Routing miles vs. MPG

If I was getting $4 to $10 a mile it's not anything I would even wonder about trying to save 20 miles... I would just go the easiest quickest route. As things are I do route the shortest route most every time but a lot of times I find myself in off the wall places where there really is no other option. And there are times when it's interstate all the way. Anyways, stop and go with redlights sucks but I'm patient and do as much as I can to anticipate those with either gearing down very slow to keep from stopping entirely or timing it just right to roll on through. Just go easy on the go pedal getting up to speed and while your mileage may be down a bit it won't be as bad and you can make a difference, plus the driveline will appreciate it. My fuel mileage has never varied much one way or another regardless. It's always pretty bad compared to what most guys get. But $4 a mile plus I would not worry at all about trying to save anything less than about 60-75 miles or so depending on the situation, just drive it the easiest way..

 

Starting and stopping kills fuel mileage an creates more wear and tear. Alot of times the shortest route takes longer and uses more fuel. I do a lot of off interstate running here in FL. I also do a lot of turnpike running. You have to use your head. If your going to through 5 towns with lights on 50 MPH 2 lanes, then 20 extra interstate miles will save you money. In a previous life, I have run a lot of the Northeast. I have evaded tolls an paid them. If I have to spend anywhere near as much in extra fuel or time vs running a toll road, I'll pay the toll. At $4 a gallon, it adds up quick.

 

It all depends on how much time you have to play with. If you're pressed to do another reload obviously go the quick route. From where I'm sitting if I only have 400 miles to go and I'm never going to get unloaded before closing time, so it's a situation where I deliver first thing the next morning, then I'll cut through the woods and redlights to shave 30 miles off of a run. If you take your time you can mitigate the wear and tear issue the way I see it. Of course I could be wrong. Even saying that, there are also times when I balk at cutting off miles, for example no-one in their right mind would drive straight through the middle of Fort Wayne, IN even though it would shave miles off from going around 469. You just use your own good judgement load to load. That's how I run almost every trip and I shave a bunch of miles in the course of week, month, or quarter's time. My fuel mileage is, what it is, with a cat. Sounds like your truck is different. And you are right about doing everything you can to improve your profit, even if you are getting $8 a mile, after thinking about it I'd be thinking the same way you are about this.

 

Winder, GA to Griffin, GA if you talking about running 11, 138, 20 vs 20,85 you gonna burn more fuel on them back roads and put a lot more wear and tear on your equipment. I avoid stop and go roads when possible

 

But depending on what time of day it is, the weather, or accidents, the Interstates around Atlanta can be as much stop and go as the side roads too!

 

Here's the way to figure it:

At highway speed, how much time would it take for the all-freeway option? (I use 60mph as a mark). Say it's 90 miles, that's 1h30m.

At highway speed (again), how much time to take the non-freeway option? (still use 60mph to produce your baseline). That 70 miles is now 1h10m.

Now, how much time do you lose stopping/starting at lights? Next, what's the average maximum speed you can run on those roads? If those two equal more than 20 minutes, the interstate route is best (purely for time).

Next, figure MPG. All interstate on cruise probably works better than start/stop.

Next, is wear-n-tear, which the interstate is much friendly than a string of redlights. Especially those rare ones in the middle of nowhere on the 55mph stretch where you may wind up braking hard, or goosing it through the light.

In the end, the freeway option is the better option until the % of miles on non-freeway and non-expressway drops below, for me, about 10% of the overall load.