Out OF Route Miles

[jonp]

On another thread a driver said that he talked to one of his fellow drivers that worked at the same company as he did. This driver said that he regularly ran 1,000 miles out of route to go home and no-one ever said anything about it.

Anyone heard of or know of companies that do that?

[Rev.Vassago]

As a company driver? Unlikely.

[jimjim]

I wouldn't think that any company would allow that many miles. Sounds a bit of a stretch. Maybe 100 would sound close to the truth, but hey who knows anymore. Maybe he owns the company and does what he wants.

[Rev.Vassago]

It sounds to me like a truckstop counter story.

[dobry4u]

Swift's policy of late is that the driver has to live within 50 miles of the terminal to take home the truck or if a load is going within 50 miles of their home. I am not sure if that relates specifically to new drivers and the others are "grandfathered" or if it goes across the board.

[thebaldeagle655]

Our policy is VERY liberal. I've been deadheaded home for the weekend from as far as 750 miles away. Thursday morning before Christmas I loaded in Odessa, Tx for a Monday Delivery in Sidney,Mt. Was told, go ahead and swing by the house if you want to. About 500 or more miles out of route. In slow times, Ihave routinely come home from Houston for the weekend, 365 miles one way.

Once they told me I had to stay out of town over Labor day, 395 miles from home (3 days). I let them know real quick that it would cost more to idle the truck 4 days than the fuel to drive by the house on the way which would actually be only about 180 miles out of route. They agreed. Sometimes common sense has to prevail!

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

On another thread a driver said that he talked to one of his fellow drivers that worked at the same company as he did. This driver said that he regularly ran 1,000 miles out of route to go home and no-one ever said anything about it.

Anyone heard of or know of companies that do that?

I was accidentaly deadheaded from portland ,OR to Denver,CO in 2005 ...I requested new years off in DENVER ,and on Christmas day while sitting at jubitz I got a message saying to go ahead an head home ,well I asked if they were sure ,as it is a very long way to DH and I'm bobtail...well they replied we're sure ,but get an empty if you can ,so I grabbed an empty from the jubitz drop yard ,and to Denver I went...When I hit the Denver terminal I sent my arrived at homtime location message ,and in message said equipment secured at henderson,co term ,well after the holiday I returned to the yard ,and my DM asked where are you ,and I replied the terminal ,and he asked 'what terminal" I replied denver his reply...who said you could go there,well after reading QC messages it was deemed not my fault ,because I was told to go home ,however they got me confused with a driver who lives in Portland ...ouch 1300 miles werner ate ,and I was also myteriously "randomed" that day to ...LOL

[DaveP]

I'm guaranteed 3 out of 4 weekends at home. It's stated verbally at orientation. It's stated on the paperwork given to me at orientation, and it's stated on their website.

I just go home....UNLESS, they call me and we discuss it beforehand. I'm easy to work with as long as you COMMUNICATE with me.

It usually means 100 to 300 or so miles OOR...oh well.

They shoulda thought about that when they loaded me on Friday.

[Jackrabbit379]

Thursday morning before Christmas I loaded in Odessa, Tx for a Monday Delivery in Sidney,Mt. Was told, go ahead and swing by the house if you want to.

I like how they said that. "Just swing by the house", and your'e in Odessa.
Surely those guys in Jolly know where Odessa is.
By the time you got home from Odessa, you coulda been half way across the country.
Good to hear that you were able to be home for Christmas.

[sbatson]

Hey thebaldeagle655 if you dont mind me asking who do you drive for? Sounds like a decent company to do that.

[thebaldeagle655]

Hey thebaldeagle655 if you dont mind me asking who do you drive for? Sounds like a decent company to do that.

No problem at all, I driver for Westar Transportation out of Jolly, Tx. I average around 2500 - 2700 miles a week with the occasional, well, let's just say, can't quite log that many Two weeks ago we were extremely slow, I got 1600 miles for the week, last week, Christmas week, I got 3400 miles and was home 2 full days and 2 1/2 days for Christmas. Unloaded Monday in Kimball, Ne, no loads up there so they deadheaded me to Duke Ok. (665 miles) and I am off until Thursday afternoon for New Years. They get you home when they can! I have been EXTREMELY happy with them!

Most of our runs are Duke, Ok or Acme, Tx to the Houston area then North from there. A lot of Oklahoma (all over) some Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, North and South Dakota, and a little Montana. Flatbeds but they now have a heavy haul division with trucks both in Jolly and Midland.

We now have yards in Tulsa, Lone Star, Tx and Midland, Tx.

PM me if you need more info. I think they have a $500 sign-on bonus at this time. If you do apply, get with me and I will give you my name because drivers get a matching bonus for referrals.

[sbatson]

PM sent

[catalinaflyer]

That was ME who told of the driver going 1000 miles out of route to go home, no it wasn't a stretch and no it wasn't a counter story. (I have sat at the counter in a truckstop 1 time in 19 years and left the waitress a $10 bill, got up and walked out before my food came because I couldn't take the conversation and lost my apetite.)

Anyhow, on to the driver going home, I recognized the load on his truck, it was from one of our regular customers and whether or not he was actually headed to Miami I can't say but he was headed East on I-12 east of Baton Rouge when I seen him. He did state to me that he runs home all the time if he's got the time regardless of miles. And with that being said, I never seen or heard anything from LS about routed miles or out of route miles. The only mention of miles was when on an OD load and your taken way out of route by permits they need to know the route you took before sending in your empty macro so that you get paid for the extra miles. That was it.

I personally would never run that many miles out of route for any reason. I will however run the, what I deem, the quickest route and if a company has a problem with me running 10 to 20% over to get there quicker and I might add with less wear and tear on the truck then I don't need to work for them anyway.

LS deadheaded me 1300 miles to pick up a load and that same week they deadheaded another driver from Tacoma, WA to Laredo, TX for a load going 900 miles. It happens and it happens often especially when you get into specialized equipment.

[dobry4u]

Swift is really watching the out-of-route miles now, so says the Qualcomm.

AND

They won't be reimbursing for showers any more..... sell your Johnson (soap) stock because there will be lots of stinking Swift drivers!!!

[Orangetxguy]

No problem at all, I driver for Westar Transportation out of Jolly, Tx. I average around 2500 - 2700 miles a week with the occasional, well, let's just say, can't quite log that many Two weeks ago we were extremely slow, I got 1600 miles for the week, last week, Christmas week, I got 3400 miles and was home 2 full days and 2 1/2 days for Christmas. Unloaded Monday in Kimball, Ne, no loads up there so they deadheaded me to Duke Ok. (665 miles) and I am off until Thursday afternoon for New Years. They get you home when they can! I have been EXTREMELY happy with them!

Most of our runs are Duke, Ok or Acme, Tx to the Houston area then North from there. A lot of Oklahoma (all over) some Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, North and South Dakota, and a little Montana. Flatbeds but they now have a heavy haul division with trucks both in Jolly and Midland.

We now have yards in Tulsa, Lone Star, Tx and Midland, Tx.

PM me if you need more info. I think they have a $500 sign-on bonus at this time. If you do apply, get with me and I will give you my name because drivers get a matching bonus for referrals.

Hey!! I've made my way through Jolly a time or two!! I know I have seen the Westar lot...just didn't know what the place was called.

[geeshock]

Swift is really watching the out-of-route miles now, so says the Qualcomm.

AND

They won't be reimbursing for showers any more..... sell your Johnson (soap) stock because there will be lots of stinking Swift drivers!!!

I think swifts policy has been, or at least it was when i was ther, is no more than 15% out of route miles. mAny more and they can get upset.

[dobry4u]

I think swifts policy has been, or at least it was when i was ther, is no more than 15% out of route miles. mAny more and they can get upset.

Exactly right, but now they don't let you take home your truck unless you are within 50 miles of terminal or trip route

[geeshock]

ahh, that is a difference. Closest place they could get me usualy was norfolk, va about 60 miles away from the house and usualy they could only get me to food lion in butner, nc or lowes dc outside ronoke rapids, nc and those were in excess of 100 miles from the house. Those were my home loads usualy.

[Uturn2001]

I was dead headed about 500 miles once for home time, but most of the time 200 miles was the max.

It is comparing apples and oranges however if you are talking company drivers or owner/operators. An O/O might choose to DH home 1000+ miles rather than sit and wait on a decent paying load or haul really cheap freight, especially if their last load, or loads up to the that point said they still had a healthy profit even with the DH.

[Jumbo]

Swift is really watching the out-of-route miles now, so says the Qualcomm.

AND

They won't be reimbursing for showers any more..... sell your Johnson (soap) stock because there will be lots of stinking Swift drivers!!!

Please tell us you that you will still shower, reimbursed or not.