Practical Miles - Most trucking companies use practical miles. Practical miles determined by PC Miler software may be the most common by trucking companies. This usually cuts about 10 percent off of the actual mileages that you drive on each trip.

It doesn't sound like much but after a year's time it adds up to some nice change you are missing. Also, this is off mostly when picking up or delivering to large cities.

However, don't obsess about this as some drivers do for this reason....it shorts you more on some trips large city to large city trips and does the opposite on other trips large city to large city trips. The average amount of shortage over time is what should be your issue if you want to take issue of being shortage miles. Which again will be about 10 percent.

Also, if you read all of the descriptions, (in particular the actual miles pay) you might have a better understanding of why so many trucking companies use this method of calculating miles. It's somewhat of a catch 22.

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HHG or Household Goods Miles - Some trucking companies are paying HHG which is household goods miles. You will get cheated out of even more if you go to a company that pays this way. You will get shorted sometimes more than 10 percent of the actual miles driven. They use the shortage routes possible. (last I checked) Which sometimes are roads that trucks are not even allowed on.

But remember this is normal for Moving companies. Not so much for freight companies. Unless the freight company has a specific reason, the only one that comes to mind would be simply to squeeze as much out of the driver as possible which does not say much for that trucking company.

Keep your eyes open for other problems and short cuts in order to increase profits which may also compromise safety.

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Actual or Hub miles are preferred but you might not find a trucking job that pays you that way especially as a new driver. Do keep your eyes open for these trucking companies, especially when making comparisons.

A trucking company that voluntarily pays actual miles is sending a good signal of how it feels about fairness toward the driver.

Usually trucking companies that pay Hub miles are smaller companies that want experienced drivers, understand the benefit of driver retention and care about the driver's quality of life and their own quality of service to customers. (I am now speculating but it sounds about right to me! lol)

However, it must be stated....the reason that this is not standard procedure could also be the fact that not all drivers are drivers will appreciate this and be responsible.

Remember, this will compensate the driver for ALL miles that you drive. I have talked to drivers who get paid hub miles and bragg about taking the long route and even goofing on (driving miles necessarily) after work just to rack of miles for compensation.

I am sure the trucking company manager feels that since they hire experienced drivers with a clean record, that the driver would have a certain level of responsibility and maturity that they wouldn't abuse being given trust and being treated fairly (or well in many cases).

So here again is an example of how the things that we do come back to haunt us. Because of taking advantage of the method that is most beneficial to us, we have played a part in limited the number of good companies that will sufficiently trust us enough to pay hub miles.

A life lesson point here, there is 2 sides of most issues and when you look at it from another perspective, you can see how it might be justified from the other person's point of view to do things differently than you would have them done toward you. In this case we are talking determining miles.

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