Industry Insights with Route Consultant

Recorded live at the 2026 Route Consultant Expo, Dave and Amy Byers of Slicker Trucking explain why the FedEx Ground P&D space remains a strong opportunity for new and current contractors despite online negativity and day-to-day business pressures. 

They frame P&D as a proven entrepreneurship model with predictable weekly pay, no traditional marketing or accounts receivable, and the opportunity for quick scalability across routes and terminals. Drawing on their 20+ years of experience and expansion into linehaul, they share how network initiatives, 2.0, and future technology shifts strengthen contractor stability.

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Recorded live at the 2026 Route Consultant Expo, this special episode of Industry Insights features Amy Byers, COO of Slicker Trucking, sharing practical guidance on negotiating and renegotiating FedEx P&D contracts. 

Amy explains when to initiate renegotiation, why being in good standing matters, and how to build a credible case using FedEx’s key metric, stops per resource, rather than focusing on hours. She highlights common misconceptions around MEDALs comparisons, unique characteristics timing, and contract offers. Amy also introduces a calculator tool to compare current settlements, PCAT terms, and MISO offers to understand contract deltas and support data-driven conversations with negotiators.

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In this episode of Industry Insights LIVE, we’re joined by Alex Frum, owner of Alpha Kilo Logistics, to discuss how FedEx linehaul contractors should prepare for peak season.

They explain the typical peak timeframe, how linehaul differs from P&D in required volume, and why communication with FedEx and disciplined planning matter. Alex shares how he evaluates flex-ups, temp runs, and Schedule J, plus how peak threshold points work and how he allocates points for future bidding. 

They cover hiring and onboarding seasonal drivers, motivation and bonus structures, equipment readiness, hours-of-service constraints, route selection based on weather risk, and financial considerations around rentals, new vs. used tractors, warranties, and fuel efficiency.

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Recorded live at the 2026 Route Consultant Expo, this special Industry Insights episode features Alex Frum, owner of Alpha Kilo Logistics, on scaling a FedEx linehaul business from operator to true business owner. Alex outlines the core pillars for sustainable growth, safety, financial discipline, service, and availability, emphasizing that safety and compliance can make or break a contractor. 

He explains why understanding cash flow and managing the business in cents per mile matters, how to think about payroll targets, and how to pursue growth through both organic opportunities and acquisitions. Alex also shares how company culture, driver retention, preventative maintenance, recruiting, and contract knowledge help protect margins and build a dependable operation that can expand over time.

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Recorded live at the 2026 Route Consultant Expo, this special episode of Industry Insights features Butch Butler hosting a FedEx-focused Q&A with experienced linehaul contractors Steve Crawford, Randy Kurek, Alex Frum, and Jen Parrish. The panel shares practical guidance on building profitability through unassigned rotations, earning points toward dedicated routes, and the operational habits that keep contractors competitive. 

They discuss what strong infrastructure can look like as fleets grow, how to approach expanding from P&D into linehaul, and what newcomers should consider when buying versus starting organically. The conversation also touches on recruiting and retention realities for CDL drivers, key safety and documentation expectations during incidents, and how operating across states and adhering to contract language can impact long-term success.

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Recorded live at the 2026 Route Consultant Expo, this special episode of Industry Insights features FedEx P&D contractors Dave and Amy Byers of Slicker Trucking, sharing why the old P&D playbook no longer works and how contractors can adapt to evolving FedEx expectations, package pressure, and workforce realities. 

They explain how increased compliance, transparency, and service metrics require a “do more with less” mindset built on prioritization, better processes, and outcome-based management. Amy outlines practical changes they’ve implemented, including staffing buffers for predictable call-offs, redefining what “manageable” routes look like, incentives to reduce quiet quitting and weekend call-outs, and a new midday supervisor role to protect service, improve end-of-day support, and reduce returns.

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In this episode of Industry Insights LIVE, host Josh Gregory from Route Consultant is joined by guest Amy Byers, COO of Slicker Trucking, to share practical guidance for preparing for peak season 2026. Amy recaps recent contract redraws, route growth, a major terminal move, and upcoming FedEx 2.0 integration changes happening in late September, then explains how those shifts impact staffing, fleet planning, and forecasting without firm volume projections. 

They discuss early peak preparation steps including hiring and training, truck and scanner planning, rental considerations, bulk-route strategies for large packages, contingency/flex work, and how to structure peak compensation while staying compliant with wage and hour rules.

Whether this is your first peak season, or you’re a seasoned FedEx contractor, this episode will help you to understand what to expect and how to plan for peak season this year.

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Safety isn’t just another metric in a FedEx operation. It can determine whether you’re able to grow, win new business, or keep your contract at all. Recorded live at the 2026 Route Consultant Expo, this episode of Industry Insights features Alex Frum breaking down the safety and compliance systems every FedEx contractor needs to understand. From SRI scores and CSA violations to MEDALS rankings, KI failures, driver coaching, and remedial training, Alex explains how safety performance is measured and what contractors can do to build a stronger safety culture.

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Could switching part of your fleet to electric actually improve your margins? Recorded live at the 2026 Route Consultant Expo, this episode of Industry Insights features a fireside chat between Thomas Wasson of FreightWaves and Fred de Perez, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Harbinger Motors, exploring the economics of medium-duty electric vehicles. They break down where EVs can make sense for delivery fleets, how route mileage and charging infrastructure factor into the decision, and why lower maintenance and fuel costs can add up to thousands of dollars in savings per vehicle each year.

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Major changes are coming to the trucking industry in 2027. Is your fleet ready? Recorded live at the 2026 Route Consultant Expo, this episode of Industry Insights explores how FedEx contractors and fleet owners can prepare for new EPA emissions requirements, potential truck price increases, tightening supply, and a changing used-truck market. Pat McKay of Rolling Equity Leasing joins Alex Frum to break down the different ways to finance and acquire trucks, when leasing versus buying makes sense, how depreciation impacts your strategy, and why waiting too long to plan for 2027 could become costly.

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