A FedEx employee has sparked a debate after sharing a video of his truck full of packages after Thanksgiving and urging people to “shop in person”.
On Friday, Roger Ruiz, from Chicago, Illinois, who goes by the username @rogerruiz4 on TikTok, shared a video to the app in which he could be seen filming all of the packages piled up in the back of his delivery truck.
On the video, which featured an animation of Homer Simpson crying, Ruiz wrote: “This is what a FedEx truck looks like after Thanksgiving. Please shop in person.”
The video, which has been viewed more than 223,000 times as of Monday, has sparked mixed responses in the comments, with some questioning why Ruiz was complaining about performing his job, which saw him make 230 stops, while others shared comments commiserating with the delivery driver.
“Bro, like the whole reason you have a job is so I don’t have to shop in person,” one person commented, while another said: “If we shop in person then you won’t have a job. Why would we want to do that to you pal?”
However, in response to a comment from a viewer who wrote: “You’re paid to do that, it’s your job,” Ruiz simply replied: “You’re right.”
The video also prompted responses from delivery drivers at companies such as UPS, with one viewer writing: “That’s cute, that’s a normal day at UPS.”
However, according to Ruiz, the difference is the pay, as he noted in response that “y’all get union money though”.
Unlike FedEx’s rival UPS, which is largely unionised, “union presence at FedEx is minimal, outside of the Air Line Pilots Association’s representation of FedEx Express pilots,” according to Commercial Appeal, which means that most FedEx employees typically aren’t able to negotiate certain employment conditions.
While many viewers were critical of Ruiz’s video, others defended the delivery driver in the comments, where they acknowledged that the FedEx employee is allowed to complain about work.
“I used to be a delivery driver and all these people in the comments clearly have never worked those 70-plus hour weeks to get everything delivered,” one person commented.
Another said: “People in the comments acting like they haven’t complained about work before. Let the man vent!”
Others took the opportunity to thank Ruiz for handling their package deliveries, with someone else adding: “We appreciate you.”
According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary for FedEx drivers in Chicago is $43.713.
The Independent has contacted Ruiz for comment.
