Out of Route Miles

[SwervynMervyn]

With a company that pays practical miles, what is the average percent of out of route miles you might run?

Since you are not being paid the actual miles to a location, is everything over the paid miles considered out of route even tho it is their routing?

Thanks

[headborg]

With the old HHG( House Hold Goods) Mileage-- it was accepted that, that number might be as high as 10% off the actual mileage- so being within 10% was considered -- good.

Now, with practical miles- I believe the ball park is now about 6% variance.

6%...doesn't sound like a big number does it?

Well, look at it like this: decent yearly average = 120,000 miles per year. 6% OOR is 7,200 miles you're running for free.

So if you average around 2,500 mpw, that's almost 3 weeks out of the year that you drive for absolutely nothing. How many other professions do you know where someone shows up for 3 weeks on the job unpaid? Oh that's right...it's all about the lifestyle, dodging payments, escaping reality, hoboing around, paid to sightsee, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc...

[headborg]

Nice to see you back.... James

but you got to admit... getting shorted 7200 is better than 12,000 right?

besides, just because practical miles can SOMETIMES be as much as 6% off- doesn't mean that it always is. I thought the OP question was more along the lines as to--
How much of a difference between my Odometer and Paid Miles can I be off?-- before the company starts getting Bitchy about Out of Route Miles--- WASTE! POOR ROUTING SKILLS

[SwervynMervyn]

I am about 6% OOR. They let me know today.

Therefore I will make them pay the Ohio tolls since that is the shortest way back from one of our shippers.

The problem is they soley haul freight for one company. So it is possible to deadhead 300 miles. I did it 3 times last week and once this week so far.

They barely have any frieght as it is. Might as well start looking elsewhere.

[RottsATruckin]

If they route you and you follow their route, there shouldn’t be any complaints from the company about OOR miles, what is your odometer showing versus your routing? Mine was usually off by maybe 10-20 miles, sometimes I’d take my truck home, 40 miles round trip all of it OOR, I still got paid for those miles and the company never said a thing. There were also times due to safety (bad roads) that I took alternate routes; I usually made notes via Qcomm/trip envelope, again never an issue. Unless you’re paid a percentage who cares if you’re deadheading?

[SwervynMervyn]

They actually don't send you a route. They say go any way you want to.

The fuel stops are limited so you kind of have to route yourself out of route sometimes just to get fuel.

The whole conversation was kind of confusing to me.

I did shuttle some trailers around and took one to get tires repaired. Took my tractor to the shop, I suppose all that added up too.

I told him all this and he said, oh that must be it.

He told me not to get excited about it, but kind of ticked me off.

[RottsATruckin]

It sounds like your company is using a program for mileage but gives you the latitude to find your own way, not bad if you’re good at route planning. Are you using a mapping program or just an atlas? That could also make a difference, I’ve seen routes that will save 30 miles but add 1 hour to the drive time, guess which one the company sends me on

[Rawlco]

Are you sure you are on practical miles? I manage to keep around 6% out of route on rand mcnally short miles. If it matters to you get a good mapping program for a laptop, like Delorme street atlas.

Keep track of each load and how many miles you used. Take the number you are over and divide by the number of practical miles you were allotted. that is your out of route. If you have a detour or shuttle some trailers around keep track of the extra miles so when they complain again you will have a list of where the miles went.

It is also easy to head for a truckstop when empty that is the wrong direction. Those miles add up quickly.

[SwervynMervyn]

I do alot of back and forth through Chicago. Everytime I take one of the bypasses around instead of going straight thru Chicago I'm out of route.

The location I go to in WV is not exactly on any main route. So if I need fuel or it's at night when I will need to stop for 10 hours, I have to take a route that is out of route.

The fastest and shortest way is on the Ohio tollway. They don't want that, so I go the way that suites me the best. I have never been late so they need to decide what they want.

[Copperhead]

I run primarily in the Upper Midwest. I use Delorme Street Atlas and compare to Rand McNally and my experience. I have been averaging less than 3% OOR.

[unclehotte]

Find yourself a driving job paid per hour! then you don't have this problem. Since thats my setup now they can route me over Mars as far as I care.

[Drew10]

Alright Mr. R+L....Question for ya....
Since you guys are paid by the hour. Hows come when I come across your trucks on the open road, your always fighting to get to the front of the line passing everybody left and right. Then in hill country you roll the down hills at subsonic speeds and barely make it up the otherside, either blocking traffic out or forcing all the traffic you just passed to pass you?
Just askin'.

[unclehotte]

Hey Drew10.... let me tell you a friend of mine drives THE SAME run as me. We have the same time when we are loaded so often we leave at the same time. HE RUNS to our switch point with 70 to 75 mph. I drive the speed limit.
When HE arrives on our switch point he SITS and WAITS for his switch driver.
When I arrive my switchdriver and me are about 5 minutes at the point. When we drive back its the SAME game. So he might be HOME 15 till 20 minutes BEFORE me but after we both do this now for 1 year I NEVER figured out why he flys like you just described it.

[unclehotte]

Drew10, I can explain the HILL GAME to you. While our Macks DO 75mph the engines are WEAK you wouldn't believe it. So I guess those drivers get up to speed BEFORE the hill and then hope for the best.

[Drew10]

Questions are mostly rhetorical....the thought just came to mind when you posted your original reply.
I do understand the "weak" engines in Macks....just cant figure why bother playing the hill game when it tends to create havic with each pass. Especially since your paid by the hour.
For the most part Roadway/Yellow/ABF pretty much just hang in the right lanes just meandering along.
My original reply wasnt so much directed at you but an overall observation of the driving techinques of the hourly drivers.