FedEx ground work
 

Hey everyone. I'm currently in flight school and my ultimate goal is to fly for FedEx. Obviously I have a few years before I meet the minimums to apply, but I'd like to do everything I can to help my odds when I do. I'm currently at IND and they are having a hiring session for package handlers. I don't need the job, and to be completely honest, I'm not especially keen on the idea of the labor involved. My current job requires a lot less work and pays more. Also, when I'm done with school, I will owe several years to a specific regional as part of my education loan repayment. What is the time frame that having worked for FedEx ground in the past would actually be beneficial, if at all? I have to assume that it would increase my chances by at least 1%, and in theory, anything that increases my chances of living my dream would be worth it, right? Has anyone worked for a different division of fedex and then had that help when applying to fly for them? If I can't meet minimums or am obligated for 5 years, is it worth it to work a less desirable job that compensates me less? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Oh dear....
Chances of getting on with Fedex are 50%......either you will or you won’t.
If you’d like to narrow it down a little then it’s probably 0.0001%
You’ve already indicated you rather take the easier way, that’s not the right mindset first of all for any career.
In aviation you need tar on your soul as you’ll encounter many, many setbacks. Most of us have anyway.
Aviation is a very cruel lover.
Never, ever set your sights on just one goal. Take a breather at every level and do a thorough self check.
I’ve met seriously heavy hitters that didn’t make it with Fedex or UPS.
Great people, great captains, tons of varied experience.
Having said that, you’re much better off joining the ANG/Military to better your chances at Fedex then swinging boxes just to get their name on your resume.

Just got a fortune cookie at the “Whatchaohdah” on my overnight.
Thought it was appropriate.

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I appreciate the reply. There's definitely tar on my soul as you put it, and I'm willing to put in the work, but only if it's beneficial to me achieving my goals. Keeping afloat during school is already hard enough without taking a pay cut, work/labor involved aside. I definitely understand that there will be hiccups along the path and will handle those as they come. I just wanted to get an idea of what level of benefit I could expect if I were to go the route of package handler, which you provided. Thanks again.

No.
Experience in the industry puts tar on your soul.
70% of people that start do not finish their flight training.
If I had a dollar from every student aspiring airline pilot that came walking in the door I wouldn’t have to work right now.
First get established in this industry.
Then adjust your goals.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions starting with:

- I’ll never fail a check ride
- I’ll get a 4.0 GPA
- I’ll never punch a FA in the jet-bridge
- I’ll never drive 50% over the speed limit.
- I’ll never have that one last drink

Hey Justpickone,
There are folks flying the line that have previous experience “throwing boxes.” It probably helped, but if it doesn’t work for you I don’t think it will really hurt your chances. It sounds like money is tight and if you have a better paying gig then most will not fault you. By the time you get done with your regional commitment who knows what FedEx will be looking for in candidates. Heck, the line pilots don’t know the magic potion that gets you interviewed now. Keep chugging along and keep your nose clean and hopefully things will work out for you. Good Luck

FedEx is a good place, and I feel lucky to be here. But I also would’ve been very happy at United or Delta, so don’t be quick to discount other places unless you REALLY want to live in Memphis for some reason.

I don’t think throwing boxes will help you at all. Get your education, your tickets, and your hours. 10 years from now who knows what you’ll want. Whatever you do don’t trust anonymous snarky guys on the Internet.

Had a buddy who worked at fedex for over 15 years. Didnt help him at all. Fedex passed on him and he is a happy camper at Delta.

,

I was trying to be honest and not an @ss.
You obviously know what a decision tree is:
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...J_sbK40-2Nvrzv

Not only every career decision but every life decision is going to determine your final destination.
Now...even if you had a cheat sheet and you KNEW the decisions that lead to Fedex ( or any other goal) it wouldn’t be guarantee as external factors are constantly changing the decision points.
And you can’t control any of these external factors.
Global economic fluctuations, domestic economic fluctuations, poor or exceptional management decisions at current or future anticipated employers.
Then you have your life events that can make you choose to go left instead of right : long term illness/ death of a close relative, new relationship/ marriage/divorce, temporary loss of your medical due to illness and it goes on and on.
Don’t loose sight of your final goal but focus on your next step and just loosely consider the next step.
Really the only thing you can do is set yourself up for succes.
Get a degree, work hard, be committed to what you do. Working for a sh!tty company doesn’t mean you need to do a sh!tty job.

Let me just give you an example.
I have a buddy stuck at a dead end airline. He’s waiting for the call from the Majors, preferably American.
Mean time he can’t change employers as he can’t afford the drop in pay. Nasty divorce and a difficult teen keep him where he is. He also can’t save enough to build a transfer fund to cover him the first two years at a different airline.
I’m pretty sure he didn’t anticipate that 10 years ago.

Like I said.....tar on your soul

So this guy or girl asked a relatively simple question that deserves a simple answer, or as simple as we can give.

Will throwing boxes help much way down the road? Who knows but probably not. It certainly won’t hurt, but it will not be as strong a determining factor as your aviation experience, education, attitude, and luck in terms of the market. If you can swing the job to get an in with FedEx, do it. If it represents a big life detriment, don’t worry about it too much.

Your priorities may change later too. I worked nights at UPS during college for 3 years to get an in there. Then I went to the corporate world for a long time and now FedEx. So yeah, priorities change.

Best of luck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk