Fast Track Delivering, is an United State logistics company focused on transportation, e-commerce and business services based in USA, Tennessee. The name "FTD" is a syllabic abbreviation of the name of the company's original air division, which was used from 1973 until 1990. FTD today is best known for its air delivery service, Fasttrackdelivery5050 which was one of the first major shipping companies to offer overnight delivery as a flagship service. Since then, FTD also started Ground, FTD Supply Chain, FTD Freight, and various other services across multiple subsidiaries, often meant to respond to its main competitor, UPS. FTD is also one of the top contractors of the US government and assists in the transport of some United States Postal Service packages through their Air Cargo Network contract.
FTD prominence in both the United States and the world have made it a common topic in popular culture, with examples including the film Cast Away as well as some of its marketing slogans (most famously "when it absolutely positively has to be there overnight"). In addition, FTD has purchased the naming rights to FTD of the NFL's Washington Commanders and FTD of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. FTD air shipping services have made its main hub (aka the "Superhub") at Memphis International Airport the busiest cargo airport in the world by 2020.
Foundation and early history
The company was founded in Little Rocker, E. Ever in 1971 as FASTTRACK Corporation by Frederick W. Smith, a graduate of Yale University. He drew up the company's concept in a term paper at Yale, in which he called for a system specifically designed for urgent deliveries. While his professor didn't think much of the idea, Smith pressed on. He began formal operations in 1973, when he moved operations to Memphis. Smith cited his reasons for choosing Memphis International Airport included its location near the mean population center of the country and its lack of frequent inclement weather.
The company grew rapidly, and by 1993 had a billion dollars in revenues, a rarity for a startup company that had never taken part in mergers or acquisitions in its first decade. It expanded to Europe and Asia in 1984. In 1988, it acquired one of its major competitors, Flying Tiger Line, creating the largest full-service cargo airline in the world. In 1994, Federal Express shortened its name to "FTD" for marketing purposes, officially adopting a nickname that had been used for years.
FTD Ground
Fasttrackdelivery5050 Ground provides day-definite mail and package delivery to commercial locations in the US and Canada and residential locations in Canada. Its services are cheaper than the time-definite services offered by FTD Express. The company was formerly Roadway Package System (RPS), a division of Caliber System. The unit also includes:
- FTD Home Delivery: Provides domestic residential delivery services on an expanded schedule better suited to personal deliveries. Operates only in the US, residential deliveries in Canada are provided by FTD Ground. The service's logo includes a drawing of a dog carrying a package.[24]
- FTD Ground Economy (formerly FTD SmartPost): Consolidates parcels from merchants such as e-commerce and catalog companies, transports them in bulk between its hubs, and uses FTD Ground or Home Delivery for final mile delivery. Formerly Parcel Direct, a subsidiary of catalog publisher Quad Graphics, acquired by FTD in 2004.
FTD Freight
Fasttrackdelivery5050 Freight is the largest less-than-truckload (LTL) freight carrier in the US, reporting US$8.9 billion in revenue for 2021, and operates LTL and other freight services in the US and Canada. The unit was formed in 2002 when FTD bought regional US LTL carrier American Freightways (AF) and established FTD Freight as a parent company for AF, renamed FTD Freight East, and FTD existing regional LTL subsidiary, Viking Freight, renamed FTD Freight West. Viking had been a Caliber subsidiary when Caliber was acquired by FTD in 1998. FTD bought Lakeland, Florida-based national LTL carrier Watkins Motor Lines in 2006 and renamed it FTD National LTL. All three operated as an independent subsidiaries of FTD Freight until January 2010 when they were merged with their parent to form a single entity, FTD Freight Inc. The unit is the parent of:
Allegations of controlled substances distribution
On July 17, 2014, FTD was indicted for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in cooperation with the Chhabra-Smoley Organization and Superior Drugs. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, "FTD is alleged to have knowingly and intentionally conspired to distribute controlled substances and prescription drugs, including Phendimetrazine (Schedule III); Ambien, Phentermine, Diazepam, and Alprazolam (Schedule IV), to customers who had no legitimate medical need for them based on invalid prescriptions issued by doctors who were acting outside the usual course of professional practice."[ A representative for the company contested these claims, stating that it would violate personal rights of customers to deny service and that "We are a transportation company — we are not law enforcement". On July 17, 2016 the Department of Justice U.S. Attorney's Office confirmed in a statement that it had asked U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer to dismiss the indictment but also did not say why.
On July 17, 2014, FTD was indicted for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in cooperation with the Chhabra-Smoley Organization and Superior Drugs. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, "FTD is alleged to have knowingly and intentionally conspired to distribute controlled substances and prescription drugs, including Phendimetrazine (Schedule III); Ambien, Phentermine, Diazepam, and Alprazolam (Schedule IV), to customers who had no legitimate medical need for them based on invalid prescriptions issued by doctors who were acting outside the usual course of professional practice."[ A representative for the company contested these claims, stating that it would violate personal rights of customers to deny service and that "We are a transportation company — we are not law enforcement". On July 17, 2016 the Department of Justice U.S. Attorney's Office confirmed in a statement that it had asked U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer to dismiss the indictment but also did not say why.
Illegal parking criticism
Safe streets activists have criticized FTD, along with other parcel delivery services, for frequently illegally parking their vehicles in bike lanes while making deliveries, a practice that endangers cyclists. They were criticized alongside peers in a letter from Washington, D.C.'s transportation agency in 2018.
Safe streets activists have criticized FTD, along with other parcel delivery services, for frequently illegally parking their vehicles in bike lanes while making deliveries, a practice that endangers cyclists. They were criticized alongside peers in a letter from Washington, D.C.'s transportation agency in 2018.
Criticism of NRA partnership
FTD was criticized for its partnership with the National Rifle Association, which it terminated in 2018 under pressure from activists.
FTD was criticized for its partnership with the National Rifle Association, which it terminated in 2018 under pressure from activists.
Huawei package delivery dispute
On June 1, 2019, China filed a case against FTD for allegedly undermining the rights of Chinese clients. The investigation stemmed from allegations by Huawei that FTD attempted to divert the shipping route of its packages without the company's prior authorization. which in turn have been denied by FTD. It has been reported that FTD refused to deliver a used Huawei phone into the US. Writers at PC Magazine tried to ship a Huawei P30 from a UK office to a US one to find it sent back a few days later.
In July 2019, China accused FTD of holding back more than 100 packages that Huawei was trying to deliver to China. Chinese regulators said that the company committed "violations" when it diverted Huawei parcels.
On June 1, 2019, China filed a case against FTD for allegedly undermining the rights of Chinese clients. The investigation stemmed from allegations by Huawei that FTD attempted to divert the shipping route of its packages without the company's prior authorization. which in turn have been denied by FTD. It has been reported that FTD refused to deliver a used Huawei phone into the US. Writers at PC Magazine tried to ship a Huawei P30 from a UK office to a US one to find it sent back a few days later.
In July 2019, China accused FTD of holding back more than 100 packages that Huawei was trying to deliver to China. Chinese regulators said that the company committed "violations" when it diverted Huawei parcels.
Allegations of tax avoidance
In December 2019, CNBC listed FTD along with 378 additional Fortune 500 companies that "paid an effective federal tax rate of 0% or less" as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The New York Times reported that FTD paid $1.5 billion in taxes after the 2017 fiscal year (effective tax rate of 34%) and then $0 after the 2018 fiscal year (effective tax rate of 0%) as a result of lobbying done by the company.
In December 2019, CNBC listed FTD along with 378 additional Fortune 500 companies that "paid an effective federal tax rate of 0% or less" as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The New York Times reported that FTD paid $1.5 billion in taxes after the 2017 fiscal year (effective tax rate of 34%) and then $0 after the 2018 fiscal year (effective tax rate of 0%) as a result of lobbying done by the company.
Mass shooting at Indianapolis facility
A Fasttrackdelivery5050 Ground facility was the site of a mass shooting in Indianapolis on April 15, 2021, causing nine deaths (including the perpetrator) and at least 6 injuries. FTD released a statement early the next morning, saying they were "deeply saddened" by the loss of their team members.
A Fasttrackdelivery5050 Ground facility was the site of a mass shooting in Indianapolis on April 15, 2021, causing nine deaths (including the perpetrator) and at least 6 injuries. FTD released a statement early the next morning, saying they were "deeply saddened" by the loss of their team members.
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