Lafayette Street. Unfortunately, in New York, delivery trucks, cabs, people pulling breakfast carts and just plain assholes trying to get ahead of a few other cars, use bike lanes as if they were put there for their own convenience and do so with relative impunity. As a daily bike rider and someone who drives a truck for work a lot of the time I see it constantly. The pressure to do your job in a city that was never designed for so many vehicles makes the misuse of bike lanes really tempting especially when there is often no other place to pull over but it's still wrong and I refuse to do it. These FedEx trucks need to gather in a commerical bloack or at a FedEx facility. Unfortunately, they'll never get ticketed because this city puts the needs of business and cars ahead of the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists and residents.
1. What you see is really no big deal.
2. The FedEx gathering you see is the drivers meeting for late freight. They do in fact sort their freight at a station, that has a multi-million dollar sorting system.
3. The late freight that you see the FedEx couriers sorting comes from late aircraft arrival, most commonly from weather delays.
4. The late freight is shuttled out to the drivers that are already in the field making deliveries, so they are receiving additional deliveries to be made that day instead of the next day.
5. As far as the bikers go, well they will have to be unconvinced for a brief period on time, as these drivers are in a hurry to get their packages, deliver them and get done for the day.
6. It is New York City, I think parking space is at a bit of a premium.
1. ALL Delivery companies do this!!2. The FedEx gathering you see is the drivers meeting for late freight. They do in fact sort their freight at a station, that has a multi-million dollar sorting system.
3. The late freight that you see the FedEx couriers sorting comes from late aircraft arrival, most commonly from weather delays.
4. The late freight is shuttled out to the drivers that are already in the field making deliveries, so they are receiving additional deliveries to be made that day instead of the next day.
5. As far as the bikers go, well they will have to be unconvinced for a brief period on time, as these drivers are in a hurry to get their packages, deliver them and get done for the day.
6. It is New York City, I think parking space is at a bit of a premium.
Ant is right. I work for FedEx and this is Late freight....The late freight gets sorted into loops(about 5 drivers) and shuttled at which point those 5 drivers divvy up the late freight. This saves time because those 5 drivers don't have to go back to the station. Though as a driver it sucks to have to go back and redeliver in areas you have just been through.
Maybe FedEx could coordinate with the NYPD so this occurs in the middle of Critical Mass routes?
FedEx should sort it's "late freight" at one of it's multi-million dollar facilities, not in one of the only goddam bike lanes we have in this city. Just go around the corner to Astor Place, the whole block is commercial parking and sort the shit there. It's not just a minor inconveniece to bikers, some people, especially older riders, depend on having bike lanes free to feel safe enough to ride. There are no excuses, stay out of our bike lanes!
I work for FedEx and the comment below is correct!
Since the city is so densely populated, it's often impossible for a courier assigned a local route to carry an entire day's deliveries in a single truckload. Add the time-critical factor for late-arriving deliveries, and you have carriers sending out waves of "update" and "additional" packages in trucks that meet the couriers along the way. They'd rather pay a traffic ticket than disappoint a paying customer.
There have been stories in the TIMES about FreshDirect's habit of blocking lanes on upper Broadway to serve its UWS customers. Even the USPS uses the same tactics, but they have the legal right to install "relay boxes" (they look like regular street mailboxes, but have no letter slots) where they can leave sacks the carrier could not possibly carry from her home station.
Any way to set up similar transfer stations for the likes of FedEx, UPS, DHL, FreshDirect, etc.?
Come on people, dont be spoiled brats.
This happens because if carriers charged you more to do this in their facilities or to assign more trucks you'd have your tities in twist about the price of shipping. And if they don't do this you are gonna have your panties in a twist about your package being a day or more late. Not to say I dont feel for bikers in NYC, but if you ride a bike in NY, this is the kind of stuff you have to deal with.
They should divvy up those stolen Sidekicks somewhere else, like some industrial part of Bushwick or something.
Sorry Monkey Wrench, blocking bike lanes is illegal and dangerous, and frankly, we're tired of dealing with it.
"but if you ride a bike in NY, this is the kind of stuff you have to deal with."
This is the attitude that infuriates me the most about living in New York and I'm from here. I do deal with it. and like Mike, I'm tired of being told to stop whining about my rights whenever I protest that they aren't being respected. I can understand if an ambulence or a fire truck needs to pull over but other than that, it's a bike lane, end of story.
They even show this in that movie with Tom Hanks, "Cast Away," when he and others sort Fedex parcels in the middle of the street in front of St. Petersburg in Russia.
Waaaahhhhhhh! The cars are in my bike lane! Shut up. Get your bikes off of my sidewalk and stop chaining them to my gate.
Waaaahhhhhhhh! The bikes are chained to my gate! You shut up, idiot.
FedEx sucks, I know 'cause I work there. But anyway we do this truck-to-truck sort when planes arrive late and we have late freight. One or two people will go out filled to the brim with other couriers' packages and meet every other courier who delivers to a general area. Then, yes, we sort the packages truck-to-truck in a public area. Yes, it's stupid. No, you should'nt use FedEx.