Average Miles

My question has probably been ask and answered before and if so I apologize for the repeat. What would you experienced drivers say the average over all mileage is across the board from origin to destination? I am looking for a industry average among all types of freight.

Average? An average trip can be a shag load(short delivery from local yard to customer 2 miles a way or 2300 miles across country. Once your dispatcher can trust you to do your job and knows your going to be on time you can expect 2300 to 3000 miles a week. But again there are a lot of variables that can and do effect the miles you get. Attitude being the most important thing.

Ken, I don't know if anyone can give you an industry average on all types of freight. I will say a few things that might help you understand how all this comes together in a drivers experience though.

I drive a flat-bed so my information is based on my experience, but I think I have a fairly good understanding how this works industry wide. You are going to get some short hauls and some long hauls. The dispatchers have goals set before them by upper management that requires them to try and get so much revenue per truck and loaded miles per truck, things like that. The efforts to reach these goals are sometimes rewarded with bonus pay to the load planners and dispatchers. Often times short haul loads pay more per mile so that helps the dispatcher reach those revenue per truck goals and of course the long hauls help him reach those loaded miles per truck goals. The driver, of course, is just looking for the most miles he can legally accomplish each week.

I get a good mix of loads, but very seldom will I get anything under 500 miles. I usually average around 1,000 miles per load. I had two loads this month that were just under 200 miles, and we get paid more for those short runs so you can't really complain about it too much, oh I guess you could, and I know people that do (they're truck drivers - complaining seems to be in our DNA). If I could get about six or seven of those short loads in a week I could make just as much as I would running about 2500 miles, of course with flat-bed work I'd be working my tail off too with all the tarping, and load securement.

The one thing about loads that people don't seem to understand is that some pay better than others. Quite often your dispatcher may take a load for you that doesn't pay so well just because the destination point on the load will put you into a more desirable freight lane. There are areas of the country that pay better than others and that sometimes changes with seasons and other economic forces at work in the market place.

I don't know if I'm just rambling on to hear myself talk or if I've even answered your question or just danced around on the fringes of it a little, but if it needs further clarification just let us know and maybe someone else can jump in here and do a better job than I did.

Actually Old School, I think you did a REALLY great job of explaining! Helped ME out anyway! THANKS!!!

1800

Indeed Ken there is no set answer to that question - at least not one that's very helpful. Here's what I mean:

Different types of freight tend to have different lengths of haul. Refrigerated runs tend to average longer than most other types of freight simply because they run more coast to coast runs than other types of freight.

Other than refrigerated, it's impossible to even give a helpful number really. Take major dry van companies for instance - they'll have local divisions where guys just stay around their home town and make short deliveries. They'll have dedicated accounts where some people are running 100-300 mile runs day in and day out while others are running 1500+ mile runs regularly. Then they'll also have team trucks that mostly run 2000+ mile runs. All of this is going on every day at most major dry van companies.

Now what would be a much more helpful number would be average paid weekly miles. This is rather consistent throughout the industry. Your first year on the road there's a steep learning curve and you'll become exhausted more quickly than an experienced driver so it's good to expect about 2200-2700 miles per week your rookie year. But that's certainly not set in stone. Some people will push harder than that.

Experienced drivers usually shoot for 2700-3200 miles per week. Once you've been out there for a while you adapt to the change of lifestyle and you learn how to get the job done more efficiently out there so you can increase your miles without exhausting yourself any further.

So regardless of the company you work for or the type of freight you haul you can expect weekly paid mileage to be in those ranges. It could be a little less at times, especially with flatbed because of the time it takes to load and unload, but you'll get paid for the extra work so it evens out.

Any trucking company can give you their stats for average weekly miles per driver and average length of haul. Just ask the recruiters - they'll have those numbers memorized.

Ken, I don't know if anyone can give you an industry average on all types of freight. I will say a few things that might help you understand how all this comes together in a drivers experience though.

I drive a flat-bed so my information is based on my experience, but I think I have a fairly good understanding how this works industry wide. You are going to get some short hauls and some long hauls. The dispatchers have goals set before them by upper management that requires them to try and get so much revenue per truck and loaded miles per truck, things like that. The efforts to reach these goals are sometimes rewarded with bonus pay to the load planners and dispatchers. Often times short haul loads pay more per mile so that helps the dispatcher reach those revenue per truck goals and of course the long hauls help him reach those loaded miles per truck goals. The driver, of course, is just looking for the most miles he can legally accomplish each week.

I get a good mix of loads, but very seldom will I get anything under 500 miles. I usually average around 1,000 miles per load. I had two loads this month that were just under 200 miles, and we get paid more for those short runs so you can't really complain about it too much, oh I guess you could, and I know people that do (they're truck drivers - complaining seems to be in our DNA). If I could get about six or seven of those short loads in a week I could make just as much as I would running about 2500 miles, of course with flat-bed work I'd be working my tail off too with all the tarping, and load securement.

The one thing about loads that people don't seem to understand is that some pay better than others. Quite often your dispatcher may take a load for you that doesn't pay so well just because the destination point on the load will put you into a more desirable freight lane. There are areas of the country that pay better than others and that sometimes changes with seasons and other economic forces at work in the market place.

I don't know if I'm just rambling on to hear myself talk or if I've even answered your question or just danced around on the fringes of it a little, but if it needs further clarification just let us know and maybe someone else can jump in here and do a better job than I did.

Old School you nailed it. Thanks, that answer was very informative

Indeed Ken there is no set answer to that question - at least not one that's very helpful. Here's what I mean:

Different types of freight tend to have different lengths of haul. Refrigerated runs tend to average longer than most other types of freight simply because they run more coast to coast runs than other types of freight.

Other than refrigerated, it's impossible to even give a helpful number really. Take major dry van companies for instance - they'll have local divisions where guys just stay around their home town and make short deliveries. They'll have dedicated accounts where some people are running 100-300 mile runs day in and day out while others are running 1500+ mile runs regularly. Then they'll also have team trucks that mostly run 2000+ mile runs. All of this is going on every day at most major dry van companies.

Now what would be a much more helpful number would be average paid weekly miles. This is rather consistent throughout the industry. Your first year on the road there's a steep learning curve and you'll become exhausted more quickly than an experienced driver so it's good to expect about 2200-2700 miles per week your rookie year. But that's certainly not set in stone. Some people will push harder than that.

Experienced drivers usually shoot for 2700-3200 miles per week. Once you've been out there for a while you adapt to the change of lifestyle and you learn how to get the job done more efficiently out there so you can increase your miles without exhausting yourself any further.

So regardless of the company you work for or the type of freight you haul you can expect weekly paid mileage to be in those ranges. It could be a little less at times, especially with flatbed because of the time it takes to load and unload, but you'll get paid for the extra work so it evens out.

Any trucking company can give you their stats for average weekly miles per driver and average length of haul. Just ask the recruiters - they'll have those numbers memorized.

Thanks Brett, I had not thought about asking the companies.

Thank you for your answers Old School you nailed it with some very informative information.