Simply put, If your assigned trip does not begin ( 1st leg of 1st duty period)
with a Commerical passenger carrier Dead head then you need to find your own way to MEM...........(or ANC , LAX whichever one is your Assinged Domicile).

Lets use MEM for example because it is the easiest. Below is a humourous but quite accurate example of what your life will be like.

If you live in PHL (your "Staging City) and are Based in MEM......and your next trip is schedule to leave MEM @ 0800Z 11 April............That means you need to be in MEM at 0200lcl this coming Tuesday. For explanation purposes this trip has No commercial Deadhead. It just leaves MEM has a short layover and returns to MEM the next night. Since you live in PHL (remember Staging City) you will (are able to) reserve the FedEx jumpseat 14 days prior.

You will show up at the PHL ramp Monday night around 2000 lcl the 10th.
You will Jumpseat to MEM and arrive approximate 23:45-0030. Once entering the crew room area, you will "Check-in" for your trip. You will then sit in the Crew room........find a Lazy boy lounger if your lucky and nap for an hour or 2.
Then you will start doing pilot stuff after about 3 cups of HI-TEST coffee..............

You will launch to some city around 0300-0345am fly for 2-4hrs (domestic only).....feeling like SH**.! When get to your Destination....... you go to the hotel hopefully before the Sun comes up......still feeling like SH**.(not likely if you are junior). You will try to get some needed sleep, until the Hotel maid ignores the Do Not Disturb sign hung on your door and either Knocks on your door asking if you want towels, or vacumes for about 20 minutes right out side your door. Then the hotel costodian will be drilling the floor right above your room for about the next 2 hours........and then if that isn't enough the local fire marshall comes to preform a fire system test of the Hotel.

After your quality 8 hours of crew rest, you might meet your crew in the lobby around 5:00 PM for dinner.............You return to your room around 6:00-6:30 PM in time for a quick shave,shower and ###. You meet you crew in the Lobby for a 7:30 Pick up to the Ramp.......You do Pilot stuff again and Fly fo 2-4hrs back to MEM arriving around Midnight........and you get to repeat the above ritual all over again for the next 5 days.........Oh did I mention that you will be feeling like SH**.


On your last night into MEM you will sit in the crew room as always but you will catch your Staging Jumpseat flight to PHL arriving at 630am. Then you will get home.feeling like SH** and your wife will say the Upstairs toilet is leaking. You reluctently fix it so she will leave you alone because you need to sleep for a few hours.......................

You quickly get it done, Kiss the wife and say "I see you in a couple hours."
You are sound asleep after 25 minutes. You are soon awoken by the Phone ringing.... and its FedEx crew skeds...........They want to know if your interested in a draft trip leaving tomorrow (actually it leaves tonight.....well at 0300 tomorrow morning)........................... and the saga continues..................the life of a freight dawg