Load profitability calculator
Is this load worth taking? Enter what it pays, the loaded and deadhead miles, and your all-in cost per mile. You get the profit, the margin, and the lowest rate that still hits your target. The numbers filled in are an illustrative example. Replace them with the load you're looking at.
This load
Worth taking
This load meets your target margin.
Profit on this load
$470.40
- Margin
- 18.4%
- Revenue / loaded mile
- $2.83
- Revenue / total mile
- $2.50
- Break-even pay for the load
- $2,079.60
- per loaded mile
- $2.31
- Pay for 15% margin
- $2,446.59
- per loaded mile
- $2.72
- Total miles (11.8% empty)
- 1,020
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How to calculate load profit
Load profit = (linehaul + fuel surcharge + accessorials) − (all-in cost per mile × (loaded miles + deadhead miles) + tolls and other load costs). Margin is that profit divided by what the load pays.
The piece most people skip is the deadhead. The empty miles to reach the shipper are part of this load's cost, because no other load pays for them. Comparing only rate per loaded mile against cost per mile makes a load with a long deadhead look better than it is.
Worked example (the default numbers)
- The load pays $2,400.00 linehaul + $150.00 fuel surcharge and accessorials = $2,550.00.
- Miles: 900 loaded + 120 deadhead = 1,020 miles.
- Cost: 1,020 miles × $1.98 + $60.00 tolls = $2,079.60.
- Profit: $2,550.00 − $2,079.60 = $470.40, a 18.4% margin.
- For a 15% margin the load has to pay at least $2,446.59, or $2.72 per loaded mile.
Know your cost per mile first
This calculator is only as good as the cost per mile you put in. If you don't know yours, work it out from a month of costs with the trucking cost per mile calculator, then come back. If the load carries a fuel surcharge, the fuel surcharge calculator works out what it should be.
Read more: How to reduce deadhead and empty miles.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a load is profitable?
Add up everything the load pays (linehaul plus fuel surcharge and accessorials), then subtract what it costs to run every mile it needs, including the deadhead to pick it up, plus any tolls or fees you pay. If the result is above your target margin, the load is worth taking.
Why include deadhead miles in load profit?
The empty miles to reach the shipper cost fuel, wear and often driver pay, and only this load can pay for them. A rate that looks good per loaded mile can lose money once a long deadhead is counted.
What cost per mile should I use?
Your own all-in number: fixed costs (truck and trailer payments, insurance, permits) plus variable costs (fuel, maintenance, tires, driver pay), divided by all miles driven in a month. The free cost per mile calculator works it out from your monthly numbers.
What is the minimum rate I should accept?
Your break-even is the cost of the load: all-in cost per mile × (loaded + deadhead miles) + load-specific costs. The rate for your target margin is that cost ÷ (1 − margin). Both are shown above in total dollars and per loaded mile.
Should I ever take a load below my target?
Sometimes: a load that covers its costs but gets the truck to a strong freight market, or home on time, can be worth more than its own margin. What you should avoid is a load that does not cover its costs, unless you are doing it on purpose.
Pick the right driver for every load
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