Pilot Car Rates?

I pay 1.35/1.45 per mile and $60 a nite out, no deadhead, they can do what I do when empty, find a load or DH home. Some in Texas want a day rate, OK with me but a day is 24 hours and i won't pay a day rate for part of a day.

 

Luckily the one I hit had no structural damage but it cost 72k to repair my load. The last one in my area that was hit with structural damage cost 7.2 million to repair. Purt near broke the outfit that hit it.


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This is exactly what I have been saying although in a bind on the west coast I will pay a little more per mile.


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I honestly don't see how a pilot car could not survive on $1.45 a mile. They are getting 20mpg, and their rep[air costs are next to 0 compared to a class 8 truck. Even with only going 200 miles a day that is pretty #### good wages...... not to mention have you seen some of the pilot cars out here??? 1990's junk that probably cost them $1,500 at the most!!!! Not a bad way to supplement income during retirement if you ask me, and having hauled OS/OD stuff as a trucker would be highly enticing to any other driver out there looking for a pilot car. Wouldn't you rather hire the guy who had been behind the drivers seat for 35yrs+ over some 30yr old high school drop-out???

I have thought about getting into OS/OD stuff maybe in 10yrs on my own and just having the wife be my pilot car when needed. That would save a lot of money on them costs too!!

 

Maybe I missed something...... I looked at liability to protect me if I ok'ed a bridge and I was wrong..... and that was expensive.

And maybe I need to talk with some pilot folks too. I wasn't going to drive a Beetle for escorts so 20 mpg was out.

Again, $1.45 might be the going rate but you saw what Haulhand said, he'll pay mileage to him and for the escort but then you're on your own. I honestly thought the carrier paid....and maybe he should, might end up being more money in it.

The load can only move during daylite ( right? ) so 11 and 14 are out, true?

 

4cyl Ford Ranger at 55mph will get far better then 20mpg....even an F-150 would




American Trucker

 

Honestly I broke it down for you. Why would you expect me to pay you to go back home you should be tied in with a broker and find a load going the other way I'm not going to pay that for you don't like it go pilot for someone else. Also the liability is just you are talking about is for running a height pole and honestly if you don't have at least two years on a pole I'll sit until I find someone that does. As far as the hours go it depends on the time of year and where you're running in the summer out west with no curfews I can get 11 hours easy and you better have a large bladder or be able to piss on the go because I've got miles to make so I don't stop. It's especially bad in the winter when I might have only 9 hours of daylight if you can't keep up you get run off plain and simple.


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The previous posts are consistent with what I have found regarding costs for escorts. I usually figure that my cost will be 1.50/mi, and I am always able to find escorts for this cost. $50-75 for an overnight is pretty standard. Most will charge a $225 min. I have never paid dead head or repositioning, but we operate in Eastern half of the country, not the middle of ND or WY. You will probably pay slightly more for pole cars. We (the company) pays for any escorts required by my drivers.

I believe escorts use networks to find work, just like truckers use load boards.

 

When you look at what the insurance cost is for this type of work, these people are not getting rich. They also do alot of running around for nothing. And the other factor is there is way to many escort services for the limited amount of work for them.

 

No offense to any escorts, but why would this profession be lucrative? There is low cost to entry, little or no training required, it is not demanding work, you can come and go as you please, etc. I don't see this changing any time in the near future.