FDX - "Early Pull"
 

These "Early Pull" FCIFs are becoming quite common lately. The latest came a minute after the termination of the Operational Emergency. :confused:

First, I hope no Jumpseaters have been left behind because of early pulls. As FedEx pilots we at least have access to the FCIFs, but we carry quite a few off-line pilots who do not.

But to the meat of my question ... what part of your pre-flight activities do you omit in order to pull (I assume they mean PUSH) early? Our hotel pickup times are predicated on travel times from the hotel to the ramp, and our report times at the ramp are predicated on the Countdown parameters published in the FOM. The reason we report 1 hour before scheduled push time is because we have 1 hour of work to do. What makes them think we should safely accomplish the same work in 40 minutes?

With the new ACARS Crew Delays, I wonder if I'm going to be asked to explain a 20-minute crew delay for pushing on time instead of 20 minutes early, just because a group of office managers sitting around a conference table on Airways Blvd. decided we need to get to Memphis early.

It seems like a recipe for disaster to me. The job is made more difficult by challenging weather, so I'm supposed to rush my preflight? That's just asking for mistakes. No thanks.

Be safe out there.






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It is becoming quite a common event. Doesn't seem safe to me to compress preflight preparations and Rush things.

My pick up time was adjusted 20 minutes earlier in addition to the 20 minute early push. I received a crew notification.

If you show them that you can do an hours' work in 40 minutes, even just a few times, they will expect that in the future and will undoubtedly try to make that the new norm. Seems to me that, especially in domicile, like Memphis, guys shouldn't be checking in early, because showing them that you're there, gives them options that are not necessarily in the flight crews' best interests.

Did they tell all our customers that we are picking up packages 20 minutes early? Did all the drop boxes get picked up early? It always gets me that they want the crew to the ramp early. It's the freight that needs to get to the ramp early. Usually in bad weather, the freight gets to the ramp later.

Part of the issue is that if management gets you in your seat early, it gives them more options. Not you, mind you. Them. If I were still there, I'd be asking the question: "what's in it for me?" If the answer is "nothing", then I'd be less inclined to participate. But that's just me, I guess.

Were you notified before you began your rest, or was your rest interrupted?

Unless we're talking about trip check in, or being on reserve, I have no obligation to be available to receive a notification. In other words, I don't have to check VIPS or answer my phone, but I'll be in the lobby at the scheduled pickup time. Until then, I'm in my scheduled rest period, free from duty and free from any responsibility to cater to The Company's whims.






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Now THAT is a good way of dealing with the problem. They want to track you and control you in ways that are extra-contractual, possibly illegal, unsafe, and just plain stupid. Just back off on giving them the means of doing so.

We don't need to be so compulsive about things, certainly not while we should be getting real rest. Avoid logging in until after pick-up. It can all wait. If we need more time to check the weather or anything else relating to flight safety, just let it wait until after pick-up. Do it on the company's time, not our protected rest period. If a flight happens to be delayed by doing things properly, so be it.

Fly smart. Fly safe.

Does anyone actually push before they are ready? I don't. Frequently I find that the pick up times in the field are predicated on worse case scenario for traffic & we get to the ramp early. If that happens & the ramp is ready for us to push early & I can accommodate them I will, but I'm not going to rush or take a shortcut.

Fedex actually cuts the pickup times by the same number of minutes and has the trucks back to the sort early.