rubberducky: I am well aware that mileage will vary based on a large number of variables that are outside of my control: breakdowns, holdup at shipper/receiver, HOS rules, traffic, weather, blown tires, sudden sickness, etc etc etc. That list can be endless.
I am in the planning stages, trying to weed out companies based on pay, and so forth. I have created a spreadsheet where I am charting the pros and cons of each company: pay, insurance, etc. I am using the mileage feedback I get here as a baseline to calculate potential earnings the first, and subsequent years I am employed at company X.
Obviously I don't want to shoot that number too high, because real world slowdowns will make a big difference between what I calculate as my earning potential at a company and the actual earnings from said company.
For instance, if I can drive at 65, but traffic will keep that average closer to 55, then I am taking the 55 miles per hour as the number, instead of the higher number. Also, for mileage, I am figuring 2500 miles per week, which seems to be an attainable average number. The average is more important than the individual weekly total for me. Since the peaks and valleys of my production with relation to mileage will average out to around 2500, that seems to be a reasonable number to make calculations with.
Taken a step further, at 55 miles per house, 2500 miles per week means that I am only behind the wheel for about 45 hours each week. The rest of my on duty time could be devoted to customer site issues, pre and post trip, fueling, etc. I know I might be erring on the side of caution with these numbers, but it gives me a much better real world picture.
Any input would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Sorry for the edit. I can't spell, and don't have time from work to mess with spell check!
ops:
Estimate for mileage in a year
