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Business Segment Information
3 Months Ended
Aug. 31, 2011
Business Segment Information [Abstract]  
Business Segment Information

(6) Business Segment Information

 

We provide a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services through companies competing collectively, operating independently and managed collaboratively under the respected FedEx brand. Our primary operating companies include FedEx Express, the world's largest express transportation company; FedEx Ground Package System, Inc. (“FedEx Ground”), a leading provider of small-package ground delivery services; and FedEx Freight, Inc. (“FedEx Freight”), a leading U.S. provider of less-than-truckload (LTL) freight services.

 

Our reportable segments include the following businesses:

FedEx Express SegmentFedEx Express (express transportation)
 FedEx Trade Networks (global trade services)
 FedEx SupplyChain Systems (logistics services)
  
FedEx Ground Segment FedEx Ground (small-package ground delivery)
 FedEx SmartPost (small-parcel consolidator)
  
FedEx Freight SegmentFedEx Freight (LTL freight transportation)
 FedEx Custom Critical (time-critical transportation)
  
FedEx Services SegmentFedEx Services (sales, marketing and information technology functions)
 FedEx TechConnect (customer service, technical support
   billings and collections)
 FedEx Office (document and business services and package acceptance)
   

FedEx Services Segment

 

The FedEx Services segment operates combined sales, marketing, administrative and information technology functions in shared services operations that support our transportation businesses and allow us to obtain synergies from the combination of these functions. The FedEx Services segment includes: FedEx Services, which provides sales, marketing and information technology support to our other companies; FedEx TechConnect, which is responsible for customer service, technical support, billings and collections for U.S. customers of our major business units; and FedEx Office, which provides an array of document and business services and retail access to our customers for our package transportation businesses.

 

The FedEx Services segment provides direct and indirect support to our transportation businesses, and we allocate all of the net operating costs of the FedEx Services segment (including the net operating results of FedEx Office) to reflect the full cost of operating our transportation businesses in the results of those segments. Within the FedEx Services segment allocation, the net operating results of FedEx Office are allocated to FedEx Express and FedEx Ground. The allocations of net operating costs are based on metrics such as relative revenues or estimated services provided. We believe these allocations approximate the net cost of providing these functions. We review and evaluate the performance of our transportation segments based on operating income (inclusive of FedEx Services segment allocations). For the FedEx Services segment, performance is evaluated based on the impact of its total allocated net operating costs on our transportation segments.

 

The operating expenses line item “Intercompany charges” on the accompanying unaudited financial summaries of our transportation segments in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition reflects the allocations from the FedEx Services segment to the respective transportation segments. The “Intercompany charges” caption also includes charges and credits for administrative services provided between operating companies and certain other costs such as corporate management fees related to services received for general corporate oversight, including executive officers and certain legal and finance functions. We believe these allocations approximate the net cost of providing these functions.

 

Other Intersegment Transactions

 

Certain FedEx operating companies provide transportation and related services for other FedEx companies outside their reportable segment. Billings for such services are based on negotiated rates, which we believe approximate fair value, and are reflected as revenues of the billing segment. These rates are adjusted from time to time based on market conditions. Such intersegment revenues and expenses are eliminated in our consolidated results and are not separately identified in the following segment information because the amounts are not material.

 

The following table provides a reconciliation of reportable segment revenues and operating income (loss) to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statement totals for the three-month periods ended August 31 (in millions):

         Three Months Ended 
         2011 2010 
Revenues            
 FedEx Express segment      $ 6,592 $ 5,912 
 FedEx Ground segment        2,278   1,961 
 FedEx Freight segment         1,328   1,258 
 FedEx Services segment        411   415 
 Other and eliminations        (88)   (89) 
         $ 10,521 $ 9,457 
Operating Income (Loss)            
 FedEx Express segment       $ 288 $ 357 
 FedEx Ground segment        407   287 
 FedEx Freight segment         42   (16) 
         $ 737 $ 628