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One FedEx Ground Contractor Group Disbands, Another Forms

| Mike O'Brien

After making a lot of noise this year with a list of grievances including poor management practices and bad peak season forecasting leading to the brink of insolvency for many, an association of FedEx Ground contractors has disbanded, taking a shot at the founder on the way out the door.

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FedEx Ground to Contractors: Expect Lower Peak Volume

| Mike O'Brien

FedEx Ground told its base of 6,000 contractors that domestic peak season volume is expected to be lighter than previously reported, as the company battles headwinds a year after package flow fell below forecasts, causing pain and outcries from contractors who invested heavily in trucks and drivers.

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FedEx Suspends Sunday Delivery in Some Markets

| Mike O'Brien

FedEx is suspending Sunday delivery for its Ground network in some lower-density markets starting Aug. 21, citing a focus on “improving efficiency and reducing costs,” the move coming amid calls from contractors for relief from high costs, including elimination of Sunday service.

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USPS Revises Vehicle Plan, May Add More EVs

| Mike O'Brien

The USPS plans to update its environmental impact statement related to the mix of electric vs. gas-powered vehicles, saying it’s driven by its delivery network improvement plan and unrelated to lawsuits favoring an all-electric fleet. The mix may change due to aggregation of carrier operations affecting its delivery route structure.

smart loading zones Automotus

Smart Loading Zones Program Moves Ahead

| Mike O'Brien

A pilot program creating smart loading zones for last-mile deliveries in Pittsburgh is seeing progress in terms of easing congestion from double-parked vehicles, and will expand next to Omaha, with four other sites being selected for launch later this year.

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Delivery Failures Hit Nearly 75% of Consumers

| Chris Jones

Against a backdrop of supply chain disruption, the ecommerce boom and worldwide driver shortages over the last several years, many brands have faced hurdles concerning fulfillment while logging more home deliver failures. Although some have tailored their strategies to overcome them, others haven’t been quite as successful.

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USPS Postmaster DeJoy Facing FBI Investigation

| Mike O'Brien

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched an investigation into past political fundraising efforts of Louis DeJoy, the embattled Postmaster General of the U.S. Postal Service, raising the volume of Democratic calls for his ouster even as he works to enact major postal reforms.

Mitigating Hefty New Parcel Shipping Surcharges this Holiday Season

| Jennifer Doles

Parcel shipping services will be in high demand for peak holiday season as more consumers are shopping online in the midst of COVID. And a new wave of peak surcharges from major carriers poses a significant burden for ecommerce shippers – and they’ve already hit. Here are ways to mitigate the costs coming into peak season.

3 Critical Steps to Up Ecommerce Delivery Performance in 2020

| Tommy Barnes

From the Amazons and Alibabas of the world, to B2B suppliers like Grainger and Readerlink, to other niche and specialty suppliers and retailers, delivery is a crucial component of any ecommerce company’s success. Here are three steps ecommerce companies can take to ensure they don’t crack under the pressure to deliver in 2020.