Originally Posted by ZippyNH

My thoughts...
It varries...and to the extremes.
There are routes for people want to build time...and routes for people looking for a easy, regular gig .. Largely it is customer driven...but schedules are pretty well set.
The brown box flights are out, with sometimes one stop, sit for 8-9 hours (in a hotel usually), then return, one or two stops (a stop is just 20 minutes, less if you can make it faster)then in a hotel overnight....do it all week. Depending on the coast, it might be early or later... So you typically are working or in a hotel/home...unless waiting for cargo from a late connection in the AM...then pilots stamd around and BS for an hour or so and talk...
Typically you don't actually "work" more than 4-6 hours a day if the jet bringing in your cargo is on time in the AM, but it is split into two half's... some can deal with that, some need to adjust.
I have flown as little as 1.3 RT day or more like 3+ RT
Other customers may require up to 8 hours with an optional 91 repo leg with 5+ legs....and a "round-robin" routing...
Some trips never leave a state...some x-country, or half x-country with the cargo getting relayed. Simply put, there are routes for time builders, and routes for a person looking for more if an easy regular schedule.
As to loading/unloading cargo...a huge shift has occurred in the past few months...MOST of the flights are "no touch", but that's not to say you will not need to possiblely shift cargo at a stop for CG reasons (if you plan well, it can often be avoided), or there might be a customer who requires you move the cargo to the door for the driver to unload....
Biggest thing at this level is to be flexible, get the job done and communicate...