Check out Google Earth. More than just a fun fact. It pays MONEY!

JOHNCLARK · May 24, 2015

Ok, so it doesn't exactly pay money, You might earn more money if you use it. As a owner of a Expedite company. As a fleet owner of.. well a fleet

and as a retired driver and owner operator I like to stay up to date on what's best. I found Google Earth to be the best for computing the most accurate miles. You can run address to address and its accurate within a tenth of a mile. PC miler is off anywhere from 5 to 30% Just something I found, hope it helps when running billable miles.

Turtle · May 24, 2015

Well, Google Earth is just the satellite overlay for Google Maps. Google Maps does the routing. But when you say "most accurate miles," what does that even mean? I've found PC Miler, Streets & Trips, Google Maps and Garmin all to be very accurate. If any of them show a trip to be, say, 350 miles, and you drive that trip, it's 350 miles spot-on. I've compared routes on each of the above and the same routes always show the same miles.

pearlpro · May 24, 2015

Ive used Google Maps and Earth for quite a while, both are really accurate and help with the state billable miles, Ive always said if Google would release a TRUCK GPS system that uses the Maps funtions it would bankrupt the rest...Hey John....Maps was always my go to system and EARTH can help you make sure your not getting i9nto any surprises at your location or along the route, with STREETS you can virtually drive down the road and see both sides fo the street.

xiggi · May 24, 2015

We were saying the other day that it's suprising Google had not got into the gps business.

Turtle · May 24, 2015

xiggi said:
We were saying the other day that it's suprising Google had not got into the gps business.

One reason is that you need an Internet connection to use Google Maps. As soon as you lose your WiFi or mobile data signal GPS tracking and directions stop working. You can kind of get around this by creating a route and then downloading the maps for offline directions, but you can't do that when you're in a spot where you have no signal to begin with.

Google Street View is awesome.

xiggi · May 24, 2015

I would imagine if they got in the gps biz it would work with preloaded maps and satellites like others do.

JOHNCLARK · May 24, 2015

PC Miler is not accurate when it comes to mileage. PC Miler has 2 or 3 versions. 1st one is the screw you a little version I believe that's the "practical" program. 2nd version "shortest" is the favorite of larger truckload companies and that's the "your about to get spanked version". The 3rd version is the more reasonable one and that's the "national" one that's more of what you have. Here's the difference. Fraser. MI to Louisville,KY I'm simply saying that Google Earth or maps (thank you for correcting me) is a better way to track your miles. Company's love to pay "short miles" would you not agree? Turtle. Most are not educated when it comes to pay miles and they take what they get and assume they must do that. I read a post earlier about .05cents making all the difference(yes I know it was for maintenance) . What would 5 miles a load do for most people. Its not going to hurt my pocket or yours because we know what to look for. I was simply trying to kill time and put something positive into our little part of the world. If only everything was done in black and white.

pc miler shortest 371 miles
pc miler national 378 miles
pc miler practical 380 miles
google maps 381 miles

JOHNCLARK · May 24, 2015

Ok and Turtle. This discussion isn't even a fair one. You work for a reputable company. Of course your miles are correct.

Moot · May 24, 2015

I find PC Miler Practical to be very accurate.

Turtle · May 24, 2015

JOHNCLARK said:
Ok and Turtle. This discussion isn't even a fair one. You work for a reputable company. Of course your miles are correct.

Yeah, but don't forget I used to be leased to Panther, where the road miles rarely matched the billed.

OK, so by "accurate," you mean that it more closely matches the actual driven miles. Sometimes you have to be specific, because there are some routing options where 5 miles on their map is actually 4 or 6 when you drive it. Tom Tom, Lowrance and Magellan all have "measurement" issues with regard to accuracy.

Like Moot said, PC Miler Practical is very accurate compared to the actual driven miles. It must accurately routes trucks on the truck preferred roads, and avoids roads that tricks should probably steer clear of. Google Maps assumes you're in a car, not a truck.

PC Miler Shortest uses the shortest truck route. The Household Goods Miles version of PC Miler uses the shortest route on which trucks are not explicitly forbidden. This can include unpaved roads, particularly out west.

Google Maps is pretty good for routing vans, but not to much for trucks. But even in a van, Google Maps will flat route you on a Parkway in New York and New Jersey, so ya gotta watch that, especially if you use Google Maps for mileage billing.

rollincoal · May 26, 2015

I use googlemaps to route my semi almost every trip. It's great to drag the route and check for shortcuts. The old googlemaps anyways. The new googlemaps I find completely useless and unusable.