Practical miles are the routes that are best for a Big truck to take.
There are also Shortest Distance Miles, but they often take Big trucks thorough smaller towns on less than practical roads.

Practical miles could be mostly modern interstate highways, but longer mile-wise -- while shortest routes could be over those small gray lines in a road atlas, which usually takes longer time-wise.
Or UN-wise.
All depends.

Originally Posted by AfterShock

Practical miles are the routes that are best for a Big truck to take.
....snipped.....

While I agree with your statement. It is not true of all companies. I use 3 types of software to check my routing when I have time, and questions about a route.

Case in point, CFI.

While they have sold out to Conway. Let me explain HOW they actaully calculated "Practical Miles".

To avoid confusion, when drivers think practical miles. We think PCMiler.

When companies (most) think practical miles. They think Rand McNally House Hold Movers. CFI used Rand Mcnally HHMG.

Rand McNally offers 4 settings within their software. I will refer to only 2.
#1 Practical Routing
#2 Practical Miles

CFI "claimed" to pay practical miles. What they actually paid, was practical routing.

For our example. We use Kansas City, MO to Chicago, IL

CFI paid their drivers to run I-35 to Hwy 36 to I-72 to I-55. That's 121 miles on state highway. It's 4 lane. But you still have red lights.

PCMiler, uses I-35 to I-80 to I-55. Interstate all the way.

Rand McNally saves the company 25 miles. PCMiler saves the driver over an hour of driving time. And saved the company fuel.

CFI did not force route drivers. CFI KNEW drivers would take the "real" practical route. And they would NOT have to pay the miles. Saving them money in payroll and fuel cost.

CFI was very careful when they worded the ads stating they paid practical miles. Refering to it as an increase of "about" 3%.

Had they been using PCMiler, they would have stated 7-10%. They covered their own ### very well.

I heard guys talking about being paid zip code to zip code. Some zip codes are pretty big. That would suck! I believe "practical miles" are the shortest route to get from A to B. It's all about miles. Time is a factor only to you, not your company. "It's only an inch on the map!"

Originally Posted by dieselhound

I heard guys talking about being paid zip code to zip code. Some zip codes are pretty big. That would suck! I believe "practical miles" are the shortest route to get from A to B. It's all about miles. Time is a factor only to you, not your company. "It's only an inch on the map!"

I've heard of that too - no idea how it works, though... are they paying to zip code boundary? or is it actually Post Office to Post Office?