Big Brown - The Untold Story of UPS

[Non Union]

I just read 'Big Brown - The Untold Story of UPS" by Greg Niemann.

Looks like that company is going to be the airline to be at in years to come. Not really sure what can stop UPS and/or FedEx now.

I don't see the legacy airlines ever coming close to these two again in terms of pay, quality of life and security.

Who would have thought, huh?

I know a guy that left CAL and another guy leaving UAL for UPS soon. I think they are smart.

 

[L'il J.Seinfeld]

I did UPS as my project for my MBA. That's what convinced me to apply.

Communist CHina whacking Taiwan is a scary scenario for me. Aside from that UAV cargo tops my list of fears.

 

[Whistlin' Dan]

Looks like [UPS] is going to be the airline to be at in years to come. Not really sure what can stop UPS and/or FedEx now.

I can think of half-a-dozen things, and I'm just a dumb pilot. I would think that a guy with an MBA could come up with a lot more.

I don't see the legacy airlines ever coming close to these two again in terms of pay, quality of life and security.

That's what the legacy airlines were saying about cargo 10 years ago. In fact, if you had told most "Major Airline" pilots that Southwest would one day head the list of desireable flying jobs, they would have laughed you right out of the Sky Lounge.

Don't feel bad. I'm sure that if you had told the head of NASA that one day, one of his astronauts would drive 900 miles in a diaper to kill a romantic rival, he would have laughed, too.

I know a guy that left CAL and another guy leaving UAL for UPS soon. I think they are smart.

I hope things work out well for your friends. I once met a guy who left FedEx in the 70's to go to Frontier. Less than ten years later, he was on the street, while his buddies at FedEx were moving up to the DC-10. He was, and is, a "smart guy," and his decision to leave was probably a good one, based on the information that was available to him at that time.

 

[speedbird1974]

based on the information that was available to him at that time.

 

[optimater]

I just read 'Big Brown - The Untold Story of UPS" by Greg Niemann.

Looks like that company is going to be the airline to be at in years to come. Not really sure what can stop UPS and/or FedEx now.

I don't see the legacy airlines ever coming close to these two again in terms of pay, quality of life and security.

Who would have thought, huh?

I know a guy that left CAL and another guy leaving UAL for UPS soon. I think they are smart.

flamebait

 

[pilotyip]

UPS FedEx may survive, but will flying the airplanes be still part of thier success? RPV's are now flown in Iraq from consoles in California. We can see the future in int'l cargo. Operators at consoles in MEM and SDF 8 hour shifts, running thier RPV's around the world. Year 2042.

 

[learflyer]

Don't feel bad. I'm sure that if you had told the head of NASA that one day, one of his astronauts would drive 900 miles in a diaper to kill a romantic rival, he would have laughed, too.


Didn't the chick ever think she had to stop for gas anyway? What's with the diapers?

 

[codeone]

UPS FedEx may survive, but will flying the airplanes be still part of thier success? RPV's are now flown in Iraq from consoles in California. We can see the future in int'l cargo. Operators at consoles in MEM and SDF 8 hour shifts, running thier RPV's around the world. Year 2042.

This is a danger to all pilots, not just cargo pilots.

 

[DrProc]

This is a danger to all pilots, not just cargo pilots.

Thankfully we have the FAA on our side for this one. It'll take decades of red tape for UAV's to be certified for pax or cargo.

 

[Airbum]

Whistlen Dan, man do your words hold some truth.

 

[CheyDogFlies]

We can see the future in int'l cargo. Operators at consoles in MEM and SDF 8 hour shifts, running thier RPV's around the world. Year 2042.

Good thing I'll be retired before 2042.

 

[doer42]

Check out this article how most Predator UAV losses are not due to combat, but operator errors, etc. I don't think we have much to fear anytime soon.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htatrit/articles/20070403.aspx

 

[GogglesPisano]

. I'm sure that if you had told the head of NASA that one day, one of his astronauts would drive 900 miles in a diaper to kill a romantic rival, he would have laughed, too.

Good one!

 

[nitefr8dog]

I just read 'Big Brown - The Untold Story of UPS" by Greg Niemann.

Looks like that company is going to be the airline to be at in years to come. Not really sure what can stop UPS and/or FedEx now.

I don't see the legacy airlines ever coming close to these two again in terms of pay, quality of life and security.

Who would have thought, huh?

I know a guy that left CAL and another guy leaving UAL for UPS soon. I think they are smart.

And you just figured this out! This is a company that made 1.2billion last quarter and that was not from moving aircraft around the world, it was from trucking boxes! The costs of running the airline are just a write off for UPS not how the money is made. Nice to work for an airline that does not have to be profitable.

 

[pilotyip]

I know a pilot who left FedEx for Braniff, there were pilots who left UPS in the 90's for the dream jobs at UAL, DAL, etc. They will only know in five years if they made the right choice.

 

[mrvmo]

Fr8dog,

These guys don't do anything that is not profitable, if they do it isn't for long. In fact they don't even go into a market to make "a little" money, they usually only go in if there is big profit involved. $1.2 billion........prolly don't make that kind of money running an unprofitable portion of your business.

 

[L'il J.Seinfeld]

About 35% OF UPS's profits come from the airline. That percent has been increasing dramatically and hopefully will contine to do so. I think FDX is the inverse and their ground side has been making a bigger share of their total revenue and profits.

 

[capt. megadeth]

Good thing I'll be retired before 2042.

Me too! Of course, by then, retirement age will probably be 95 so maybe I won't be.

 

[b707guy]

Walkers, defibrillators and Depends will be standard issue by then, too. And the pilot seats will have lavs built into them complete with Asian-style wash options. Actually, that's sounding pretty good - I'll never retire - they can't make me...

 

[nitefr8dog]

Not to sound like I am repeating myself but DAL,UAL,NWA ETC. make money flying airplanes where the customer will fly a start up airline that got their first airplane yesterday if the fare is 10 bucks cheaper! Not the case at UPS,FEX etc. The money is made trucking boxes the cost of the airline is just part of the business they are in.

 

[Non Union]

It's also interesting to note that UPS is 100 years old this year. They've got some deep roots.

Which is the oldest passenger airline?

UAL? AA? Skybus?

 

[PreContact]

I think it's Lufthansa or KLM.

 

[TWA]

It all depends on whether or not it is considered a new company after emerging from bankruptcy.

 

[FlickerFade]

It's also interesting to note that UPS is 100 years old this year. They've got some deep roots.

Which is the oldest passenger airline?

UAL? AA? Skybus?

Northwest started in 1926
Hawaiian in 1929

KLM 1919

 

[Whistlin' Dan]

It's also interesting to note that UPS is 100 years old this year. They've got some deep roots.

Which is the oldest passenger airline?

UPS didn't start operating it's own airplanes until about 1988. Their roots as a parcel delivery company may go back 100 years, but as airlines go, they're still "the new kids on the block."

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

UPS didn't start operating it's own airplanes until about 1988. Their roots as a parcel delivery company may go back 100 years, but as airlines go, they're still "the new kids on the block."

UPS is a delivery company that happens to have an airline.

FedEx was born an Airline that happens to have a delivery company..

Nothing wrong with either one...

 

[BoilerUP]

The money is made trucking boxes the cost of the airline is just part of the business they are in.

The feeder trucks haul the vast majority of the volume...but you're not going to get a product across the country (or across the ocean) overnight on any Freightliner.

The airline is no more a liability to UPS' balance sheet than the vast thousands of package and feeder trucks are.

 

[TheBaron]

About 35% OF UPS's profits come from the airline. That percent has been increasing dramatically and hopefully will contine to do so. I think FDX is the inverse and their ground side has been making a bigger share of their total revenue and profits.

FedEx Freight, Ground, and Kinkos make up approx. 39% of our income. Express (the airline) still brings in the lions share. As long as WW III doesn't start between the US and China, things should be great for the foreseeable future.

 

[nitefr8dog]

The feeder trucks haul the vast majority of the volume...but you're not going to get a product across the country (or across the ocean) overnight on any Freightliner.

The airline is no more a liability to UPS' balance sheet than the vast thousands of package and feeder trucks are.

I think you guys are missing my point, UAL, AA, NWA have one way to make money and that is flying airplanes. UPS,FDX have other ways to generate profits that is by trucking boxes! For years the airline if you stood it alone lost money at UPS but it was a required part of the bundled service, overnight, 2nd day, 3rd day etc. Now it provides a large part of the revenue.

 

[L'il J.Seinfeld]

I think you guys are missing my point, UAL, AA, NWA have one way to make money and that is flying airplanes. UPS,FDX have other ways to generate profits that is by trucking boxes! For years the airline if you stood it alone lost money at UPS but it was a required part of the bundled service, overnight, 2nd day, 3rd day etc. Now it provides a large part of the revenue.

Ok, I'm calling you out. What years are you referring? Aside from the one time start up costs absorbed in the early 90's, what the heck are you talking about? The airline side at UPS has pulled up the rest of the company since the books have been public since the IPO 8 years ago. The airline will also continue to become more important because you can't truck anything to China. Boats are too expensive since they tie up inventory for shippers for too long. Air cargo from Asia is making tons of money for UPS.