Contract Cargo for the long haul?

[DASHDRIVER]

I am getting furloughed again in four days.

I have been recently given the opportunity to move into a contract cargo job. It looks like what I would consider a pretty good job. Not great, but definitely pretty good. home based, variety of flying, and growth that would mean (right now) a shorter upgrade time. I have been through 4 airlines now in 8 years and am really looking to stop moving around.

I have heard that this end of the cargo industry can be very unstable. I would love to hear opinions about what people think about the viability of a long career at a place that does contract cargo and charters.

DD

 

[MD11Drvr]

DD,

If you're willing to share the company name maybe you will get better informed answers. I understand holding cards close to the vest ,but the field varies wildly among the non scheds for QOL,contracts, etc. World is hiring and I would be happy to answer what i can about them or do a search for the company you are looking at and that may offer some insight. Good Luck either way......

 

[AV80R]

... I have been recently given the opportunity to move into a contract cargo job .... am really looking to stop moving around ... I have heard that this end of the cargo industry can be very unstable.

Any contract job is just that - a contract job that might or might not be renewed. Just look at how the ABX and Astar pilots and other employees get treated right now by their employer - DHL. That's right - they were doing contract flying for DHL...

I'd say take the job for now but keep looking for something more stable. Good luck to you.

 

[Browntothebone]

Any contract job is just that - a contract job that might or might not be renewed. Just look at how the ABX and Astar pilots and other employees get treated right now by their employer - DHL. That's right - they were doing contract flying for DHL...

I'd say take the job for now but keep looking for something more stable. Good luck to you.

Once again, the mis-information on this message board is incredible. ABX pilots work for ABX Air, not DHL. Astar pilots work for Astar Air Cargo. Astar is 49% owned by DHL.

 

[AV80R]

... ABX pilots work for ABX Air, not DHL...

I see, so ABX pilots carry ABX freight, correct?

 

[Browntothebone]

I see, so ABX pilots carry ABX freight, correct?

ABX Air is contracted by DHL to fly DHL freight.

 

[AV80R]

ABX Air is contracted by DHL to fly DHL freight.

Exactly, that's what I was saying...

"Just look at how the ABX and Astar pilots and other employees get treated right now by their employer - DHL. That's right - they were doing contract flying for DHL..."

He asked about contract flying and I replied that in my view it's not a good option if he/she's looking for stability in his life. What part of that statement was wrong?

 

[Browntothebone]

Exactly, that's what I was saying...

"Just look at how the ABX and Astar pilots and other employees get treated right now by their employer - DHL. That's right - they were doing contract flying for DHL..."

He asked about contract flying and I replied that in my view it's not a good option if he/she's looking for stability in his life. What part of that statement was wrong?

You said that their employer is DHL. That is incorrect.

 

[BoxFlyr]

You're both right

 

[filejw]

What most ABX / Astar employees fail to recognize is after the spin off they were no different than Atlas or World flying for Air Canada or ANZ. Sad but true.

 

[trijetter]

Not really, DHL owns 49% of Astar and Polar with members on their respective BOD's with voting rights.

 

[DC8CRIVER]

'though DHL owns 49% of Astar, lot of good that has done us.

And, yes, DHL does not "own ABX" but the effect is the same for the 49% owned Astar and the "not at all" owned ABX. We'll all be hitting the bricks in a couple of months.

And we absolutely DID realize that we were in the same boat as other ACMI carriers. That being said, some of us did harbor some hope that the 49% ownership indicated some degree of commitment by DHL to Astar for fulfilling their recently extended ACMI contract which was to go to 2019 AND their commitment to the Astar pilots who has just signed a CBA that had bound DHL to certain growth and no furlough provisions.

Obviously, the signing of those contracts just a couple of months ago was either a very cleaver and expensive bluff on DHL's part to keep every one in the dark about their nefarious schemes, OR DHL just doesn't have the slightest clue about how to run a business and they continue to make the most idiotic, short sighted, knee jerk, stupid, and expensive blunders ever known to man - on a billion dollar scale.

Sad but true that the airline that helped found and build DHL into a global delivery service has been thrown under the bus.

8

 

[AV80R]

Either way, the main point is that Astar and ABX employees get screwed while DHL top brass enjoy their bonuses - very sad...

 

[filejw]

Either way, the main point is that Astar and ABX employees get screwed while DHL top brass enjoy their bonuses - very sad...

Very true and the 49% is just enough to control what they want. I'v watched NWA do this with their regionals for years.