Does a new hire need to physically test-drive the commute before work starts?

Quick answer

Grant generally does not think a physical test drive is necessary. He prefers using the exact apartment and office addresses and checking the route at the real weekday commute time across several days. That gives a better sense of the normal traffic range than one practice drive that may happen to be unusually good or bad. Mileage can be misleading in Dallas, Houston, and Austin. Look at realistic door-to-door travel times, freeway or toll-road dependence, and parking approach rather than assuming that three or four miles means a short commute.

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