Actual miles vs. Computer miles

You going to run yourself into the ground if all you think about is miles, that practical mile pay is practical for them, they want you to go shortest route, you just want to get there.

 

We're routed practical truck routes coast to coast and pay for me ranges from -1% to 3% of hub. There's no accounting for drivers who stop at every truck stop between Barstow and Allentown.

 

I had to go from Cookeville to Shelbyville, Tn the other day. 3 different routes on Google, all around 130 miles. I got "crow fly" miles-80.

 

This has been a serious problem in Trucking for decades and probably the easiest to correct. At my last job we were consistently shorted between 5-10% of our actual miles here in the US and up to 14% in Canada. Even our next to useless union didn't want to discuss it because they had been brought in to undercut our previous union representation. 'Practical Truck Route Miles' are easy to determine and should be made the 'standard' across the industry - no rocket science involved.

 

I would not be surprised. In fact I expect the computer to be sure you stay inside fenced routes provided to you to go.

If it is one thing about miles, the actual miles versus whatever Dispatch sprouted was always about between a 12 to 20% difference against me. Meaning my payroll will be short and I will need more time to get that distance covered. And if the routing is seriously set and bad. Then the whole load is not something I will run again if I can help it.

You would go crazy if you tried to focus on miles. It's a feast and famine. You save and put away the excess in feasting (good miles) so that when that bad week comes where you sit two days then drive 1000 and sit two more days... you are covered.

Ive got about 3 million and change in total accounting for inflation between 1980's until 2001 you are not even look at a million in gross earnings. Everything else. Poof. That does not include spousal or other non trucking income I managed to put together along the way. All of that poof.

They are going to have to raise pay. Once you venus fly trap a new recruit working 80 hours a week on about 50,000 gross annual minus the expenses on the road etc He's going to take off and find something else that will pay him the 50,000 on half the hours and no road expense.

If that means everything run on a big truck to the store costs 20% or more in retail? Oh well. We'll pay it. You probably do not have anything inside the USA that is not touched by some sort of truck.

The best work that I remember most in particular Medicines, narcotics, cancer treatments etc among other types of freight is because it's really specialized and you don't sit. Not for long. You aint grubbing in a lumper infested pay me grocery place for days anymore. That is the biggest reason I keep going back to it. There is certain kinds of freighting in which the miles take care of itself (Aluminim coil to Williamsburg VA from Logan Co Kentucky comes to mind,especially when they pay you back to get three more asap or even better slap something going that way.)

When you are busy and having fun making money, short miles, long miles etc who cares? As long it's fun and the payroll works out each week you are good.

 

Here's my problem. It's always nickels and times in their favor. I stayed an extra hour at the shipper. No, it was only 50 minutes so you missed detention.

 

Anymore, when I talk to prospective drivers, all I talk about is the average total pay and schedules. Though we pay well per mile, things like USDA inspections at the border crossings eat up a lot of time, and the mileage rate reflects that. What matters is "how much time at work for how much money".

 

If your scenario were true, then drivers for the mega carriers would be the highest paid with the lowest turnover (on paper). My previous employer (and last) made these fantastic claims (very few were true) to bring in the warm bodies. This employer was (and still is) considered to be the best in that particular industry. It was tragic to see well qualified people who left good paying jobs with seniority find out they were given a package of bald faced lies.

 

Wal-Mart?