can someone explain practical miles? and their advantages/disadvantages

If they run on Practical miles (anything but) you'll be getting paid about 10% less than you would running hub miles. Sometimes the routing software that is used also likes to run you on US highways, which usually include small towns with stop signs, etc which increases your travel time.

 

Practical are exactly what the name says, a practical way for you, the truck driver, to get from point a to point b.

There may be times when the practical may not be the way you would go, but if you adhere to the route, you will get paid pretty closely what you drive.

I stay on route for the most part, but there are a couple of places I don't:

Coming from Idaho, going to Wyoming I go I-84 to I-80. I don't go on I-30, too much camper traffic in the summer.

Continuing on to Denver I stay on the big road (80 to 25) instead of cutting down in Laramie on 287, which I hate 287, but that is just me.

 

Practical miles are better than HHGMovers guide miles that most companies pay. HHG will run you over every gray line on the map, even though trucks aint allowed on most of those roads.

 

Also most companies will run practical miles from zipcode to zipcode & not door to door, which shorts you most of the time.

 

Most companies pay HHG on city border to city border. This allows them to pay shorter miles that no one would use because of the slower speeds and smaller towns.

 

That little short cut on 287 is a dangerous one there are alot of crazy drivers out on that part.
There has been some truck wrecks out there due to 4 wheelers trying to pass a truck or another car and head on a truck sometimes they get lucky and only head on another car.
Sometimes the 4 wheelers get out alive sometime they die from their stupid mistake.

 

the worst I got screwed with bird miles was from Detroit to El Paso,about 250 miles difference. But now I get practical miles and it's real close and sometimes over the hub miles.
Me like practical miles more.