There is a phrase used frequently on some of the other trucking forums that I am going to introduce here. "Trucker Math" or to say that someone is using "Trucker Math" indicates that the person is not really aware of the way that dollars and cents really work. For example, a guy who brags that he gets 4000 miles a week, but only gets paid 26 cents per mile, is using trucker Math to justify himself. In all cases, there is a sense of self delusion onvolved, and it is frequently a case of bending over to pick up a penny, without noticing that your foot is on top of a dollar bill.

Here's a stunning example of someone using Trucker Math.....

As of the first of the month, my employer too back over a contract that we used to have until one of our competitors undercut our prices. After a while, the customer ended up coming back to us, because their customers were unhappy with the other trucking firm.

One of their loads runs into downtown Chicago, and they picked up that work after it had previously been done by a mill over in Toledo.

A few days ago, one of our other drivers came up to me at one of our terminals, and asked me if I had seen the rates being paid out of the mill in Michigan. I said that I hadn't yet. He then told me that the load from Michigan to Chicago was paying $121 to the driver. I thought about it for a second, and then said that I saw nothing wrong with that price. He then pointed out that prior to this, we used to get $168 for doing a delivery to that bakery. I paused a second to consider that argument, and agreed that $168 is more than $121, so we were getting less for the load.

But then, I pointed out that before, we hauled the load 263 miles with about 4.5 hours of driving time for $168, which figures out to about 64 cents per loaded mile to the driver. Now, we were running 110 miles, according to my odometer, and investing about 2 hours of driving time, for $121, which works out to $1.10 per loaded mile to the driver for the load.

Even after I broke the numbers down for him, he still insisted that we were getting paid less for doing the load because the gross number was less.

From my point of view, I have 2.5 hours of my driving time now that I can invest in making more money and loads, instead of getting less per mile and spending more time on the load.

Trucker math, watch for it!!!

You really have to love it......

Better recheck your trucker math!!!

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My childhood dream of becoming a truck driver turned into a nightmare!

Whew! Glad i am not the only one that caught that (i thought my redneck math was gettin in the way for a second there)

Gee, you're a picky bunch......

Picky, Picky, Picky!!

Well; you gotta admit you are cracking on someone for math, then turn around and say 168 is less than 121....

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My childhood dream of becoming a truck driver turned into a nightmare!

Dont try to confuse us no more--i am naturally confused and you dont have to help me on it ! LOL

Well, here's another math question for you, two of them in fact. One, how many days is it until monkey hunting season, and how many dollars does it take to get a permit???

Endangered species list!

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My childhood dream of becoming a truck driver turned into a nightmare!

hmm--thats a tough one--isnt everyday monkey huntin season? oops--maybe thats the wrong monkey.

permit for monkeys? Free?