14.5 year FedEx guy here...

I love my job. But...those junior years that beat the hell out you were mild for me. We were hiring, and I was able to hold some day flying. It was 2002, and I did a little military leave. I also worked open time hard to trade into trips that I liked (day flights) and rarely flew the schedule I was originally assigned. That takes time and effort, but it was worth it to me. And...this is important...it was about the ONLY gig in town at the time. I was grateful then, and now, to be there.

FedEx is a host of airlines in one...a domestic day, a domestic night, an international, and an Asian and European freight operation. The key to life here is finding your niche. Doing that takes time.

So--FedEx guys will show you there W-2, or brag about their vacation policy. They still have an A plan, albeit not inflation adjusted. I have done 5 day Paris layovers (rare--but I've done them) and DHs to Hawaii, and been to Sydney and around the globe while still pretty junior. There is some good stuff here.

But...you will pay the tax when junior if doing domestic night ops. Its not for everyone. We have new hires going to the MD-11 and 777, so a lucky few will dodge that bullet and may never have to do it unless they chose to do so for upgrades or other reasons. But....some guys will. Some love it, some don't.

For me, if I was living NorCal based in SFO, or skiing on reserve or days off in DEN, I would have to look hard at what I wanted out of a career or life before leaving UAL. Pax carriers furlough at times, and are subject to the whipsaws of the economy, but nobody (including freight) is immune.

The very best advice I saw on this thread is the same I give to a lot of folks with options. Take your ID, and jumpseat on a FedEx night flight inbound to the hub, then go outbound to another city. Then do the same thing doing a day sort...leaving somewhere 7-9 am, sitting in MEM 4-6 hours during the day, and going outbound that afternoon. The day and night sorts are the core of the domestic operation. Some guys love the nights, and it works for them. I actually rather enjoyed the day trips, even though the middle of the day was a 4-5 hour sit. (I worked out, worked on business, drove around the countryside, even went gambling at Tunica at times....) If you like the pax free, laid back operational flavor it may be for you. If you are saying "oh my God...what did I do to myself?" (which I still say when I catch myself in the 0200-0600 work period) then maybe leaving a little money on the table and accepting the frustrations of the pax business are not so bad after all.

Finally--money helps. My primary motivation for work was to provide a good quality of life and education for my family. FedEx makes that easy. Great pay, great benefits, but at times its damn hard work. I can live with that. Deadheading in business class to Singapore or Saigon and staying at five star places is a hoot. Conversely, a 0230 wakeup call after a 90 minute nap just sucks. I take the good with the bad, and enjoy it for what it offers. But if you decide it isn't for you--its nice there are so many other damn good opportunities out there right now.