How Is Mileage Figured?

Are you payed for the actual miles you drive, or some other system, chart etc.?

Are you payed for the actual miles you drive, or some other system, chart etc.?

Mileage is figured on an algorithm based on "practical miles" in most companies. What that means, I have no idea, but I think it is something like this. If you could practically drive in a straight line from point A to point B we will pay you for it. If not, we will still pay you at the practical mileage rate.

Practical miles are off sometimes.

Dave

Are you payed for the actual miles you drive, or some other system, chart etc.?

Typically it is what is called HHG (HouseHold Goods) mileage. Some places pay practical miles (miles actually driven). HHG is basically as the saying goes, as the crow flies.

I drive for Prime & they pay HHG miles. As I understand, that is how most companies pay, HHG.

Ernie

Yeah, most companies pay HHG miles which will generally work out to be about 5%-10% few miles than you'll actually drive unfortunately. I believe, but I'm not certain, that HHG figures the shortest driving distance from one zip code to another.

You'll hear some companies say they pay "hub miles" or "practical miles" which should be very close to the actual miles you've driven, but I wouldn't regard that too highly. Just because they pay hub miles doesn't mean you're going to make more money there. It will depend on a ton of factors. You can use that as one small consideration when choosing a company, but I wouldn't give it a high priority at all.

Are you payed for the actual miles you drive, or some other system, chart etc.?

Typically it is what is called HHG (HouseHold Goods) mileage. Some places pay practical miles (miles actually driven). HHG is basically as the saying goes, as the crow flies.

I drive for Prime & they pay HHG miles. As I understand, that is how most companies pay, HHG.

Ernie

I think HHG and Practical Miles are the same thing. A long time ago they had these people called mileage clerks in trucking companies that paid ACTUAL Miles. My mother did that for Shaffer/Sunflower in the 1970s to the early 1990s. She would have to figure out how far a truck driver ACTUALLY drove.

Practical miles or HHG miles are Post Office to Post Office or City Center to City Center.

Dave

I'm not sure that's the case. Practical miles means the route that would be considered practical for a truck, where HHG figures the shortest distance from zip code to zip code. So HHG might consider tiny two lane roads and shortcuts, where practical miles would be the route that trucks are going to run - namely Interstates and major highways.

How far a truck actually drove would be considered hub miles.

I'm not sure that's the case. Practical miles means the route that would be considered practical for a truck, where HHG figures the shortest distance from zip code to zip code. So HHG might consider tiny two lane roads and shortcuts, where practical miles would be the route that trucks are going to run - namely Interstates and major highways.

How far a truck actually drove would be considered hub miles.

Okay, got it. Thanks.

Dave

Household good miles is what most carriers use. This is a very good question and one you should ask any company you are about to apply with.

The HHG miles came about from the Defense Department 100 years ago. The industry has tried many different ways to calculate the miles over the years. This was one of the other issues from the 1970's that truck drivers across the country were protesting.

We now have Practical miles and Hub miles, though not many companies use Hub miles that much. The reason for using HHG miles is because it is "short miles" based on cost to move a item from point A to Point B. This is why most of your companies add in all these bonuses. It is actually to make up for the short miles that they use. So, when you see an add for all these bonuses it gives you a heads up on what mileage calculator they are using.

As I said this is a good question you should ask a recruiter when interviewing with them. It lets them see that you are not as "Rookie" as they think you are. It's another part of the game. Also, many states have their own guideline that they go by, though it is mostly just as the same as the DOD. Keeping a record is good to do as well. It gives you something to fight with when you go in for that raise. You can show them how much money you have saved them over a course of a period of time.

That is if you don't get lost too many times or stray off somewhere or go for that juicy steak and fries at that well talked about cafe'. The real reason they use HHG miles!