Quote:
Originally Posted by Jabba
Transitioning military pilot:
How does commuting work at FEDEX? I have heard it doesn't really matter where you live because many trips do not start/end at domicile anyway. Is that true?
I live driving distance to BWI, DCA, IAD, PHL, EWR. Thx for any info you can give.
Yes, no, maybe. The devil is in the details.
As a new hire, you will be on reserve. You will not be senior enough to have a line (or probably a VTO line) to select trips which may have front and/or back end deadheads.
Your location gives you many options to on-line and off-line commute. However, since Delta no longer has a hub in Memphis, sometimes that means you have to spend an extra day there. This is especially true when you bump up against a holiday where FedEx will not be flying to your home area that evening, you just finished a trip or reserve duty, and now you have to try to commute on the next day of the holiday when every other pilot (FDX and non-FDX) are trying to do that same thing. It can't be frustrating.
As a new hire on probation, I would encourage you to be in position for a reserve assignment early. I would advise that you not commute to a long haul trip (MD11/777). Although it is legal per the FARs, management doesn't agree. A friend of mine was caught doing this and as a result of the incident he decided to quit the company. Since he was on probation ALPA couldn't protect his job.
Another annoying situation is how reserve line construction varies depending on a four/five week months and/or months when a lot of folks need recurrent training. My friends and I have noticed a pattern where some months have a lot of reserve lines with long blocks of reserve duty (which is good for commuters). But in other months there are not many reserves lines with long blocks. Instead, they build reserve lines with three blocks of duty and they're usually separated by only a few days which means commuting eats up your days off in between the blocks. Or if you have recurrent, the smaller period make it so you can't drop a large block of reserve days. The smaller blocks means they don't have to give you a day off (1 in 7).
Yes, you can commute. But please understand the details can make it very painful if you aren't senior.