You are very much there at the convenience of the hallowed halls of Haden. I was a roamer based out of GEG. I spent nearly all of Oct, Nov, Dec and a good part of Jan in PHX, where I had to share a rental car with three other people. I spent Thanksgiving, Xmas and New Years in a hotel while watching company wide emails get sent around about the company holiday parties that only those in Haden could attend. With a single email sent to the pilot group saying thanks. Nothing specifically thanking me for spending 4 months on the road away from home other than a slightly better paycheck and I really mean slightly. (Thank god New job nearly doubles my pay and I only work 2 weeks a month.) What I was told originally was 2 weeks roaming, 1 week of reserve and one week off. What I got was 4 months nearly straight on the road over the holidays. Tread very carefully with empire, you will not be appreciated by management and what you are told walking in will very likely not be what you get on the line. Pilot issues on the line are an afterthought for corporate and you can never get anyone to answer the phone. You will have issues with email, pay, taxes, reimbursement, schedule, etc. and it will take weeks if not (in my case months) to get it resolved. You will be treated like crap by FedEx management, as if they are doing you a favor giving you a job and letting you fly their airplanes. God help you if they don’t think you are moving quick enough or you ever want to exert PIC authority while packages need to be delivered....and yes as alluded to, the guy who runs HR is a fracking MORON!!!!
Having said that, the job itself is a lot of fun. I did actually enjoy it. There are some really great guys there. Some of the highest time Caravan pilots who know literally everything about those airplanes. Hanging out in the crew room with the other pilots was a blast. Even hanging out with Baja boy on the crew bus making fun of each other’s political leaning was a good time. I really miss PDX and the crew and tampers there but The drama from the company isn’t worth it.