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Hi, John - this isn't specifically what you asked for. I do daily claims out of Chicago. Did 41,000 miles between April 1 of last year to today. That includes Sandy in NY. I'm interested to see what other adjusters are doing.

Hope this helps,

Tom

If you're working, I can almost guarantee 75/100 miles per day. I'm still fighting with the IRS over my 2004 mileage. Unsuccessfully, I might add.

If you're not, it don't matter.

Happy Trails

I work central/south Texas doing daily and cat losses, I average around 35,000 to 40,000 per year over the past 10 years. Find a vehicle that get good gas milage! Risking fuel cost can really kick you in the butt!

How many miles a year is a better question than how many miles a day. This is a feast or famine business. If you are assigned to a CAT in northern Oklahoma or northern Michigan, 500 miles a day is not out of the question. If you work Miami or New York, 20 miles a day may be a significant amount. I put 40K to 60K a year on my vehicles. So I never buy a new vehicle. I buy a vehicle big enough to fit my equipment, assuming a three to six month stay wherever I deploy. And I buy a vehicle I can afford to buy outright without incurring a car payment. That way the vehicle doesn't depreciate $10,000 a year. Then I run the vehicle until it becomes too costly to keep fixing it and buy another vehicle. It just has to be reasonably good looking and not break down very often. And the last thing you need during periods of no income between deployment is a car payment. A mini-van or larger SUV is my recommendation. Both will fit a fold-up or telescoping ladder and as much stuff as you need to haul around. I currently have a Ford Explorer which will fit my 12 foot fold-up and my 26 foot telescoping ladders when I fold down the back seat. On the way to and from the assignment, the 26 foot fits on the roof rack and the other equipment, clothes, etc. get packed to the roof in the back.

And I'm not from Texas, so I don't need a pick-em-up truck for status.

I primarily do daily losses out of Mobile, AL with a three (3) hour radius.  For the past four years, I have put 60,000 miles on my car each year.  

In my experience, I have always put many more miles on my car doing daily claims versus catastrophe claims.  As a general rule, I will do up to four, 2-3 week catastrophe assignments a year.  I will incur significant mileage on the front and back end of the mini-cat assignments, but once I'm at the storm site, my travel extent per claim is usually very limited.

While in NYC for Sandy, I was very happy to have a mid size sedan.  It was easy to park and get around in.  I did not have to worry about two story access ladders since, I would always have someone else arrange that for me.  In the past, I've used a roof rack on my car to carry my two story ladder.  I've had a truck before and cringe at the thought of getting around in dense municipal areas to work multiple assignments (parking) per day.

I do daily claims and drive 130-150 miles one way. anywhere between 3-5 times a week, currently things are slow so I go out once a week. I worked a cat in 2011 in TN and only drove about 15-20 miles a day. But like recommended before, buy the vehicle with the best gas mileage and holds the most amount of equipment comfortably.

Medulus- I currently have a Ford Explorer which will fit my 12 foot fold-up and my 26 foot telescoping ladders - What brand ladder do you have that is a telscoping ladder that opens to 26 feet? I need one of those.

It is a Werner ladder. Similar to a Little Giant. Folds in half and each end slides out to lock in place. Not a pneumatic type telescoping ladder. I don't trust those.

A_Casey - I use the Werner ladder also!  I carry both the smaller and larger ladders in my Toyota Rav4.  I believe the smaller goes to 13' and the larger goes to 21'.  I just finished working Hurricane Sandy and there was only 1 roof that I wasn't able to get on with these 2 ladders.  

I bought mine at Home Depot.  My husband and I are both adjusters and we only carry these two ladders.  He runs his claims and I run my claims.

Good Luck!

Rebecca

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Medulus - thanks for the steer in the right direction. I'm looking at the 26' Little Giants to solve my issues: 1. The racket of two ladders in a rack on my truck, 2. lousy gas milage. I don't want a huge truck payment...if I can fit a 26LG, my 17' LG, cold weather gear, and climbing gear in a used Subaru Outback or Forester, I'm a happy guy.

I'd drop the 28' extenstion ladder in a heartbeat if I could find a vehicle with good gas milage that a 26' Little Giant would fit inside. Guess I'll start looking at Ford Explorers.

BTW. it only fits with the back seat down. And a bungee cord helps hold the two ladders down so they don't rattle in the back. Werner makes their ladders virtually the same as the Little Giants at a little more than half the price (Those infomercials are expensive).

BTW. it only fits with the back seat down. And a bungee cord helps hold the two ladders down so they don't rattle in the back. Werner makes their ladders virtually the same as the Little Giants at a little more than half the price (Those infomercials are expensive).

I drive a 2006 Toyota Sienna LE....120k miles, runs great....Gets 20-24mpg average depending on city/hwy. I have a 17ft Little Giant Revolution that I use 99.9% of the time and a 26ft version I just added before Sandy. The 26ft can fit on the roof rack while traveling and in the back when doing claims. I get made fun of a lot for not having a truck, but I wouldnt trade my van for anything....I have a custom laptop stand on the passengers side and even in 105 degree Dallas heat the a/c works great while typing up claims.