FedEx

FedEx Corporation, originally called Federal Express Corporation, is an American multinational conglomerate holding company that focuses on transportation, e-commerce, and business services. The company is based in Memphis, Tennessee. The name "FedEx" comes from its first air division, Federal Express, which used that name from 1973 to 1994.

FedEx is famous for its delivery service, including services like FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Office, and FedEx Supply Chain. The company has grown by adding new services to better compete with its main rival, UPS.

One of the most important places for FedEx is its main airport hub at Memphis International Airport. This hub plays a big role in helping the company move packages around the world quickly.

History

In 1971, the company started in Little Rock, Arkansas as Federal Express Corporation, founded by Frederick W. Smith. He wrote about the idea for this company in a school paper when he was at Yale University. The company began its official work in 1973 in Memphis, choosing Memphis International Airport because it was close to where many people lived across the country.

The company grew quickly. By 1983, it was making a billion dollars in sales without buying other companies. It started working in Europe and Asia in 1984. In 1994, the company changed its name to "FedEx" for easier marketing.

On October 2, 1997, FedEx reorganized into a new company called FDX Corporation, a Delaware corporation. This new company started in January 1998 after FedEx bought Caliber System Inc.. With this purchase, FedEx could offer more services than just fast shipping. Caliber had several parts, like RPS for small package ground delivery, Roberts Express for fast shipping, and Viking Freight for moving goods by truck in the western United States.

In January 2000, FDX Corporation changed its name to FedEx Corporation and gave all its parts new names. Federal Express became FedEx Express, RPS became FedEx Ground, and other parts got new names too. In February 2000, FedEx bought Tower Group International, a company that helped with international shipping rules, and WorldTariff, a company that gave information about taxes on goods.

In February 2004, FedEx bought Kinko's, Inc. to reach more everyday customers. Later, in June 2008, they dropped the Kinko's name and called these places FedEx Office. In April 2015, FedEx bought a rival company called TNT Express to grow in Europe.

In February 2016, FedEx started FedEx Cares, a program to help communities, promising to spend $200 million by 2020. In March 2018, FedEx bought P2P Mailing Limited to improve local deliveries. In June 2019, FedEx decided not to continue its big contract with Amazon for delivering packages in the United States.

On March 29, 2022, founder Frederick W. Smith said he would retire as CEO and become chairman of the company on June 1, 2022. Raj Subramaniam, who was president and chief operating officer, was named the new CEO.

On December 19, 2024, FedEx announced plans to separate its freight truck business into its own company by 2026. The new company will keep the name FedEx Freight.

Operating units

FedEx Corporation has several main parts to its business.

FedEx Express

FedEx Express is the original part of FedEx that offers fast delivery services. It has many airplanes and can deliver packages very quickly within the US and around the world.

FedEx Ground

FedEx Ground focuses on delivering packages to businesses and homes. It is a more affordable option compared to FedEx Express and operates mainly in the US and Canada.

FedEx Freight

FedEx Freight handles big truck deliveries. It is the largest company in the US for this type of service and will become its own business on June 1st, 2026.

FedEx Logistics

FedEx Logistics helps with managing the movement of goods across borders, including air and ocean transport, customs services, and trade management.

FedEx Office

FedEx Office provides printing, copying, and shipping services. It was originally a company called Kinko's before FedEx bought it. It also used to offer same-day delivery services, but stopped in 2023.

Fleet

FedEx uses many kinds of vehicles to deliver packages, including planes, trucks, vans, and drones. The company has more than 210,000 vehicles that can move on roads or in the air.

Competitors

FedEx's biggest competitor is United Parcel Service, or UPS. Both companies have similar ways of doing business. Their biggest airports for air delivery are in the southern United States, with FedEx using Memphis and UPS using Louisville. Both companies offer fast delivery options, like overnight and two-day shipping, and they often use Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport for packages going across the Pacific Ocean.

One way FedEx and its competitors are similar is how they calculate prices. Most big delivery companies, including UPS and DHL, charge based on whichever is greater: the actual weight of the package or its dimensional weight. Dimensional weight is found by multiplying the package’s height, width, and length (in centimeters) and then dividing that number by a standard amount, usually 5,000 for international shipments.

Corporate identity

Logo

The FedEx logo is a design created in 1994 by Lindon Leader. It shows the word "Fed" in purple and "Ex" in orange. Between the "E" and the "X" there is a hidden arrow, which shows movement and speed.

In popular culture

FedEx helped make the movie Cast Away. They let the filmmakers use their offices, airplanes, trucks, and uniforms. The movie showed a FedEx plane crashing, which worried the company at first, but the film was overall positive for FedEx. After the movie came out, more people in Asia and Europe knew about FedEx.

Sponsorships

Motorsports

FedEx has sponsored many racing teams over the years. From 1997 to 2002, they were the main sponsor of the Champ Car World Series. From 2005 to 2024, FedEx sponsored a NASCAR car driven by Denny Hamlin, who won many races with them. FedEx also sponsored teams in Formula One racing.

Football

From 1989 to 2010, FedEx was the main sponsor of the Orange Bowl football game in Miami, Florida. From 1999 to 2024, FedEx had naming rights to the Washington Commanders’ stadium in Landover, Maryland, which was called FedExField.

Other sports

FedEx also sponsors many other sports events. They sponsor FedExForum, home of the Memphis Grizzlies basketball team. They sponsor rugby’s Heineken Cup in Europe, golf’s FedEx Cup, and many other tournaments worldwide.

Reputation

In 2013, Fortune magazine listed FedEx as one of the best companies to work for because they chose to reduce their workforce through voluntary buyouts instead of layoffs.

Corporate affairs

FedEx has a group of leaders who help guide the company. In 2025, some of these leaders included Marvin Ellison, who is the Chairman, president, and CEO of Lowe's Companies, and Tricia Griffith, the President and CEO of The Progressive Corporation.

In 2020, FedEx made about $1.286 billion in earnings with revenues of $69.217 billion. The company's shares were worth over $273 each, and its total value was over $2,459 billion. FedEx aims to reduce its impact on the environment by using cleaner energy and electric vehicles, planning to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2040. This includes investing in new technologies and upgrading its fleet of airplanes and trucks. However, weather and climate changes can sometimes affect FedEx's ability to deliver packages on time.

Criticism, controversies, and incidents

See also: Federal Express Flight 705, FedEx Express Flight 14, and FedEx Express Flight 80

Labor relations

In 2007, there was a debate about whether FedEx workers should be treated as employees or independent contractors. This led to some legal discussions and claims from workers about benefits.

In 2009, FedEx started a campaign against a competitor, UPS, claiming that a bill allowing some workers to join unions more easily was unfair. This caused some disagreement.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, FedEx pilots asked the company to stop operations in Hong Kong due to difficult conditions at hospitals. FedEx was also criticized for not providing enough protections and sick leave during this time.

Allegations of controlled substances distribution

In 2014, FedEx faced claims that it helped send certain medicines without proper medical need. FedEx disagreed with these claims, saying it is a transportation company and not responsible for checking prescriptions. In 2016, the case was dismissed, but the reason was not explained.

Illegal parking criticism

FedEx and other delivery services have been criticized for parking in bike lanes, which can be dangerous for cyclists. This was noted in a letter from Washington, D.C.'s transportation agency in 2018.

Criticism of NRA partnership

FedEx was criticized for working with the National Rifle Association of America, but ended this partnership in 2018 after pressure from activists.

Huawei package delivery dispute

In 2019, China said FedEx made mistakes with packages for Huawei, a Chinese company. FedEx apologised for these mistakes.

Allegations of tax avoidance

In 2019, reports said FedEx paid very little in taxes after changes in U.S. tax laws. FedEx had paid taxes before but saw a drop afterward.

FedEx sues United States for refund on tariffs

In February, FedEx sued to get money back from tariffs set by the U.S. President Donald Trump, which were later ruled illegal by the Supreme Court. FedEx said it would return any tariff costs to customers if it won the lawsuit.