Trucking load profit calculator
Enter the load details to see your real profit per mile, including deadhead, and the lowest pay you should accept.
Your results
Estimate only, not financial, tax or legal advice. Check your own figures and contracts before relying on it.
How the calculation works
- Gross pay = linehaul + fuel surcharge + accessorials.
- Total miles = loaded miles + deadhead miles.
- Fuel cost = total miles ÷ MPG × fuel price.
- Other costs = total miles × non-fuel cost per mile + tolls + other trip costs.
- Fees = gross pay × (dispatch % + factoring %).
- Net profit = gross pay − fees − fuel − other costs.
- Minimum pay to accept = (fuel + other costs + minimum profit × total miles) ÷ (1 − fee %). Fees are a share of pay, so the pay you need is higher than the costs alone.
Worked example
A load pays $2,000 linehaul, $300 fuel surcharge and $100 accessorials: $2,400 gross. You run 800 loaded miles and 200 empty miles to reach the pickup, so 1,000 total miles, and 20% of them are deadhead. At 6.5 MPG and $4.00 per gallon, fuel costs about $615.38. Non-fuel costs of $0.30 per mile plus $50 tolls add $350. Fees of 5% dispatch and 2% factoring take $168.
Net profit is $2,400 − $168 − $615.38 − $350 = $1,266.62, or about $1.267 per mile across all 1,000 miles. That beats a $0.50 per mile minimum, so the calculator says take it. The lowest pay that still meets the minimum is about $1,575.69, which means you could counter as low as roughly $1,175.69 in linehaul with the same surcharge and accessorials.
Why deadhead changes the answer
The same $2,400 over 800 loaded miles looks like $3.00 per mile. Over all 1,000 miles it is $2.40 per mile, and that difference is real money you do not see on the rate confirmation. Run the calculation with your true deadhead every time, and compare loads by net profit per total mile, not by the posted rate per loaded mile.
Two loads with the same headline rate can differ a lot once you count where the truck ends up. A load that delivers somewhere you will likely sit or run empty to find the next one carries hidden deadhead. If you can, enter the empty miles you expect to run afterwards as part of the deadhead figure.
Using the result
- Take: net profit per total mile meets your minimum.
- Negotiate: the load is profitable but under your minimum. Ask for at least the linehaul shown.
- Skip: the load loses money or breaks even before your own time and risk.
These figures are estimates that depend on the numbers you enter. Real fuel prices, tolls and fees vary by trip, so check your rate confirmation. See also the cost per mile calculator to find your non-fuel cost per mile, and the detention pay calculator for the amount to enter under accessorials.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a load is worth taking?
Compare the load's all-in rate per mile (total pay divided by loaded plus empty miles) with your own cost per mile plus the profit you need. If net profit per mile is below your minimum, counter-offer or skip.
What are deadhead miles?
Deadhead miles are the empty miles you drive to reach the pickup, or to return after delivery, with no freight on. You pay fuel and wear on them but usually get no revenue, so they lower your true rate per mile.
Why is the rate per mile on the rate confirmation higher than my real rate?
Brokers usually quote the rate per loaded mile. Your real rate is spread over every mile you drive, including deadhead, so it is always lower whenever you run empty.
How are broker, dispatch and factoring fees applied?
They are a percentage of the gross pay, so they grow with the rate. The calculator subtracts them from revenue, and when it works out the rate you should ask for, it accounts for the fact that a higher rate also means higher fees.
What should I enter for non-fuel cost per mile?
Use maintenance, tires and your share of fixed costs (truck payment, insurance, permits) per mile. The cost per mile calculator gives you the fixed share; subtract the fuel part to avoid counting fuel twice.
Read the guide
Deadhead Miles: How Empty Miles Change What You Earn: What deadhead miles really cost, how to work out your all-in rate per mile, and the rate per loaded mile you need to ask for.