Trucking cost per mile calculator
Enter a month of costs and miles for one truck. You get your cost per mile, cost per loaded mile, and the rate per loaded mile you need to break even and to hit your target margin. The numbers filled in are an illustrative example — replace them with yours.
Your results
Cost per mile (all miles)
$1.98
- Cost per loaded mile
- $2.21
- Break-even rate / loaded mile
- $2.21
- Rate for 15% margin / loaded mile
- $2.59
- Fixed costs / month
- $5,000.00
- Variable costs / month
- $14,846.15
- of which driver pay
- $6,500.00
- Total cost / month
- $19,846.15
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The cost per mile formula
Cost per mile = (fixed costs + variable costs) ÷ total miles driven. Fixed costs are what you pay whether the truck moves or not: truck and trailer payments, insurance, permits. Variable costs grow with every mile: fuel (diesel price ÷ MPG), maintenance, tires, and per-mile driver pay.
For pricing freight, the number that matters is cost per loaded mile = total costs ÷ loaded miles, because only loaded miles are paid. That is your break-even rate. To build in profit, divide by (1 − target margin).
Worked example (the default numbers)
- Fixed: $2,200.00 truck + $700.00 trailer + $1,500.00 insurance + $600.00 other = $5,000.00 a month.
- Fuel: $3.80 ÷ 6.5 MPG = $0.58 per mile. Add $0.20 maintenance, $0.05 tires and $0.65 driver pay.
- Miles: 9,000 loaded + 1,000 deadhead = 10,000 miles, so variable costs are $14,846.15.
- Total $19,846.15 ÷ 10,000 miles = $1.98 per mile; ÷ 9,000 loaded miles = $2.21 per loaded mile.
- At a 15% margin you need $2.59 per loaded mile.
How deadhead changes your true cost
Empty miles cost almost as much as loaded ones but earn nothing. In the example, the deadhead miles are 10% of all miles, yet the cost per loaded mile ($2.21) is well above the cost per total mile ($1.98). Set deadhead to 0 above and watch the gap disappear — that difference is what empty miles cost you on every paid mile.
Read more: How to calculate cost per mile for a trucking company and How to reduce deadhead and empty miles.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good cost per mile for a trucking company?
There is no single good number: it depends on equipment payments, insurance, fuel, lane, and how many miles the truck runs. What matters is knowing your own number and never booking freight below your break-even rate per loaded mile.
Should I divide costs by total miles or loaded miles?
Both. Cost per total mile shows how efficiently the truck runs. Cost per loaded mile is what you compare to rate offers, because only loaded miles earn revenue — deadhead cost has to be recovered by the paid miles.
How does deadhead change my true cost?
Every empty mile burns fuel, wear and (often) driver pay without revenue. Your cost per total mile barely moves, but cost per loaded mile rises because the same costs are spread over fewer paid miles.
How is the break-even rate calculated?
Break-even rate per loaded mile = total monthly cost ÷ loaded miles. The target rate adds your margin: total cost ÷ (1 − margin) ÷ loaded miles. With percentage driver pay, the driver share is also taken out of the rate before costs are covered.
How often should I recalculate cost per mile?
Monthly is a good habit, and any time a big input changes — fuel price, a new truck payment, an insurance renewal, or a change in how many miles you run.
Keep cost per mile down every day
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