Hello everyone! I just was curious on what you all think is the best cargo airline to join after reaching required PIC time at a regional airline. I am very interested in Atlas Air due to the fact you can live wherever you want. However, I also know UPS and FedEx are still really solid. I want to have the freedom to live in a place good for real estate because I plan to invest and I don’t want to be tied down at a base that is not good for what I want to do. I also don’t want to spend thousands of dollars commuting.

 

You're 4-6 (?) years away from being competitive. Your perspective might change a lot.

Thinking you'd be "spending thousands" commuting but if you got with Atlas/FedEx/UPS that you wouldn't commute, or that commuting would be no cost, is doubtful.

Some wives, kids, and families can live with the very long trips that cargo operators/ACMI's have. Some wives want no part of it. What's your wife's thoughts on that and how do you feel about leaving your wife and kids for several weeks at a time? Everyone has a different answer to that.

 

Well me and my girlfriend have talked about it and she understands what my career calls for. My biggest question is if I had the choice between going to UPS/Fedex (having to spend money to commute) vs. going to Atlas (not having to spend money to commute and being able to live anywhere) which one would you choose.

 

Spend money to commute? JS on your companies metal or JS with any of the other airlines. I don’t think there’s anyone spending money to commute here. If they are, it’s probably from their travel bank.

 

Sometimes you don’t get the luxury of a choice.

 

said every wife pre divorce, once the real life kicks in with small kids and you gone it’s going to sound a lot different…

 

Seriously, you aren’t yet in the point of your career where even YOU understand what your career calls for. That isn’t knocking you (or her) because we have all been there, but you wouldn’t be asking such incredibly naive questions if you were.

My GUESS is that you have somehow bought in to the old “Boxes don’t b!tch” mantra and decided that’s the be all and end all. If that’s what you really WANT, far be it from me to try to dissuade you (note the screen name) but I would caution you that the mantra is only that and that depending on the experience you get before you become competitive at any of the major cargo carriers you will have a huge variety of other experiences and opportunities.

FedEx and UPS haven’t exactly been setting the world on fire with their hiring either:

https://www.fapa.aero/pilot-hiring-history

and while Atlas has been doing a little better in that regard, you are sort of paying for that with reduced pay, especially the first few years. And if what is driving this is indeed “the ability to live anywhere” you are basically talking about being a commuter (which adds time to the beginning and end of every trip) that is dependent not on whether you are moving people or boxes but by what the commuting options to your base(s) are from whatever airport you will be departing from. if your nearest reasonable airport is only served by a once a day EAS flight living there is going to be problematic no matter who you are commuting to or what you have in the back
At a minimum you ought to at least look at the commuter clauses in the various airline contracts and - if you and your girlfriend actually are not already hard over. decided on a make that decision based upon what will give you an EASY COMMUTE RATHER than on who may or may not be paying for it.

 

Which would I choose? The major passenger airline that has w/b jets that I can drive to work.

Everything else is rubbish - Manfred Freiherr v. Richthofen.

 

This, you are being very optimistic about your chances which is good, but you’ll probably get atlas way before you’re even competitive at UPS or FedEx.

 

Before you think the cargo lifestyle is for you, I’d find a way to somehow simulate in your life, working the back side of the clock, while also spending time away from your partner. You might think you’re a night person, but until you’ve done it, you don’t realize the effect it has on your health. I don’t do cargo, but I was in the military and worked the midshift on a rotating schedule with a day and swing shift at one of my duty stations, it messes you up more than you think both mentally and physically. Really took at toll on my marriage at the time because I was perpetually in a grumpy mood and I actually came home every day at the time. We aren’t meant to be awake all night. Being gone over two weeks at a time might not seem too bad, but combined with the schedule it can cause a lot of stress, not only for you but your partner as well. The grass might look greener, and the money better eventually, but the truth is you don’t know what you don’t know until you’ve experienced it.