>>1829213>>1829216Freight dog here, I didn’t take the most conventional career path myself, but here it is:
Get your ATP mins and go to a regional. Build some time doing pax stuff, and either apply to ACMI carriers right away, or hit a goal at your regional first, like 1k hours jet or something.
Go to a ACMI carrier, this will be an all cargo or mostly cargo operator. Atlas is the biggest fish in the pond, but ATI, ABX, Western Global, Kalitta Air (and Charters II), and some others are out there. Pick based on benefits to you, contracts, unions, fleet types, domestic or ultra long haul, etc.
Apply to FDX/UPS and wait 20 years of more to get a call. Maybe you’ll never get a call. You hate yourself, you’ll never get a call. Your company hates you, and your 4th wife hates you and will leave you soon because you’re never home. Such is life.
I’m at an ACMI carrier, but instead of a regional I flew Part 135 cargo. It fucking sucked, there was no money in it, and very little experience, 2 hours of flying for a 14 hour duty day 5-6 days a week, every week until you quit. Because I’ve never flown pax, I’m not jaded nor do I hate the idea of flying in daylight or coming home to my family after a 2-4 day trip, as opposed to being on the road 2.5 weeks straight every trip. I have my apps out to the pax majors myself. Get your time in with pax and see what its like before you fly cargo.
Know what works for you. Its much easier (especially these days) to get hired at a major than FDX/UPS, so even if you’re on a cargo path, you may think about going to pax again if you can snag a job there first. FDX/UPS are ballbusters, don’t underestimate how much they don’t want to hire you. Last note, Amazon may be forced to own & operate their own airline by the FAA, like UPS was forced back in 1988ish, if you want to work for the next big fish, work for the bigger Prime Air ACMIs and hope for the best. AMA bros.
