Who knew some of Santa’s biggest helpers were FedEx Freight drivers?

Since Santa and Mrs. Claus can’t be everywhere before the holidays, FedEx Freight drivers Chuck and Sarah Fiske have stepped in to help. This husband and wife duo make Trees for Troops deliveries extra special by playing the role of Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

For more than 15 years, FedEx has delivered more than a quarter of a million farm-grown Christmas trees to military bases across the United States and internationally to bring holiday joy to our troops and military families.

Now, cozy up to the fire with a cup of hot chocolate and watch the Fiskes spread holiday cheer.

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The FedEx Panda Express will soon fly again, for the 8^th time. This time the specially decaled 777F will carry Bei Bei, a 4-year-old giant panda, 8,500 miles from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington DC to Chengdu, China.

Bei Bei was born at the National Zoo, and like his sister Bao Bao in 2017, he is moving to China to help contribute to the global giant panda population.

FedEx is donating transportation services as part of our FedEx Cares “Delivering for Good” initiative. This dedicated special flight of the fuel-efficient Boeing 777F can make the 16-hour journey from DC to China non-stop.

The only cargo on board will be Bei Bei and his favorite treats. Bei Bei’s treats will not be the standard airline peanuts: he will have 66 pounds of bamboo, 2 pounds of apples and pears, two bags of leafeater biscuits, 2 pounds of cooked sweet potatoes and lots of water.

The Zoo’s assistant curator of giant pandas who has cared for Bei Bei since birth and the Zoo’s chief veterinarian will also travel on the flight.

Upon arrival in Chengdu, Bei Bei’s new keepers from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda will meet him on the tarmac and drive him to Bifenxia Panda Base where he will stay in quarantine for approximately 30 days. Bei Bei will enter the giant panda breeding program when he reaches sexual maturity between 6 and 7 years old.

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After battling with declining kidney function from a young age and spending hours on dialysis each day in the 12 months prior, TNT team member Kristy Wade knew that a kidney transplant was inevitable. What she didn’t know was that her new kidney would be delivered by colleague Darryl Lanteri, who was then a member of the TNT Time Critical team. Darryl didn’t know the significance of the delivery either, until his manager got word a few days later and Kristy gave him a call to express her gratitude.

“I was humbled and proud to be a part of her life-changing operation,” Darryl explained. “A lot of the time, I’m left wondering what happened after I made the delivery: Who was the organ for? How they are feeling afterwards? And speaking to Kristy was the first chance I had to know the other side of the delivery.”

Kristy too appreciated learning that her organ’s safe and swift delivery was made possible by Darryl and TNT. “Finding out Darryl was the person to deliver the kidney to the hospital was just amazing. It made me feel like this was all meant be,” she said. “Receiving a transplant has changed my life and I will be forever grateful to my donor family for providing me with the opportunity to live my life again.”

The TNT Time Critical team in Australia, of which Darryl was a member during this delivery, takes on the huge responsibility of delivering life-saving organs, blood donations and equipment for medical procedures around the country, in addition to other urgent deliveries. “All of our customers’ shipments are important,” Darryl explained. “However, extra care and compassion is necessary to ensure the organs we transport arrive as safely and as quickly as possible.”

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It starts with Dan Englund and Carolyn Frisch.

Dan and Carolyn manage the FedEx Live Animal Desk. Every week they review shipping requests from zoos, animal rescue organizations and other groups.

The pair has more than 60 years of experience between the two of them. Find out how they make live animal shipments possible through the FedEx network.

Few careers will get you a sea lion named in your honor. The cross-country delivery of these precious rescues to their forever home at the Brookfield Zoo was Made Possible By Dan (middle right) and, one of the sea lion’s namesake, Carolyn (middle left).

Q: What does FedEx consider when shipping live animals?

Carolyn: We look at every animal shipping request on a case-by-case basis. Per FedEx policy, we don’t ship pets or take requests from individuals. Much of our focus goes to rescued animals or those being moved from one zoo to another for breeding or educational purposes. We only accept shipments from zoos and aquariums that are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

Q: What goes into arranging an animal move?

Dan: Safety is our top priority. We require two attendants to fly on our aircraft with the animal. One of the attendants is usually a veterinarian. We entrust them as the expert to care for the animal during transit.

We load the animals in the front of the cargo hold so the attendants have easy access to them during the flight. If there is any issue, they are able to address it immediately.

Q: Are there other requirements that must be met?

Carolyn: We require the zoo or rescue organization to send photos of the shipping crates in advance of the flight. The International Air Transportation Association (IATA) has extensive regulations that must be adhered to when shipping live animals to ensure the safety and security of the animal, the attendants, the crew and the aircraft.

Some of our flights make connections at the FedEx World Hub in Memphis. We have a temperature-controlled warehouse where the animals are kept during the layover to keep them calm and comfortable.

Q: How long have you managed the FedEx Live Animal Desk?

Carolyn: I’ve been doing this for 30 years! It started out as a customer service role but became a specialized desk because of the work involved and the time spent trying to coordinate these unique shipments.

We face new challenges all the time. That’s what’s kept me in the position for so long. There is always some obstacle to overcome, and we always find a way to make it possible. It takes a major effort by all of our team members to make sure these animals are well cared for. We get nothing but compliments from our shippers. They talk about how wonderful our crews are and how they go above and beyond to accommodate the animals and the animal attendants.

Q: Do any particular moves stand out to you during your time in this position?

Dan: A few years ago we donated our services to ship an otter that had been abandoned at a gas station in Florida. The rescue organization that took him in named him Oliver. When they determined he would not be able to survive in the wild, they made arrangements to move him to a forever home at an aquarium in Denver. The flight we had scheduled was delayed due to a blizzard, and Oliver ended up spending the night in Memphis. He received star treatment at the FedEx World Hub. We provided a pool and a shrimp and salmon dinner courtesy of a local restaurant. We even put him and his handlers up in a hotel. He completed his journey the next day.

Q: Of all the animals FedEx has shipped, what’s your favorite?

Carolyn: We’ve literally moved lions, tigers and bears. We even shipped a two-headed pig. It couldn’t feed itself, so we delivered it to a rescue group that helped rehabilitate it.  I love it when people go out of their way to help animals who need special care. That’s why we do what we do.

Q: What do you love most about co-managing the FedEx Live Animal Desk?

Dan:  Working on the Live Animal Desk is the most challenging and rewarding job I’ve had at FedEx. There is never a dull moment. I have learned so much about the safe movement of animals and how to work with other departments at FedEx to make it possible. Our reward comes when we receive photos of the rescue animals in their new forever homes.

Q: We recently donated our services to ship two rescued sea lions from Southern California to their new forever home at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. The zoo named one of the sea lions Carolyn in your honor. How does that make you feel?

Carolyn: I’ve gone to the Brookfield Zoo as a child, have visited with my own children and now I have a namesake there! In my 30 years of shipping animals, I’ve never been so honored. There could be no greater acknowledgement of the long-standing relationship I’ve had with the Brookfield Zoo.

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The revolutionary work we do always starts with our customers in mind. And that means not only meeting their needs, but also anticipating needs they didn’t know they had. Customer-driven design is at the heart of every FedEx innovation, and we constantly seek customer insights to inspire new ideas.

I’m proud to announce a new service, the latest testament to this innovative, customer-focused mindset: FedEx Freight Direct.

FedEx Freight Direct was created by working closely with customers, first identifying a need and then building the service to cater to it.

• The need was clear: customers are purchasing larger, bulkier items online and expect them to be delivered to – and further, into – their homes and businesses.
• So, we designed FedEx Freight Direct to take delivery that extra step when needed: moving these items (such as furniture, TVs and exercise equipment) over the residential or commercial door threshold to where customers want them.

FedEx continues to transform customer experiences, and the added visibility and control we’re giving consumers through FedEx Freight Direct is a clear value proposition in the e-commerce sector. While this is unlike anything we’ve done before, it’s backed by the same power of our FedEx brand and the speed and reliability of our nationwide FedEx Freight® Priority network.

Not only is this a beneficial offering for our customers, but it casts a spotlight on the great work our people do and the capabilities they enable. FedEx Freight Direct was made possible by the innovative, resilient and customer-centric approach our team members take when confronted with new market trends and industry challenges.

E-commerce will continue to create more differentiating opportunities for us, and we stand ready to innovate for our customers.

For more information on this service, go to the press release or visit the FedEx Freight Direct site.

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Steve, a senior manager with FedEx Logistics, learned that a man named Rhys Bowen had made the trip from Boise, Idaho in a last ditch effort to resolve a customs issue. Rhys needed to pick up a shipment worth tens of thousands of dollars. His company, Name Brand Promotions, had committed to delivering a large quantity of sunglasses kits to an event back in Boise that weekend.

Seeing the desperation in Rhys’s eyes, Steve began to investigate.

“Every shipment is important, but this one was literally Rhys’s livelihood,” Steve said.

Steve discovered customs forms were incorrect and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hadn’t released the shipment.

Rhys resubmitted the customs forms electronically — and even showed up at the local FDA facility in person — but his shipment was still not cleared. If he had to wait until Monday for the FDA to respond, his company wouldn’t meet its commitment and would fail to recoup its investment.

As he continued to work through the problem, Steve connected with Angela Marbley, a senior international doc agent at FedEx Express. Angela worked in the same facility and had been alerted to the situation. She located the shipment and confirmed the FDA hold.

Steve and Angela knew the difficulties of navigating through customs clearance processes and took a Quality Driven Management (QDM) approach to ensure they were able to meet Rhys’s needs.

FedEx developed QDM to address virtually any challenge. Relying on QDM tools and methods, Steve and Angela quickly assessed what the FDA required to release the shipment, built an action plan and went to work to resolve the paperwork error.

First, the FDA needed to release the shipment. FedEx Logistics service agent TJ Wangsanata on Steve’s team contacted the FDA and resubmitted the correct paperwork electronically.

Then, the delivery address needed to be changed to the FedEx facility in Oakland since the shipment was being picked up there. Steve also obtained a temporary pass from security so Rhys could enter the building.

After they successfully executed their plan, Steve and Angela used a forklift to move the containers down the freight elevator and out to Rhys’s van.

“The whole time, he kept saying, ‘You guys are angels,” Angela said.

Rhys drove back to Idaho with his shipment and made it to the event on time, keeping Steve updated throughout his journey.

“He even sent us a selfie of him with the boxes in the van,” Steve said. “We don’t often get that personal connection, because we’re behind the scenes, clearing packages.

“It was good for my team to see the impact they can have, to experience the power of QDM as well as impressive teamwork, and to realize that what we do to make every FedEx experience outstanding is so important. Customers depend on us, and we should remember this every time we work on a shipment.”

From left to right: Rhys Bowen (Name Brand Promotions), Steve Ashbaker (FedEx Logistics) and Angela Marbley (FedEx Express)

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Giraldo (Jerry) Alvare | Betty Lavandero | Daniela Molina | Ramon Lopez

Giraldo (Jerry) Alvare
Communications Specialist, Regional Communications – FedEx Ground

What does your heritage mean to you?

It means honoring my family past and present, who sacrificed so much for me to be free and live out the American dream (El sueño americano). My parents came from Cuba in the early 70’s with little to nothing. They left everything behind to start a new life. Both worked tirelessly to ensure that my sister and I had a quality education, food on the table and clothes on our backs. There isn’t a day that goes by that I am not grateful for what I have thanks to the sacrifice my parents made for my sister and me. That’s what my heritage means to me.

How do you stay connected with and honor your heritage?

I feel preserving your family history and culture is important. Learn as much as you can not only about your culture, but others as well. This way you can always have meaningful conversations with people from different backgrounds. I don’t just learn about all things from Cuba. I branch out and take in what other cultures have to offer. Music, food, clothing and sports are just a few of the many things I stay connected to.

I feel our heritage intertwines with our past and by learning more about it, we can pay it forward to the next generation. Whether it’s family traditions or music your grandma played while cleaning the house, that’s part of our heritage. It’s important to learn, share and celebrate the Hispanic heritage and culture so people understand the contributions we have made not just in America, but around the world.

What are the benefits of embracing diversity & inclusion here at FedEx?

Diversity and inclusion gives us a chance to be part of the conversation with our employees and makes them feel they have a genuine connection. D&I connects us to the communities we live and work in. It’s a life-long investment that we cannot overlook or put on the back burner. It’s about being the employer of choice and making the connection to potential job candidates we have in our communities. It’s the smart thing to do so that our company continues to thrive and grow in the fast-paced world we live in.

Betty Lavandero
Communications Specialist, Social Media & Content – FedEx Services

What does your heritage mean to you?

My heritage truly is the root of the motivation throughout my career. My parents are both from Chile in South America and made the decision to move to the United States in their twenties to better their lives and their future children’s. Leaving your home country and your entire family is nowhere near easy. I keep that in mind through every success, milestone and highlight I achieve. My parents sacrificed everything to better our lives, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t try my very best to make them proud.

Growing up my mother would constantly remind me how fortunate I was to be receiving the opportunities I have. This instilled a sense of pride in me. I am proud to share with others that my parents are immigrants. I am proud of our Chilean heritage whether it is sharing our food, our music or our language with others around us.

How do you stay connected with and honor your heritage?

Two things that keep me connected with my heritage are listening to Hispanic artists and eating traditional Hispanic food. Singing along to artists in Spanish brings me back to singing with my mother in the car or with my grandmother as I helped her prepare dinner as a child. It also gives me a moment to practice my Spanish – even if it’s for a few minutes to a familiar tune.

Eating Hispanic food is one of my favorite ways to connect with my heritage. Baking empanadas with my family during the holidays is one of the best treats to go home to. An empanada is a type of baked or fried pastry, consisting of either a savory or sweet filling. The Chilean empanada is traditionally called empanada de pino – it is filled with ground beef, onions, olives, raisins, and hard-boiled eggs.

What are the benefits of embracing diversity & inclusion here at FedEx?

Embracing diversity and inclusion at FedEx can lead to unlimited growth. Growth can be educational; by learning a new language, learning how to cook a dish someone brings in from another culture or learning about a country/culture you weren’t aware of before. When you have a diverse team, you have a multitude of viewpoints and opinions that can help grow a project or team culture. It is so important to learn about those around you and have a strong company culture surrounding diversity and inclusion.

Daniela Molina
Marketing Specialist, Digital Access Marketing – FedEx Services

What does your heritage mean to you?

When I think of my heritage, the word orgullo (pride) comes to mind. To me, that word evokes the power and fortitude of the pillars that tie our Latin/Hispanic community together: family, culture and community. My Latin/Hispanic community is one full of vibrancy and strong, hardworking individuals.

How do you stay connected with and honor your heritage?

I am originally from Mexico City, and I am very close to my Mexican culture—I love everything about it, the music, the holidays, and come on, we have the best food! However, growing up in the U.S., I’ve been able to gain a new generational perspective than that of my parents or predecessors. This melting pot of Latin/Hispanic cultures from different parts of Latin America has allowed me to see just how interesting the similarities and differences are between cultures and subcultures and really see firsthand this Latinx/Chicano cultural evolution from one generation to the next. I feel this evolution really brings us (all Latinos/Hispanics) a lot closer together.

What are the benefits of embracing diversity & inclusion here at FedEx?

I’ve had the honor to be a part of the D&I team during my career at FedEx, and one of the things that taught me was how open everyone at the company is about celebrating and embracing so many different cultures. D&I plays a crucial role because of the impact our company has all over the world. And I think that with this, along with our overall FedEx culture, we have a unique opportunity to positively impact many different communities.

Ramon Lopez
Senior Aircraft Engineer, Air Operations Division – FedEx Express

What does your heritage mean to you?

To me heritage is something to be proud of. It means family, where we come from and the traditions we practice. It is what defines who I am.

How do you stay connected with and honor your heritage?

I stay connected first and foremost through my extended family who still live in Nicaragua and my immediate family in central and south Florida. I also stay connected through the music. I grew up listening to and dancing salsa, merengue, bachata and reggaeton. Music connects me to my friends and family and makes me nostalgic about the times we spent together.

Another way I stay connected is by volunteering with Hispanic organizations here in Memphis and helping other immigrants achieve their American dream.

What are the benefits of embracing diversity & inclusion here at FedEx?

In today’s global business environment, a diverse team to tackle challenges and solve problems is critical. A diverse team will always provide better solutions because we bring different experiences from our various cultures and different problem-solving methods.

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