Zoro

In 1928 Casey began experimenting with air package deliveries, using established airlines and feeders and only shipping between major cities coast to coast. It worked well and showed a profit until Wall Street crashed in October of 1929. The idea was abandoned a year later. Because of the depression flight schedules were unreliable and this temporarily put out the lights on his dream for world-wide air package delivery service.

Still he was 44 years ahead of Federal Express. By 1930 UPS has control of the small package business on the west coast. Casey said: “Well, now that we control the place where the sun sets, let’s see what we can do with the place where the sun rises!”

He and his troops arrive in New York City at the height of the world-wide depression. While everyone around him was trying to survive, Casey expands. Major department stores such as Lord & Taylor and McCreery & Co. quickly dissolve their own delivery services in favor of the more efficient and reliable UPS.

Then on to Philadelphia where Casey established not only the usual retail store deliveries, but a new office furniture moving business that still does well in New York City. Philadelphia becomes the nerve center for Common Carrier in eastern Pennsylvania in the early sixties. It will also become a trouble spot that will alter the company’s feelings and their actions toward all employees forever! Many years later!

Casey’s crusaders mark time as the war years of the forties impose the usual restrictions on all businesses. During this time, Casey the innovator, worked at perfecting a daily delivery procedure that would speed deliveries and lessen the work load for his drivers. He designs rapid package sorting equipment that are still the basic theory incorporated in the modern systems of today.

Casey was so intense in his pursuit of excellence, that he actually cut away the side of one package car in order to observe a driver sorting packages. As a result of this experiment, he was able to increase productivity 30% simply by eliminating unnecessary moves.

When the fifties rolled around, Casey’s crusaders are gearing up for major expansions to Common Carrier. They bring back air service under the brown label. It worked the same as before but better as a two-day air service between major cities coast to coast. Actually it did very well, but received little acknowledgment for its success!

Later I learn that while the air service was only 2% of their business, it was 10% of their profit. At that point in time, they just couldn’t see the hand writing on the wall. The board simply refused to accept Casey’s theory for air service. A very bitter pill they can’t swallow to this day!

An old general once said: “he that rules the sky rules everything.” Casey believed it, but no one else did.

The early sixties are the rallying point for Casey’s crusaders full assault on the small package industry. His plan begins with Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Delaware. Followed in time with New England, the South, the Mid-West and the last hold out, Texas.

It will take years, but James E. Casey won’t see it to the long hard fought conclusion in 1962.

Before much of the plan can materialize, the Captain of the tightest ship is ordered to step down. At 74, in good health and a quick mind, the Pharaoh of Parcels is put out to pasture.

I think it’s more than strange that Casey will outlive his successor, George Smith, by eleven years. What purpose did it serve except to destroy an old man’s dream.

Little do they know at this point in time, there’s a bad moon rising and years of trouble are on the way for the depredators of dreams.

The usual testimonials that follow do little to ease the pain that Jim Casey will endure for the rest of his life.

Casey had no family here in the east. The few friends he thought he had were all at UPS. All this man ever wanted to do was what he did best — lead UPS as far as they can go! He lived another 21 years, years wasted!

Although he was allowed to remain on the board, he was greatly out numbered. Besides, once you’ve been Captain, first mate isn’t good enough.

Here’s a man who wallowed in hard times, impossible obstacles and never ... never tell him “it can’t be done”. Casey cared about little more than the daily challenges that landed on his desktop every day!

Again, why retire? His wildest dreams were just beginning to materialize. From a 6 x 17 foot basement to the threshold of international domination of the small package industry.

I can’t believe that this great man who was head honcho, chief paymaster and chairman of the board, suddenly surrenders his command in the dawn of his “finest hour”! How was that possible?

The way Gary Glasgow S.S. (supervisor, stockholder) told it to me back in the early sixties was that: “the new order of management at UPS were getting tired of Casey’s ‘old man’ ideas!” So, all the fun guys at UPS headquarters in New York City bought Mr. Casey a nice Rolls Royce, chauffeur-driven of course, since he never owned a car before! He stated that a few of the young lions walked down the hall to Casey’s office where they dangled the keys to the Rolls in his face. In essence what they said was: “have a nice retirement and stop and see us some time.”

Talk about kicking an old dog when he is down, the new Captain orders 180 degree course change, canceling Casey’s dream plan for overnight air service in favor of their 48 state ground service link up.

By doing so, they break the first of Casey’s ten commandments for continued success. The future of the package industry is in the air.

The second — “a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay.”

Casey devised a formula to fairly evaluate each days work based on the number of stops, parcels delivered and picked up plus your daily mileage. He called it the daily production standard — standards for short. His time allowances were realistic because they were the result of years of driver surveys he conducted personally.

I can remember when every driver in the Williamsport center ran under the standards just by following Casey’s delivery and pick-up procedures to the letter. That went on for years until the advent of the computer standard, then, very few ran scratch let alone run under! (Scratch) means to do the job in the time the company allows - not a minute more!

When I ask an I.E. man (Industrial Engineer what happens if a computer pops out an impossible standard - the I.E. guy said “only drivers lie!”

The third - “don’t make company demands that border on harassment.” With this one they step badly across that border in broad daylight. It begins with a total change in the palace guards. In the late sixties the new order is older, uglier, poorly dressed and lacking in any manners at all.

The only time a driver is spoken to is during the newly established daily drivers’ interrogation period - better known as: “what happened yesterday?” A subject I will discuss in future chapters.

The fourth — “they are advised to constantly seek better, safer work methods.” What they seek is faster, faster, faster work methods. This is the I.E. department’s big thing “faster is better.” They are an elite group of “tiger troops” called industrial engineers. They perform all time studies. Their power is absolute, all time studies stand as written, even if “Jesse Owens” himself can’t run fast enough to get it done!

A case in point: Marlin Wolfe has nearly thirty years of driving time. Wolfe runs a long mileage rural route that he’s been on for years. I.E. did a time study on his route that made him an hour over the standards every day before he leaves the building! That went on for years. They can’t show him where the hour is, nor could they find anybody - management included - who could run the route with that time allowance. They admit something is wrong but it’s not I.E.’s fault and they refused to correct it. Wolfe still took the flak for being an hour over every day!

The fifth — “provide the best possible service for the least money.” The Mansfield center is the northern most outpost in the central district. At the morning propaganda meeting (PCM) the men of this center are warned about competition like Roadway and Federal Express, etc., stealing UPS customers away because we did not meet their needs.