UPS/FDX new hire commuting?

[satpak77]

What are the realistic chances of new hires at FDX or UPS commuting to work from DFW?

I mean commuting and maintaining your sanity and blood pressure levels, especially Year 1.

Thanks

 

[PanelApe]

DFW commuting

I can't talk for UPS, but for FedEx - it doesn't get much easier than DFW. Plenty of Fedex planes to Memphis. Several other cariers that operate into Memphis.

Short of living in the land of Elvis....

 

[BIGBROWNDC8]

For UPS, very difficult, there are plenty of flights to SDF, but we have over 250 crewmembers commuting out of there. It is doable, just takes prior planning.

My advice, get hired by ups, Dont commute, make the move to SDF, that is unless you are not on reserve, then you will probably be commercialing to work on the companies dime...

 

[de727ups]

Commuting

I think a guy can always commute but you'll be gone a lot. I believe Eagle has direct flights to SDF from DFW. Anyhow...for me, living in SDF was never a question. Just wasn't gonna happen (except for what I told them at the interview....hehe). I've always commuted and I've bypassed upgrades to make for a better lifestyle. I'm very happy with my decisions but I'm a single guy with simple tastes....everyone has to make their own call based on their situation.

 

[satpak77]

Thanks guys

OK sounds good, thanks for the info

 

[pitot-grande]

Is SDF the only UPS base? If not, where are the others?

 

[Huck]

If I were a new hire again I'd move to Planet Mempho. Sit reserve, work 6 days a month, pick up 3 or 4 standby's a month to pay off my credit cards....

 

[Falconjet]

Good Plan

Huck, thats a good plan, but unfortunately right now you end up working just about every day on reserve and fielding draft calls on your days off. Its still not bad, but it isn't as good as I hear it used to be or is now in other aircraft. In the back of the Boeing we are being used just about every R day. Can't wait for the hiring rumors to come true!

FJ

 

[USNFDX]

Yup,

If it weren't for make up, I wouldn't fly....19 out of 20 straight days on reserve and I only flew 1 leg. Had an afternoon DH out and fly back on Xmass eve, and an OAK DH out STBY and DH Back.

My bud had only 1 stby the whole month.

Things are quite nice in the Back of the 10......I hope they don't excess me back to the slave ship!

 

[BrownTailGuy]

Other UPS bases for pilots are Ontario California and Miami. But you won't go there as a new hire, in fact it would take a few years to get there more than likely.

 

[F18-FDX]

Reserved Jumpseats

Don't forget that you can reserve your jumpseat up to 14 days in advance at FDX. This takes the stress factor of "gotta leave a day in advance", "gotta get to the airport at 0400 to beat all the other shmucks", "what if I don't make it in time for my trip" etc. out of the equation. Additionally if you're on a FDX jumpseat commuting in for a trip, the plane is late and miss your trip (VERY rare), it's a "no harm, no foul" situation. You miss the trip but don't get in any trouble.

I've been commuting since day 1 from an area with LOTS of FedEx guys and only 2 727s per day (i.e. 4 jumpseats total). I have virtually no complaints. IMHO, FedEx is the most commuter-friendly company out there and is one of the major reasons I came here. I wanted to live where I want, have control over my schedule and still lead a normal family life. Personally, I couldn't be happier with my choice.

 

[SWAbigdaddy]

A couple of UPS or FedEx questions. Do your trips start in SDF or MEM or do you commercial to an out station? Also do you layover for weekends or commercial home on the domestic side?

For Fedex how does subic work with skd, pay, commuting, crashpads, base locks, ect...? How big is the base?

Also for UPS how does MIA work? Is the 757/767 all international or do they mix it up. What types of skds does MIA get? Where do they go? How big is the base?

Thanks for any input!

Before some genius tells me that "i can do a search", i know that, i just wanted some updated info and more insight.

CHEERS!!!

 

[F18-FDX]

Big Daddy,

General info: trips start and end at airports all over the country. If you have a trip that starts somewhere other than your domicile (i.e. MEM/LAX/ANC) you have a front and/or back end deadhead attached. The normal front end deadhead is from domicile to the city where you start, plus layover, then operate the next day and vice-versa on the back end. You can cancel these scheduled deadheads and use the money to travel from where you live, paid for by the company as long as the new ticket costs the same or less as the original, any overage you must pick up. That's pretty rare, however, for example I live on the east coast and can get to anywhere on the west coast for the same price or less than a ticket from MEM, I've never had to pay out-of-pocket. Done this to OAK/LAX/PDX many times. This money can be used as you wish for the bid month (+- 3 days) in which the trip is scheduled. For example if you happen to take a jumpseat home you can use this "bank" money to commute to/from another trip if desired, including to/from domicile for trips that begin from MEM. The guys who have their cake and eat it too are those who can hold trips out of their hometown, ex. a 6-day trip, double deadhead may start on Monday with a DH, then layover, first operational leg on Tuesday, last op leg Friday night, layover, DH back to domicile on Sat. They end up at home on the front and back end and only work 4 days of a 6-day trip...sweet, but must have the seniority.

If your trip starts/ends in domicile you get there on your own. Schedule your jumpseats up to 14 days in advance as I mentioned above, no stress attached.

Still some w/e layovers out there, but fewer since the postal contract started.

Unfortunately I can't answer the Subic question w/out doing some digging, hopefully someone else has it readily available. Hope this helps.