Highest peak
FedEx is anticipating another record peak holiday shipping season this year, with each of the four Mondays during the season expected to be among the busiest in the company’s history. The surge has, of course, been spurred by the growth in e-commerce.
But despite the anticipated avalanche of parcels, FedEx said that it is “confident” that it is “prepared to deliver another successful holiday” for its customers due to its “significant investment in people, facilities, aircraft and technology”.
FedEx said that the measures which it has taken in preparation for the peak season included:
- People – adding more than 50,000 positions leading up to peak season
- Facilities/Automation – forecasts a $2bn capacity investment in FedEx Ground
- Added 19 fully-automated stations and 4 major distribution hubs since last peak (equating to more than 12m square feet of sortation space)
- Added 6 non-conveyable annexes to handle over-sized packages
- Aircraft – added 30 new aircraft since last peak, and added Enhanced Vision systems to 270 aircraft, which helps pilots land in low visibility conditions.
The company added that because Christmas Day is falling on a Sunday this year it has “adjusted some service commitments for shipments tendered the week of Christmas”. FedEx Express will be delivering on Saturday, 24 December (Christmas Eve), but this is not a service day for FedEx Ground. “FedEx Hold at Location” will also be a delivery option for customers on Christmas Eve.
