Salute to FedEx Charters and FedEx Express Operations

FedEx Corporate Contributions received a most unusual request: to transport 7 Beluga whales and 4 dolphins to a temporary home while Shedd Aquarium in Chicago was under renovation.  Two planes transported the special cargo under the direction of FedEx Charters team including Dave Lange, Walter Hooker, George Miller and Larry Ashkenaz in the fall of 2008.  Many details had to be worked out: making sure planes were available, reviewing flight schedules in and out of both airports, lining up crew and extra equipment such as the 40,000 pound capacity forklifts, gaining airfield and security cle

The Road Goes on Forever and the Party Never Ends

That’s the title of a Robert Earl Keen song that reminds me of my college days.  I’ve developed quite the road trip soundtrack, but it’s a fitting summary title for my summer tour with the hybrids.  The 92 hybrids that have ventured across the country have anywhere from 300,000 to 500,000 revenue service miles on them.  They’ve been given a new engine, new paint job and a new life as a cleaner vehicle ready to serve FedEx customers in California.  FedEx Express’ John Formisano commented, “It’s the very definition of recycling.” 

Seeing America Through the Windshield of a Hybrid Delivery Truck: A Road Trip

There are only a handful of things that are as American as a good ol’ road trip.  Clark Griswold made family road trips famously funny. My dad made road trips famously copasetic. Clark had the station wagon, my dad had a Dodge Caravan.This summer I get my own unique travel vehicle: a FedEx retro-fitted hybrid delivery truck.  In total, 92 trucks were retro-fitted in Charlotte, NC by Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) and Eaton Corporation will move across the U.S. to San Francisco and Los Angeles along Interstate 40. 

The Stories That Warm My Heart

Ok, I admit it. I’m a sucker for heart-warming stories of real people making a difference. I’m talking Oprah excited, Hallmark channel excited. I’ve shed a few tears here and there. Perhaps seeking positive stories is my own way to counteract the helplessness I feel when I turn on the news and see story after depressing story of corporate greed and government bailouts of big business. The positive stories are what keep my faith in the human spirit.

Thinking Globally on The Eve of Earth Day 2009

Like me, you might be surprised to learn that Earth Day has been in existence even before FedEx was born.  Concern for the environment continues to shape the way people think, work and live today.  We are all learning to make better choices to shrink our environmental footprint. It’s a modern responsibility, and a challenge to our ability to imagine and innovate.As we mark the latest Earth Day anniversary on April 22, I thought it would be the right time to point out that FedEx has been working hard to connect the world in responsible and resourceful ways.