Scumbag cargo company Hall of Shame

[time builder]

It would be good if they (The feeder pilots at Ameriflight, Skyway, etc) would start by standing up for themselves and voting in a union. I am sure the IPA would assist/support such an effort.

I believe the pilots at AMF tried to start a union a couple years ago, but it didn't work out. Personally I don't see it being all that effective where folks generally don't stay past a year or two.

 

[cruxx@9]

I hung out in the freight circle for about 8 years or maybe a bit more. During that time I flew for 3 carriers, USA Jet and Ameristar being on that list. USA Jet is tough, but fair to the pilots.

They are up front and if pilots hate it there, they hate the on-demand freight job, not so much USA Jet. The guys that complained mostly about USA Jet were guys that never flew freight anywhere else and didn't realize the nature of the beast.

I left USA Jet, as many do, to get away from the pager and just tired of flying ad hoc freight. I'm very satisfied with my time at USA Jet. The pilots are respected by dispatch, CP's etc. That was my experience anyway.

Ameristar on the other hand....Well let's just say it was two years of my life I'll never get back.

By the way, I don't think Fred Smith built his empire to make a better life for his pilots. I'm sure he was looking out for his bottom line and if it helped the pilots than that was just a side note to his plan.

 

[RefugePilot]

T'would be good if the UPS Pilots and/or their union stood up for the feeder pilots.

The pilots at UPS seem to be the only ones that are taken care of at UPS. I am sure they dont want to take on management for someone else's sake. At least for the subcontractors/pliots it is just a temporary job on the way up. To hear the UPS drivers tell it, they are the ones getting abused.

Schedules that does not allow them to take lunches even though they are off the clock for an hour each day.

Forced to work O.T. without a choice.

.....and the drivers have a union, the UPS driver said "thank god for the union" this morning.


At least UPS is conscientious of overtime when it comes to meeting the planes in the morning, so what if the pilot has to wait 30+ minutes for the driver to show.

 

[NavajoKing]

Key Lime Air should be on the list

 

[DHPFLYN]

The pilots at UPS seem to be the only ones that are taken care of at UPS. I am sure they dont want to take on management for someone else's sake. At least for the subcontractors/pliots it is just a temporary job on the way up. To hear the UPS drivers tell it, they are the ones getting abused.

Schedules that does not allow them to take lunches even though they are off the clock for an hour each day.

Forced to work O.T. without a choice.

.....and the drivers have a union, the UPS driver said "thank god for the union" this morning.


At least UPS is conscientious of overtime when it comes to meeting the planes in the morning, so what if the pilot has to wait 30+ minutes for the driver to show.

I can say you are SO WRONG!! I drove for ups for 10 years and enjoyed it. Paid very well and insurance is the best. You could have 10 kids and 12 wives and you won't pay a cent.

 

[metrodriver]

Amerijet.

When it comes to treating feeder pilots: UPS still has some to learn from it's competitors. No pilot will touch the freight at DHL or Fedex. If he drops a box on his foot or pulls a muscle, a few thousand pounds of boxes will incur late charges. UPS saved itself $21.- it pays a driver if the pilot can load. DHL and Fedex use scales so you know excactly how much weight is in which compartement. Ups uses the guess method for weight, and the pilot can use the nose strut extension as a measurement for balance, a nice form is used to keep the feds happy in case something goes wrong. UPS pilots have a nice coffee maker in their lounge, the feeder pilots can use the pay-for-brown-water machine that the ramp rats use

 

[RefugePilot]

I can say you are SO WRONG!! I drove for ups for 10 years and enjoyed it. Paid very well and insurance is the best. You could have 10 kids and 12 wives and you won't pay a cent.

DHPFLYN,
You must have driven here in Utah for UPS also. How does your current company's insurance feel about your 12 wives?

 

[capt. megadeth]

T'would be good if the UPS Pilots and/or their union stood up for the feeder pilots.

Yeah, that would be nice, wouldn't it?

We've got pilots that are so selfish, they don't even give a crap about other pilots at UPS, why would they care about the feeder guys?

 

[capt. megadeth]

The pilots at UPS seem to be the only ones that are taken care of at UPS. I am sure they dont want to take on management for someone else's sake.

A lot of people would disagree with that statement.

I think every group at UPS thinks other groups have it better. I think everything good that the pilot group has is because of our union, not because of the "good will" of UPS. Our union and pilots may not want to take on managment for someone else's sake because we are too busy taking on management for our OWN sake. In addition, right now we are also busy taking on 2 of our own PILOTS (that's right....our own pilots) because they filed a complaint against OUR OWN UNION for not taking a side in the age 60 thing. These people should be f***ing ashamed of themselves, but apparently they are not! They are all about ME ME ME!

Ok, rant over.....

 

[OzBushWhacker]

By and large, feeder pilots enjoy doing our job and trying to move up.... its the managers of brown with little men syndrome that get their jollies bagging on the non-union pilots that gets me going.

In CAE we used to have this guy beat on the feeder crew room to wake us up in the morning as doors were meant to be open on the a/c by 5a.m., even though no loading started till 6 and often later. Regardless of the fact that that the aircraft we were meeting were delayed, we used to get this guy rudely yelling at us at 4:15 and even flicking on the lights. Even tried to wake up a guy by pushing on him one morning!

Not the most motivating technique.

 

[PilotChapin]

I call BS on that Airnow AI forced flight thing. They may have had a few mishaps but they're not stupid.

I agree. And most of them were stupid pilot error.

 

[Captain Oveur]

Another pilot who doesn't have the experience
to admit he might ever make a mistake.....
The worst place I ever worked was Air Tahoma.
One thing I will admit, the owner, Bud Rude, was
out on the ramp in the middle of winter in the
middle of the night, helping service the planes. I
got the idea he would never ask his pilots to do
anything he wouldn't do himself. The only thing is,
I don't think there was ever a mechanical malfunction
HE wouldn't fly with. It's a miracle he survived. When
the pilots complained about the condition of the
planes, he'd accuse them of abusing the equipment.
There WERE a number of very good guys who flew
there, I just always wondered WHY?

 

[Flyguyz69]

I wouldn't worry about Ameristar sueing anyone since TW's brother got disbarred last year. Windsor how can you start a post about how bad a place is and then accept an upgrade for this month and sign another 18month DEATH CERTIFICATE? I can't believe this place is finding pilots after all the posts on this board and losing almost 40 pilots in the last year.

 

[stupidpilot]

I wouldn't worry about Ameristar sueing anyone since TW's brother got disbarred last year. Windsor how can you start a post about how bad a place is and then accept an upgrade for this month and sign another 18month DEATH CERTIFICATE? I can't believe this place is finding pilots after all the posts on this board and losing almost 40 pilots in the last year.

Hey, if nothing else is in the works why turn down a type & a raise? I'm sure he's looking just like everyone else there. If he's really lucky, when he leaves prior to his 18 months TW won't have the cash to go after him.

 

[JohnnyCash]

RP:

not sure what you mean by "the ups pilots seem to be the only ones taken care of by ups"

really don't know how to respond.

the drivers are the only one getting abused? how are they abused? did an abused driver tell you this?

so if i understand this thread, with reference to ups, drivers are abused and pilots are on easy street. hmm? do the pilots work for the same company as the drivers, do the pilots work for the same company that contracts feeder airlines? how about the hourly workforce, say anyone of several hundred thousand employees? i think its the same company- so something isn't adding up.