Jeremy Willyerd explains why he left freight logistics to pursue pilot training. He describes the time and growth limits he faced.
What the video covers
Written in our own words. It only describes what the video shows and says.Jeremy Willyerd opens by saying he gave up his job, house and lifestyle when he decided to change careers. He says he had the feeling of wanting to be in the sky, but he ties the decision to the job he was in. He says if he had fully enjoyed his job, not woken up wishing he was doing something else and liked where he would be in five years, he might have moved more slowly instead of dropping everything and starting again.
Freight logistics and long hours
He describes working in freight transportation, loading Boeing 777s and 767s and later C-130s or their civilian variant, then loading barges with larger and heavier cargo. He says the industry is tied to location because cargo must be moved by machines and people must be present. He also says the market can make long hours attractive for workers who want more money without changing jobs, because one person working fourteen hours can be cheaper than two people working seven hours each, even with overtime. He says this left little room to study for a pilot licence during busy summer periods.
Skills, growth and pay limits
He says his previous work made him a better equipment operator but did not improve him in a transferable way. He describes building lumber loads on ISO containers, which he says are forty feet long and eight feet wide, banding them and sending them to Western Alaska. He says that skill did not transfer easily to higher pay, and that staying in the job meant small cost of living raises rather than real growth. He says he was almost capped out in his previous job and had almost no further hourly pay available.
Pilot training and quality of life
He says pilot training offers a sequence of ratings and certificates, including private, instrument, commercial, CFI, CFII, multi-engine, MEI, tailwheel and airline transport certificate, along with building hours. He says he wants eventually to be a corporate pilot, a captain on a Gulfstream or an airline captain at a larger airline, naming Alaska Airlines, FedEx, Delta and United. He says he accepted a large pay cut and expects to move through CFI, another job, possibly a regional airline and possibly a major to return to his previous income. He says he is willing to answer questions from people who have not started or have not flown yet.
