How do trucking companies calculate paid miles?

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Lennythedriver, Aug 3, 2021.

  1. Lennythedriver

    Lennythedriver Road Train Member

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    How do companies calculate paid miles?
    I know they use a program that I think uses a ZIP Code to ZIP Code miles? I’m having issues with my present company and I think they’re cheating me a bit here and there and here’s why. A couple of the same loads I’ve ran from the same place as the miles of changed and when I bring it to their attention they’re like, “oh I must’ve fat fingered the keyboard or something“. Yeah funny how it’s always a lower number. Lol

    I ran a load last week that paid 620 miles and I scoured every map I could find and the lowest I could get it down to was 715 miles. And I was going down some backwoods country winding narrow Little Road for 40 miles. If I ran it straight through on the main routes it would’ve been 740 miles. I don’t mind giving up a few miles but I’m sick of feeling like $30-$100 is being taken out of my pocket for every load I run.

    I want to know exactly what they used to calculate the miles so I can do it myself and if there’s a discrepancy call them out on it on the spot.

    It’s also funny to me that it’s always such a mysterious secret how they figure the miles. Why? I get there being a 60 or 80 mile discrepancy on a 1200 mile load but when there’s 60 to 100 mile discrepancy on a load at 600 miles I have a real problem with that. That means I’m driving for about two hours for free. Screw that. You add that up over the course of a year and it’s thousands and thousands of dollars.
     
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  3. wis bang

    wis bang Road Train Member

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    How else can the owner buy a new, loaded, pickup truck every year?
     
  4. 062

    062 Road Train Member

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    I’d be looking for another job instead of routing software.
     
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  5. Lucky12

    Lucky12 Medium Load Member

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    While I cannot comment on your companies situation, I have gathered that the following is the case:

    Prior to the computer age the "Household Movers Guide" was the basis for trucking miles from place to place. Van lines, carriers, even U-haul use (or used) this to figure miles. As I understand it, many shippers want to continue using this, and put out their tenders using it, and so trucking companies bidding on that freight use it, at least on those loads. I have found occasionally aggregious shortages, in my experience the worst I have seen was when I hauled a load of eggs from Ohio to a Walmart DC in Kentucky if memory serves that was 21% short on miles using the shortest route. Paid miles were 375 actual like 445 or so. This was when I was informed this is from the shipper.

    It is my belief that shortest practical miles using some standard such as Google Maps ought to become the industry standard, it is long overdue. But seeing as how things work, I don't think there is a way to force this and shippers seem unwilling to adopt a modern, accurate milage standard.

    The one thing I can't seem to understand is why, if HHMG is an accurate zip to zip mileage is why is it at best dead on, typically 2-3% short, sometimes as much as 10% short or more, but never (to my knowledge) long.

    They used to release the HHMG annually, but I'm not sure that is true anymore. I heard the last version was like 10-15 years ago oe something.

    Presumably there would be other disparities/incongruencies regarding the short nature of these miles, such as O/O paying road taxes on higher miles than their loads pay, etc.

    Hope this adds grist to your mill. Again, this is my understanding of the why it's like that.
     
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  6. Cattleman84

    Cattleman84 Road Train Member

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    My company uses a program called PC Miler
     
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  7. Lennythedriver

    Lennythedriver Road Train Member

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    I’m pretty good at math and calculations and numbers and I can usually figure things just off the top of my head. It just doesn’t seem right to me. Last week my total miles driven was 3325 miles. Probably 15 miles of that was for me making a wrong turn and having to go 5 miles One Direction and 7 miles the other. Maybe you could throw in a couple other miles for stopping along the way. Paid miles? 3015. That’s 310 miles in one week that I didn’t get paid for that that truck moved. That’s ridiculous in my opinion. It’s not like I’m driving halfway across the country out of route. I take the major and shortest truck routes from point A to point B. Lol
     
  8. ZVar

    ZVar Road Train Member

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    If you are having to fight for correct pay every paycheck you need to find a new company. They all don't play around with your paycheck.....
     
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  9. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    Guess I'm fortunate; always been paid hub miles.
     
  10. Allow Me.

    Allow Me. Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    I like co's that pay a bonus IF you drive 10,000 mi/mo. ! Seems funny you will almost always just get in 9960 mi, right ? But, to answer your question, all the co's I've worked for over the years, it's about 5-6% short on actual mi driven.
     
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  11. wichris

    wichris Road Train Member

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    We stopped at PC Miler15 practical for driver pay. 16 came out and one 900 mile load got 19 miles shorter. That can't be right, with global warming it should have got longer. LOL
    Northeast & southeast are the worst for being way off.
    Still have to use current versions or convert from customers mileage programs.
     
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