deadhead miles

[/ˈdɛdˌhɛd maɪlz/]
nounpl: deadhead miles
quilômetros vazios / quilômetros sem carga
1. Distance traveled by a commercial vehicle, especially a truck or bus, without carrying paying passengers or freight cargo
The truck driver had to cover 200 deadhead miles to reach the next pickup location.
O motorista de caminhão teve que cobrir 200 quilômetros vazios para chegar ao próximo local de coleta.
2. In the transportation and logistics industry, miles that generate no revenue for the carrier
The company wanted to reduce deadhead miles to improve operational efficiency and profitability.
A empresa queria reduzir os quilômetros vazios para melhorar a eficiência operacional e a lucratividade.
3. Return trips or positioning trips where a vehicle travels empty to position itself for the next paying job
After delivering cargo to the port, the driver faced significant deadhead miles returning to the warehouse.
Depois de entregar a carga no porto, o motorista enfrentou quilômetros vazios consideráveis no retorno ao depósito.
This is a key metric in the American and Brazilian transportation and logistics industries, used to measure operational efficiency and profitability. Fleet managers and trucking companies prioritize minimizing deadhead miles as they represent costs without revenue generation. The term is especially important in trucking culture and logistics management discussions in both the USA and Brazil.
NYC Slang
empty run, dead miles (shortened colloquial form used by NYC taxi and delivery drivers)
Synonyms / Sinônimos
empty milesnon-revenue milespositioning milesbobtail miles
Antonyms / Antônimos
loaded milesrevenue milesproductive milespaid miles

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
quilômetros vazios
Most common translation in Brazilian Portuguese transportation context
General Brazilian
quilômetros sem carga
Alternative term emphasizing the absence of cargo
São Paulo
quilômetros improdutivos
Used in logistics and business contexts in major commercial hub
Portugal
quilómetros em vazio
European Portuguese variant using 'quilómetro' and 'em vazio'

Related Words

freight transportationtrucking industrylogisticsvehicle utilizationcarrier efficiencybobtailempty return

Related Idioms & Phrases

burning fuel for nothing
running empty
positioning move
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