FedEx warns drivers not to throw packages or make 'obscene or offensive markings' on them

• FedEx warned delivery contractors Monday not to throw packages, Insider has learned.
• The memo also warned against "offensive markings on packages and indecent public exposure."
• FedEx sent the message following feedback from customers and "some specific and egregious actions."

FedEx warned drivers not to throw packages, or draw "obscene or offensive markings" on them in a memo sent to delivery contractors Monday, a copy of which was viewed by Insider.

The memo indicates that FedEx sent the warning as a reaction to general feedback but also in reference to specific events.

"Unfortunately, general feedback from our customers, coupled with some specific and egregious actions, can put future business in jeopardy. These actions range from package tossing and careless handling to obscene or offensive markings on packages and indecent public exposure," reads the memo.

A FedEx spokesperson said the memo, posted to an online portal for delivery providers, served as a "general reminder of their agreement to meet certain contractual terms related to customer service."

"Providing safe and superior service is fundamental to the FedEx brand, and service provider businesses agree to ensure their personnel are providing a positive customer experience," the spokesperson told Insider in an email.

FedEx's Ground delivery service doesn't directly employ drivers like FedEx Express. Instead, ground relies on a network of thousands of small businesses to deliver packages, and the relationship between the company and those contractors has been strained in the last year.

Complaints about drivers tossing packages on doorsteps are fairly common on social media platforms and even in local news reports across delivery firms — especially since doorbell security cameras have encouraged people to watch their deliveries being made.

Package tossing isn't generally approved behavior by most delivery providers unless delivery personnel are concerned about their own safety due to an uncontrolled dog.

FedEx's memo said that any of the listed behavior could cause FedEx Ground to review the small businesses' contracts.

"It's easy to think these incidents won't happen, but they do, and they tarnish the FedEx brand and put business for service providers at risk," the memo warned.

FedEx's brand has already been taxed in recent years since the company's on-time delivery performance dropped considerably during the pandemic e-commerce boom and delivery experts said the firm once synonymous with reliability was sliding toward the opposite reputation.

"FedEx services are still well-respected, generally speaking, as they've provided fast, consistent service in competition with UPS for many years. But I think the duration of the service issues have changed the perception of some shippers," Nate Skiver, CEO of parcel shipping consultancy LPF Spend Management, told Insider at the height of FedEx's shipping delays in 2021.

The company will be scheduling "forums" to discuss the subject and "review real examples of actions that jeopardize brand identity and customer experience and discuss the topic," according to the memo.

Though on-time performance has largely recovered, the Monday memo from FedEx indicates further concern about the brand and drivers' impact on it.

Do you work for FedEx? Have a story about a delivery experience? Reach out to Senior Reporter Emma Cosgrove at [email protected].