This past week I set out from home on Sunday afternoon with an empty tanker in tow, heading for Chicago with no idea what I was collecting or where it was going ? After 10 hours at the Flying J in Asthabula OH I got to our Chicago terminal Monday night and took 8 hours in the sleeper to load in the city for North East PA, took the other 2 hours as they loaded my tank, I ran back to Asthabula for another 8 sleeper hours and a shower then delivered to the customer next morning and the remanding 2 hours at the TA near the top of I-86. I called in and was told to run empty to NYC. This was a 1700 mile run to deliver a load 456 miles 
How the Hell can such a trip pay ? I mean I know I get paid no matter what but when there is one of our largest terminals right there why the heck send me 862 empty miles to collect it ?
Not as far but I’ve run 1 end to the other empty
I’ve ran Denver CO to Yuma AZ empty, 1,000 miles
Denver CO to Toronto ON, 1500 miles
And we had 5 together run from Calgary AB to Oxnard CA empty, 1500 miles.
It doesn’t pay but it’ll be subsidised from other trucks/runs to keep the customer happy.
Got my pay advice in my email yesterday … the Chicago to North East paid $798.00 so not too bad then 
I know I’m not in the same business, or even the same continent, Pat, but I often run 750 kms to Calais to collect and deliver a similar distance away in Brest, and then run home empty. All-up over 2,000 kms.
Not the same distances either, but the principle is the same, I get the work because no-one else will do it and they know that they will have to pay me for the whole round trip.
So, it very often is worth it if someone knows that they can rely on you to do the job properly. 