I do long day routes as a general rule. I do not make massive money on these routes. My stuff is mostly wham, bam, thank you mam and this is why I need to be careful with Maritz shops.
My most lucrative routes do not have office supply stores, so there is no way I can download or print on the road. This is an issue with some Maritz shops because we need to physically print paperwork for the code. I know they have an app, but I'm not confident utilizing it. I cannot drive back 100 miles if it doesn't work.
As I mentioned earlier, I don't make a ton of money on my long days. I I try to grab shops with fees plus reimbursement. But 9 times out of 10 I take advantage of sales, specifically grocery sales and plan my day accordingly. This time of year, I'm hitting areas of my state so my gal pals and I can put up fruit preserves.
I love working for Maritz when I can plan ahead of time. They aren't the company I can try and grab on the fly. This is sad, because the money is fairly decent in my route areas.
Trying to make comparisons for someone who lives in the city, suburbs or rural areas is in my opinion is comparing apples to oranges. I can do routes in San Antonio, but I'm on the road for a solid 11 hours and have no time to take a break. I also make about 1/4 of what I make doing twice the mileage, less stress, able to take breaks and take advantage of grocery sales. I shop 2 more places as a general rule.. My drive time is usually less on the longer route because I'm on back roads and the speed limit is significantly higher. It's less stressful.
Everyone needs to figure out what is best for them. I'd rather drive my back country roads, but YMMV.
Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning; the devil shudders...And yells OH #%*+! SHE'S AWAKE!