What does FedEx Custom Critical Mean?
We are Independent Contractors with FedEx Custom Critical. We lease our truck from the Hyfield Trucking fleet and we are operating our own business (Cole Fyr LLC) as 1099 Independent Contractors. This means that our employer is Cole Fyr LLC, but we are driving a vehicle that we lease from Hyfield that is contracted exclusively to FedEx.
Because people see FedEx vehicles every day, there is a lot of uncertainty about exactly what it is that we do and how our job might be different from the FedEx vehicle pulling into your driveway at home, so let me try to break that down for you.
**I have embedded various links below for anyone who would like to follow them down all of the rabbit holes of information!
Overarching company structure: FedEx Company Structure
FedEx Corporation "is the umbrella organization that covers each of our operating companies."
Federal Express "is the largest express transportation company in the world with integrated expedited, standard, and economy offerings for business and residential package shipping."
**Note: In July 2024, the Federal Express operating company was formed from the unification of FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Services (Services includes sales, marketing, admin, IT, etc). Custom Critical was under the FedEx Express umbrella prior to this merger.
FedEx Freight "provides less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping choices with extensive coverage throughout the U.S. (including Alaska and Hawaii), Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and to the U.S. Virgin Islands." (Custom Critical, under Express prior to the merger, is now under the Freight umbrella.)
FedEx Office "provides copying, digital printing, professional finishing, signs, computer rental, corporate print solutions, packing services, shipping services, and Hold at FedEx Location."
FedEx Logistics "provides customers with configurable, customized and comprehensive global freight forwarding solutions in air and ocean freight, customs brokerage, and trade consulting to complement the Federal Express Corporation product portfolio."
FedEx Supply Chain "was originally founded in 1898 as GENCO, was acquired by FedEx in 2015, and became a direct subsidiary of Federal Express Corporation in 2024. The company provides warehousing, distribution, fulfillment, returns, recycling, and transportation management."
FedEx Dataworks "applies the powerful data insights generated by the FedEx network to build digital solutions that optimize operations, digitize supply chains, and create new opportunities for our customers, their customers, and for the FedEx of tomorrow."
Overview of Services
Transportation segments
Federal Express "Federal Express Corporation invented express transportation and remains the industry’s global leader, providing rapid, reliable, time-definite delivery to more than 220 countries and territories, connecting markets that comprise more than 99% of the world’s gross domestic product. Unmatched air route authorities and transportation infrastructure, combined with leading-edge information technologies, make Federal Express the world’s largest express transportation company. The company also provides low-cost, day-certain commercial service to any business address in the U.S. and Canada, as well as residential delivery to 100% of U.S. residences through its FedEx Home Delivery® and Ground Economy services."
FedEx Freight "is a leading North American provider of less-than-truckload (LTL) freight services across all lengths of haul to businesses and residences. Within the contiguous U.S., the company offers: FedEx Freight Priority, when speed is critical to meet a customer’s supply chain needs; FedEx Freight Economy, when a customer can trade time for cost savings; and FedEx Freight Direct, a service to meet the needs of the growing e-commerce market for delivery of heavy, bulky products to or through the door for residences and businesses. FedEx Freight also offers freight delivery service to most points in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Beginning in fiscal 2025, FedEx Freight business segment results will include FedEx Custom Critical."
What makes Custom Critical different?
Custom Critical is a premium business transportation service that specializes in urgent, temperature-sensitive, valuable, and/or hazardous shipments.
The principles of Custom Critical expediting include:
- Customer exclusive-use of the selected vehicle, meaning, regardless of shipment size, no freight from any other customers will be loaded on the vehicle during the shipment
- Non-stop, door-to-door service from pickup to delivery
- 24/7/365 availability
- Time-sensitive - the majority of expediting is performed by team drivers to ensure the fastest possible service
- Picked up and delivered on the customer's schedule
Examples of shipments handled by Custom Critical:
- Healthcare and pharmaceutical shipments
- Government shipments, including Department of Defense
- Hazardous materials, including explosives, poisons, and radioactive materials
- High-value shipments
- Trade shows, festivals, museum shipments, works of art, and other specialty shipments
Surface expedite follows all of the principles listed above, but the freight does not require the extra level of care provided by White Glove Services®.
White Glove Services® are for freight requiring extra care and handling. These vehicles are equipped with air-ride suspension, power liftgate, pads and straps and the drivers are specially trained to provide expert handling for the specialized services offered.
- Full-range temperature control and protection from freezing.
- Temperature-validated service for quality management and regulatory compliance.
- Various levels of security to maintain chain of custody and ensure the safe arrival of shipments.
Depending on a variety of factors from capacity to vehicle features to accessibility of location, there are a variety of Custom Critical vehicles to meet customer needs.
- Minivans are called "A units"
- Cargo vans are called "B units"
- 2-axle straight trucks are called "C units"
- 3-axle straight trucks are called "D units"
- Tractor-trailers are called "E units"
These are the vehicles that you typically see delivering packages to your home and businesses. The doubles and triples transfer entire trailers between FedEx facilities.
FedEx Freight hauls LTL freight, which is cargo that weighs over 150 pounds, but is less than a truckload (LTL), enabling items from multiple shipments to fit in one trailer. Doubles and triples transfer entire trailers between FedEx facilities.
In 2016, FedEx unified the color scheme for all of the segments to purple and orange. Prior to that time, several segments had specific colors for the "Ex". Some of that equipment is still in use, so you may still encounter it on the road.
We drive a "D unit" straight truck and most of our loads are White Glove. We are certified to haul temperature-validated loads, hazmat loads, art loads, secure loads, and loads into Canada. When necessary, we do occasionally haul surface loads. We enjoy the technical aspect of White Glove and the one-on-one interaction with customers as we handle their specialized freight.
Thanks for following along with us!
