I just posted this on the Fedex site, thought it was worth sharing on your thread. From a retired Fedex guy, best of luck to you all.




Dean Maciuba
Dean MaciubaDean Maciuba
• Following • Following
Crossroads Parcel ConsultingCrossroads Parcel Consulting

Like FedEx, UPS Has too Many Pilots

Many sources rate UPS pilots as the highest paid in the airline industry, including both passenger and cargo carriers. UPS pilots are also sitting on a fairly recent 2-year contract extension ratified in August of 2022 that resulted in a pay raise that was negotiated just prior to the air cargo industry starting to tank. Unlike FedEx, UPS is more able to fund a pilot buyout while FedEx is sitting on 700 pilot positions that they currently do not need. The passenger airline segment is seeing growing passenger volume while freight carrier volume is down globally, after crazy growth during COVID that is driving over capacity today.

Being a pilot in the cargo industry is a much easier job than serving on a flight crew for a passenger carrier as packages do not complain and resist rule compliance. Like it or not, both UPS and FedEx pilots are going to have to move to probably lower paid positions with the passenger carriers if they choose to remain employed in the industry or retire.




I have lifted this from a public posting on LinkedIn dated around Sept 4th.

Mr. Maciuba is a regular on Linkedin and a consultant speaking (and no doubt) making his current living by speaking to the greater integrator industry (Fedex, UPS, DHL, Amazon). Online his postings are as an "influencer". If you are a member of Linkedin you can add your thoughts about Mr. Maciuba's opinions. It is always interesting to hear non aviators speak with such authority about a profession they only know by way of other's opinions or by way of siting at the airport or on a flight.

Unfortunately this greater sphere of influencers, whether knowledgeable or not, will impact the opinions of the industry press, the larger national press, Wall Street financiers, and of course, political powers whether elected or not.

I don’t think you will ever get anyone to vote here on lower wages. And I beg to differ that this an easier job than that of a PAX carrier pilot, half of whom would probably quit after a month of our wonderful night schedules.

It's as though someone distilled the very essence of "boomer" and then splattered it all over my monitor.

Despite what some “influencer” might say.

Flying for UPS is more challenging physically, requires wider competency, and adherence to SOP due to the multifaceted nature of the flying done outside normal circadian rhythms. Complaining passengers are not a great source of stress to pax pilots. Large amounts of lithium ion batteries are.

I have less regard for influencers than used car salesmen. Essentially they are professional narcissists.

lower pay? Pffft…

...I'm also afraid that a higher frequency of repeated misinformation on a variety of internet sources will result in the various artificial intelligence programs, with their bots now searching the internet far and wide, finding the oft repeated misinformation and then further "legitimizing" that bad info by republishing it.

DCK- Integrate FDX's Fatigue scoring vs UPSCO's B.S. leave it to the fatigued to call it with PAX's part 117 rules and look at this thread as the cow dung it is.

Add the "cargo aircraft only" crap we carry at higher profit vs. risk, put it in your, "influencer", FUPM and smoke it.

This person clearly has zero clue about the aviation industry. Cargo carriers fly the same airplanes into smaller airports during worse hours and much more fatiguing schedules with dangerous goods on board. But, the job is easy because there are no passengers.

I agree that there are definitely aspects of this job that are harder than the pax carriers. There are some aspects of the job that are easier as well, and I’m sure folks that have done both can compile a list of each just like I can. Overall I’m happier flying cargo than when I flew pax, but I enjoyed pax as well.

And THIS gentleman, is the reason you shouldn’t start drinking before happy hour. 🤯

All things are colored by point of view and context: how an author at a periodical might perceive a pilot outside the cockpit will be quite different than a peer pilot, but that also varies with culture and experience. I always viewed UPS as the most desirable airline in the world. I've spoken with others who wouldn't give it a second thought.

Many years ago I sat in a Learjet one morning, gazing at the outline of a DC-3 nearby. I commented that I'd trade places in a heartbeat, and my compadre made similar comments. When I described the DC-3, he said he hadn't even seen it: he'd tuned it out. He was looking at something else. Our perceptions and values vary.

While flying for that same Lear operator, I was sent to pick up two UPS pilots once, fly them to LAX, then pick up two more pilots and fly them to the previous pickup. Two of the pilots spoke very highly about their employment, how much they loved their jobs, and how grateful they were to be there. The other two badmouthed the company and didn't have a single good thing to say about UPS. Which was correct? Perhaps both, because the desirability is subjective, even to those doing the job. Regardless of how they felt, they were paid better than most to have their own opinions.

Public perception seldom mirrors reality.