By Ron Moore
Stafford County Trucker and Columnist
Special to the Tribune

People are always asking me, how many miles have you driven? I can’t give you an exact number because it depends on several factors.

If you’re asking how many paid miles I’ve driven, I would estimate around 5 million miles over the past 48 years. That includes driving a cement mixer, gas truck, and the EFD night runs I’ve made. On top of that, I would estimate I’ve driven another million miles that I never got paid for.

If you’re not familiar with how trucking companies work—like the ones I’ve worked for—they’re in business to make money. For example, I once picked up an irrigation sprinkler system in McCook, NE, to deliver to Guymon, OK. The bill of lading stated 22 miles to the field.

When I arrived, I asked if the field was to the east. The customer said it was to the northwest. I drove 22 miles out and 22 miles back, but those miles didn’t count toward my pay mileage. The company was paid for the extra miles — I wasn’t.

That’s because companies pay drivers based on zip code to zip code mileage. We have a customer 50 miles south of Alpine, TX, but their business is in the same zip code as the city. We give them 100 miles free when we pick up their load. The company never acknowledges those miles on our pay sheets.

Just this past Friday afternoon, I picked up a load out of Pryor, OK, going to Medicine Lodge. I was told to take it home with me. Once again, I didn’t get paid for the 100 miles home, and the company will never give me credit for driving them. But if something happens during those unpaid miles? You guessed it — I’m still held fully responsible.

Another way companies save money is by paying for the shortest route using the Household Movers Guide. If you’ve ever seen cross-reference maps that show the distance between two towns, that’s what this book was based on. The man who created the guide in the 1960s did an interview in the 1980s, apologizing for making it. He admitted he was told to list the shortest routes, even if they included gravel roads or roads where trucks weren’t allowed.

One time, another driver and I were hauling loads to Nixa, MO. He told me he’d never beaten the pay miles. I told him not to complain about the roads I take — just follow me. When we arrived, he was excited — we came in one mile under the pay miles.

So if you’re still wondering how many miles I’ve driven, the answer is — it could be 5, 6, or maybe even 7 million miles by now. I just wish I got paid for all of them.