Hello,

I just received an email invite for an interview next month. Didn't think it would be possible as I don't know anyone that works for you guys. I'm retiring out of the Air Force and the wife and I (empty nest) have settled down in Dallas. I'm not familiar with FEx operations and wonder how a commute out of DFW would be for probably the rest of my flying life. Looking for any inputs or advice you may have and thanks for your time.

 

Looks like there are 10-ish flights a day between DFW and MEM between AA and SWA, and one FedEx flight you could jumpseat on.

The REAL question is, how many FedEx pilots are also commuting out of the DFW area, or how many pilots (of whatever airline) are based at DFW or DAL and live in the Memphis area...

 

Your learning curve on commuting will be steep. And there will be plenty of folks around who will be willing to give you pointers. This is just my opinion, but plan on QOL to be centered around training for a few months & give it at least year (total) for everything to smooth out. But that year will go by quickly.

Good luck!




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Many (most?) FedEx pilot commute from somewhere other than Memphis. Your life will be slightly harder as a commuter but there are plenty of cities that have better family benefits than Memphis.

You'll also have to spend extra time commuting but Dallas seems like it would be an easier commute than many places.

Good luck, this seems like a great deal for a retired military guy.

Congrats ...


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Kobwo,

The DFW commute is relatively easy. There are several flights a day on the passenger carriers. FDX has at least 3 flights to MEM on most days. Here is a link to our Jumpseat Finder.

Jumpseat Finder

You will also find the occasional layover in DFW on the 767 or MD-11 if your seniority allows you to hold one of those lines.

There are opportunities for deadheads into or out of DFW which could give you more days at home.

There are several FDX guys that live in the DFW area. I think somewhere around 200? I have made it work for several years. Good luck.

 

Kobwo,

First of all, congratulations. I hope you get the job, because there are entirely too many Navy guys there and the place can always use some more AF guys, if for no other reason than to dilute the gene pool.

As for commuting... it stinks. Easy or hard, there's always an implied pressure associated with getting to and from work/home. That said, there's a ton of commercial flights between DFW and MEM. As well, if you're quick (after you learn the ropes), you'll be able to jumpseat on FedEx equipment, both ways, schedule permitting. If not, just buy a ticket once or twice a month. Your pay will allow for that, especially considering your AF monthly retirement check. Again, Congratulations and best of luck in your upcoming interview. I'm sure someone has already mentioned the prep courses that are available. You should at least consider them, I believe. Being Air Force, you probably don't need it, but better safe than sorry.

 

If you retired from the Air Force, I guarantee you know somebody already flying here. Best bet is to locate them and ask. It's just too small a world.

 

Out of DFW, FedEx generally has two flights in the morning and two flights in the evening to both MEM and IND, which is better than many of our smaller cities. On an odd day, you may run into a competition for jumpseats, but in general I think you will find one available when you need it. Many locals will be on different schedules or have deadheads to some place other than MEM/IND. If you really get into a pinch, there are also 7 non-stop flights every day on AA. For some guys at FedEx, taking a jumpseat on a passenger carrier would take an act of God. If you end up getting advice from someone like that, they may steer you away from even considering that option when it may work just fine depending on your situation.

The specifics of your commuting situation will depend on if you end up on one of the mostly domestic fleets or flying internationally on the 777.

Most likely, as a new hire, you’ll be either sitting reserve from midnight to noon or flying night hub turns domestically. Most domestic trips you’d be flying start in one of two ways. You either deadhead to an out station (on a passenger carrier) in the morning to be in position to fly back to MEM/IND with that night’s freight or with a 0200-0400 launch from MEM/IND to an out station. If you get a deadhead trip, you can cancel the ticket and use the funds to buy a different ticket from DFW to where you need to be. If your trip starts in MEM/IND, it will usually have around a 0100-0200 show time. So, you ride a FedEx jumpseat (2130-ish or 2300-ish takeoff) from DFW with the inbound freight, arrive around 2300-0030 and report for your trip in an hour or two. Your layover at the out station will typically be 12-16 hours followed by an evening flight(s) back to where you started.

Trips typically end back in MEM/IND after the inbound leg just prior to midnight. Then you just jumpseat back to DFW with one of the am launches and arrive around 0400-0500. They can also end at an out station after you work the morning flight inbound. The schedule will have you layover until that evening and deadhead back to MEM. Just like a deadhead at the start of a trip, you have the option to cancel the ticket and buy the one you really want with the money. It’s your option to use the hotel or not. Some guys prefer to get home ASAP, while others go to the hotel and make their way home after a few winks.

You’ll find being at a large American Airlines hub will make commuting at Fedex much easier. In addition to being relatively easy to get to MEM, you’ll be able to deadhead just about anywhere on the planet when necessary. With daily flights to most of the Fedex cities in the US as well as the UK, Paris, Germany and Hong Kong, it’s usually relatively easy to get where Fedex needs you to be and stay on budget.

I tried to give you the basics for now. There’s a lot more information on FedEx commuting but maybe this will give you a general idea of what to expect early on. Good luck with the interview.

 

The reality is, when you get a little bit of seniority with FedEx, you'll probably be able to hold some deadhead trips. Then if you can't jumpseat on FedEx (which we like to do, because it's practically a guaranteed ride into work, rarely bumped), you can have FedEx pay for a commercial ticket to work, and you collect the airmiles. Dallas is close, seems like an easy commute into Memphis. Many of our trips start/end elsewhere with a deadhead, so soon enough you might not have to get into Memphis anyways. I rarely jumpseat, avoid that whenever possible. And I hate jumpseating on anyone but FedEx, I like the guarantee of a ride. Commuting while working at FedEx is an entirely different deal than other carriers. Living in Dallas, you'll probably end up being AAdvantage Platinum on American every year, anyways.

However, the first thing I'd worry about is getting the job. The commute will be fine. Just get the job.

 

Great post, @Adlerdriver. Thanks.