Air Drivers have been an endangered species for a long time.
They've been cutting air routes, and air drivers for about a decade. They always give you the line... "You are only allowed 3.5hrs..." During Covid and the last few peaks, they've been reduced to shuttle work, sometimes air pickups.
If you have authorization to the airports (a background check and pass,) that may be the only thing keeping you from becoming an inside grunt worker.
I saw air drivers lose a lot...
Running ground routes dwindled to almost never... Lose $25,000 to $50,000
No more running misloads, or LIBs... Lose $20-40,000
No more route during peak\SSD-PVD\seasonal period... Lose $25-30,000
Rolling late air containers, late feeder trailers (thanks Carol)... Lose $10-20,000
No more extra work, like carwash & porter (thanks Carol's DMs)... Lose $10-20,000
Putting air pickups on ground driver runner-gunners (that are always done by 15:00-16:30)... Lose $10-20,000
No shady practices like split shifting (thanks
@Bubblehead @PT Car Washer )... Lose $20-30,000
You might as well work inside, because even though you are a qualified driver, the inside workers are earning more than you. As an air driver, you get over time after 8hrs, which is never... Preloaders get OT after 5hrs, etc.
There once was a time when Air Drivers could make $75,000 to $110,000 with some ground work, but those days are long gone. Now in most places (other than Iowa,) they are the lowest paid, if they are even working at all.
