Judge certifies class in short mile case against Swift Transportation

Why not pay by Google miles? They are extremely close to actual. The technology is free and everyone has it? Even a gps calculates actual mileage better.

Just using city to city on Google miles, and not the actual address at each end is extremely close to actual. So much so that it is clearly evident that HHG uses closest city boundary to closest city boundary at best, and as the crow flies at worst. Google uses courthouse to courthouse. This is much more accurate as it gives a central axis to every city center. Simply by doing so, sometimes you will be under Google miles, and sometimes you will be over. Over the course of time this get's extremely close to actual miles driven, and I mean extremely close! But not even that is necessary.

We can actually figure address to address with today's technology with only a few clicks. This isn't something that needs to be all mysterious and hidden, and LIED about as to why it exists! Shipper and carrier alike, or broker for that matter can both together type into Google maps the distance to and fro for each load. BY ADDRESS TO ADDRESS. Even the exact route can be viewed and negotiated! It can be THAT simple to come to a true and HONEST agreement on how to calculate distance. In fact, even if it pulled back rates in reflection to ACTUAL mileage it is best for everyone involved!

I will give you a perfect example. I recently inquired about a job that was a dedicated run. It was going to pay 480 miles everyday based on short miles. The actual distance CITY TO CITY is 586 miles. That is over 100 miles everyday 5 days a week driven for free. I will state it again, that there is no excuse for this when everyone else in the world is using google, mapquest or gps to figure distance and routing.

This company expected me to drive 500 miles every week for free? That came out to driving one of the five days out of the work week for free. You can view it two ways. The paid compensation rate of the driver is not what the company stated and agreed to in signature or due compensation is being withheld.

Does this explain the shaft to you? Would you be willing to do that? I am NOT! I don't care what the repercussions of that decision are. It could be dying in a gutter for all I care. I am not willing to do that!

One: HHG is outdated technology. Two: HHG was never assembled in the interest of the driver. It was created in the interest of setting rates, and doing so competitively!

Surely you understand that using actual mileage is readily available to everyone with today's technology? Surely you see that it is way beyond an insult to the intelligence of any driver to continue this contrived scheme? Why is it that carriers are so willing to use HHG miles to calculate rates, and put that expense off on the driver for running the actual miles and not be paid for them? One has to wonder that in some instances if they are actually using HHG to bid a rate for a shipper. After all, if you've been paying attention, several other technologies are readily available to even the most common traveler that are much superior in accuracy.

Understand that it is a very important issue. Even if it required a temporary reduction in rates in order to calculate the rate based on actual miles it is better for everyone. It can be done without the actual cost of any freight rate increase at the bottom line. It is better for everyone, in every way. It should be considered a best practice for any logistics based business!

How is it a bad thing to have everyone on the same page? Do you know what it's like on a long haul to have covered the paid distance and still have 150 miles to go before the load is actually where it needs to be? Do you have any idea how much resentment and ultimately DRIVER TURNOVER this leads to? In light of that, you need to explain how it is not in any carriers best interest to create some sense of mileage equity with the driver. Being told you are out of route yet taking the route prescribed to you by the company? That is absolute undue stress and resentment.

I will reiterate that this issue can be fixed, and it is totally in the best interest of everyone involved to do so. It does not require a rate increase to the clients of any given carrier, but in such a case it most certainly equals a raise for the driver if his compensation is not cut.This issue needs fixed and needs fixed NOW!

It's absolutely ridiculous. Regulations for this, that, and the other, yet no regulation on calculating mileage in the face of technology that can offer the commerce industry a very high level of accuracy. When it gets right down to it, how is that not in the best interest of the government itself? It is then that you begin to reveal the very disgusting corruption of regulatory bodies being lobbied and ran by advisory panels seated by the megacorps themselves.

 

You should know what your per mile pay rate will be, before even starting to work for any company.

You should know if said company pays HHG, Practical, or Hub miles.

If you do not know these 2 things,

then you need to learn to research, and ask questions.

Are these not important questions ?

 

You answered your own question. Everyone knows what the actual mileage is because the Google miles are available to all. If companies paid by this then they couldn't shaft drivers anymore.

 

Would amount to quite a loss to the companies.

 

The DOC is not required to regulate pay in order to regulate how mileage is calculated for the purposes of COMMERCE. Quite contrary they are completely imbued and established for the sole purpose of regulating the body of law governing interstate commerce. That can and should take into account mileage charts, in some capacity, on the federally subsidized US Interstate System and US Highways.

You act as though interdepartmental cooperation on an issue isn't a possibility when it comes to resolving an issue for the people who are being subjected to an unjust measurement. Preventing and correcting unjust measurements is most certainly the business of the government. That is the very essence of government, and why the DOC and the federal government were called into existence in the first place! Setting standards and measures, and free trade between the several states. Without such, disorder and ultimately failure of the government will ensue.

This is what in biblical terms is called "an unjust ephah", or "using diverse weights." It is one of the many things that is cited as a cause of a failing nation.

As I stated previously, It is in EVERYONES best interest to get this corrected, and do so as soon as possible. It doesn't require government intervention, but if private interests are not willing to use just measurements then it becomes the DUTY of the government to act as an agent on behalf of those afflicted by an unjust measurement.

Now to the one who stated that unjust measurements in mileage were created in the interest of drivers and then had the nerve to say God Bless America, and God Bless Truckers: PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT!

 

The only people that will get any money out of this lawsuit is the lawyers. The drivers will get at most $100-200 in back pay in the "settlement" and Swift will agree to use PC Miler practical mileage from now on or some such BS. If anyone really believes 60,000 drivers are going to get thousands in back pay they are living in a fantasy land. And if they did would Swift be able to turn around and sue the shippers that paid Swift by the mile for the freight those drivers moved? Probably not, I'll bet it's in writing somewhere on both cases what mileage program was used to calculate both pay and the freight bill. Is it fair, no. That's just what I believe is going to happen in this case.

 

If the companies were to pay by Google miles, the trucking companies could both sadly and tragically REDUCE the amount of money per mile to keep from paying extra money to the truck drivers. HOPEFULLY, this would NOT ever happen. HOPEFULLY, there would be MUCH MORE RESPECT for the OTR truck drivers of the United States of America.

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!

 

This is an earlier post:

There is one solution to the mileage pay problem. Give the drivers both a straight salary and mileage pay. This way a driver will get his or her straight salary if they are not able to get a certain number of miles per week.

A straight salary could start off at $400 a week for the rookie driver and cap off at $800 a week for the veteran driver. There would be a graduated salary scale in various increments over the years.
Anything beyond those figures that a driver would like to earn would have to be made up in miles.

If a rookie driver is getting 3000 miles a week at 20 cents a mile, the rookie driver would earn $600 in mileage pay plus his or her $400 salary totaling $1000 for the week.

If the veteran driver is getting 3000 miles a week at 20 cents a mile, this veteran driver would earn $600 in mileage pay plus his or her $800 salary totaling $1400 for the week.

This way, there would be less turnover, less training and recruiting costs, and possibly more home time for all the drivers. In the long run, there would be less payroll costs to the company as well. The rookies would be getting the bulk of the miles, the veterans will have more home time as their seniority increases.

In fact, the veterans could be put to use for training the rookies, safety advisers, substitute dispatchers, assistant dockworkers, janitorial assistants, assistant office workers, or mechanics assistants. The veterans would not have to run so many miles as they are getting older and health issues are starting to set in.

This whole thing could be a win-win situation for both the drivers and the trucking companies.

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!

 

Partaking of frosty beverages ???