Fly or drive 2700 miles for company training

[fdcg27]

Any way you view it, you're looking at a hard three day drive.
Each way.
Fly and rent a car, which GE might even pay for.
LA is the Miami of the West Coast (look at that, I've managed to PO the entire populations of two states with a mere phrase, LOL) and as with any prosperous large city, there's plenty to see and do there.
There are also mountains and dessert and nice beaches within a short drive of anywhere in the LA basin.
I'd save the long road trip you would have been better off taking when younger (I did a few) for your retirement years, when you can just meander along and stop at every minor point of interest along the way, and there are many.
The idea of a .9-1K mile day's drive just doesn't move me anymore and we did the last one we'll likely ever do in 2005. These days, we typically enjoy low-cost airline seats as well rental cars.

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
Mr. Nice should commandeer the corporate jet to fly out, and make sure he has the backup jet following.

Immelt left the company in shambles. Empty 2nd jet following him everywhere was silly.


javacontour & pandabear,

I'd have to agree with you thinking about doing this crazy round trip drive. Like I said, I've watched too many OTR trucking video on YouTube.

 

[dblshock]

road burn...if you had 2 weeks maybe.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
If you add up the standard (GSA/Gov't) reimbursement rate of $0.56/mile,
Since it's a company car, can he still claim the mileage reimbursement?

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Originally Posted By: dishdude
Mr. Nice should commandeer the corporate jet to fly out, and make sure he has the backup jet following.

Immelt left the company in shambles. Empty 2nd jet following him everywhere was silly.


javacontour & pandabear,

I'd have to agree with you thinking about doing this crazy round trip drive. Like I said, I've watched too many OTR trucking video on YouTube.


Immelt had no choice but to play the losing hand left him by his predecessor.
We all know who really wrecked the company and we all know how he did it in his naïve management textbook way.

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Astro14
If you add up the standard (GSA/Gov't) reimbursement rate of $0.56/mile,
Since it's a company car, can he still claim the mileage reimbursement?


Perhaps not, but it still costs that much to operate the car.

Driving it in three days is dangerous, and no responsible company manager would approve that plan. 400 Miles/day is standard for moves and travel. So..

Seven days out. Seven days back. Hotels, per diem, mileage.

First class airfare would be cheaper.

 

[Shannow]

It would never happen down here...and as a manager I would never let it happen.

But if it was me, and they were allowing it, time, costs and the lot...I'd do it...one way

 

[Vikas]

Think of this way. Do you get paid more per hour than a uber driver? What is your loaded cost? Now multiply that by the 2weeks just in lost productivity. Why would a manager who knows what she is doing would let a productive employee essentially waste company time driving for 2 weeks (and actually *paying* money to do it) rather than making money for the company? Any hours which are not being charged to the end customer (the one who *really* pays your salary), is total loss for the company.

Seriously, I can't even imagine anybody bringing this idea up to their manager! The manager will be telling this story for rest of her career at every office party.

Just nix it in your head and don't ask the boss.

 

[Mr Nice]

I have to go to Wisconsin later this year so I'll do that drive in October.

I still don't think its unreasonable to drive to California, 700 miles a day.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
I have to go to Wisconsin later this year so I'll do that drive in October.

I still don't think its unreasonable to drive to California, 700 miles a day.
Go for it, make sure you drive through Oklahoma though.

There's only 2 things in Oklahoma. Wind generating mills and cemeteries. A lot of cemeteries. I guess people just go there to die?

Texas looks pretty close though
The drive through Oklahoma was so unbelievably boring that I took this picture in May.

 

[93cruiser]

well, my answer would be neither. No way I would travel 2700 miles for "training". Not flying or driving.

If its not within a day's drive, I'm not going. I have it known I do not fly.

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: 93cruiser
well, my answer would be neither. No way I would travel 2700 miles for "training". Not flying or driving.

If its not within a day's drive, I'm not going. I have it known I do not fly.




Well...luckily, there is nothing worth seeing outside of New Jersey...so, no need to go anywhere else..

 

[Mr Nice]

My wife asked me if I was smoking Meth when I told her my idea of driving the 2700 miles one way to California.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
My wife asked me if I was smoking Meth when I told her my idea of driving the 2700 miles one way to California.

She sounds like a keeper though!

 

[miden851]

that's so drenching; i'd see a reason to drive up to 800 miles one way, but anything beyond that point is so pointless

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
I still have to talk to my boss, nothing is final. Flying to CA and spending 2 weeks there sounds like a great idea. I’d take one week vacation after training is done.

Another employee also expressed interest in the training so maybe he’ll also attend but fly round trip.


That's the way to think about this: if you have 2 weeks of vacation for fun, do you want to spend time driving through boring as heck Oklahoma or in LA? I'd sure as heck pick spending my time in LA instead.

This is not even a discussion.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: 93cruiser
well, my answer would be neither. No way I would travel 2700 miles for "training". Not flying or driving.

If its not within a day's drive, I'm not going. I have it known I do not fly.




You are missing out on a lot of big money opportunities in your career then, I'm sorry but these days people don't whine about spending 10% of their career on business trip within 5 hour time zone difference.

 

[HonorAndHonesty]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Originally Posted By: rsylvstr
Depends. If you don’t burn vacation time and the job is cool with taking 4-5 days, drive!


I'm on company time and driving my company vehicle.
No vacation time used.


Seriously.... They would let you do that? Your employer is ok with you taking 5 days to drive each way?

Answers simple in my book. Drive.

I have always wanted to do that.

 

[02SE]

I have to say I'm surprised that so many people have no interest in seeing the country in which they live. Especially as in the case of the OP, you can do so driving a company car, and being paid while doing so. I've traveled this country extensively by ground and in the air. Flying is great for getting to your destination quickly, but you miss out on a lot at 35k feet.

 

[Mr Nice]

I’d get paid for 12 days. 8 for travel and 4 for training.

All extra days would be my vacation time.