Trucking Cost Per Mile Calculator
Estimate cost per total mile, cost per loaded mile, fuel expense, break-even freight rate, monthly revenue, and owner-operator profit from your own operating assumptions.
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Cost per mile calculator
Enter a typical month of miles, revenue, and expenses. Results update automatically and remain estimates for planning.
Operating assumptions
Fixed monthly expenses
Variable expenses
Monthly operating results
Fixed costs versus variable costs
Fixed costs continue even when the truck runs fewer miles. Examples include truck and trailer payments, insurance, permits, software, parking, and accounting.
Variable costs rise with miles or revenue. Fuel, maintenance and tire reserves, driver compensation, tolls, DEF, dispatch fees, and factoring fees belong in this group.
Review both groups regularly. A payment change affects fixed cost per mile, while fuel price, MPG, deadhead, and repair reserves can change the variable side quickly.
Formulas and worked example
Fuel cost: total miles ÷ MPG × diesel price.
Monthly revenue: loaded miles × revenue per loaded mile.
Total monthly cost: fixed expenses + fuel + mileage reserves + monthly variable expenses + percentage fees.
Cost per total mile: total monthly cost ÷ total miles. Break-even loaded rate: total monthly cost ÷ loaded miles.
Example: 10,000 total miles, 8,000 loaded miles, 6.5 MPG, $3.75 diesel, and $2.50 revenue per loaded mile produce about $5,769.23 in fuel cost. With $5,700 in fixed costs and the example reserves and fees above, total monthly cost is about $15,969.23, or $1.60 per total mile and about $2.00 per loaded mile.
Common trucking expense categories
- Equipment: truck and trailer payments, leases, depreciation planning, and replacement reserves.
- Road expenses: diesel, DEF, tolls, scales, parking, permits, and registration.
- Maintenance: preventive service, repairs, tires, roadside assistance, and downtime reserves.
- Business overhead: insurance, ELD and software, accounting, dispatch, factoring, and office costs.
- Labor: driver pay, payroll costs, benefits, or an owner-operator compensation target.
Trucking cost per mile FAQ
How do I calculate trucking cost per mile?
Add fixed and variable monthly operating costs, then divide by monthly total miles. Divide by loaded miles instead when you need the loaded rate required to cover both paid and unpaid miles.
Should deadhead miles be included?
Yes. Deadhead still consumes fuel, maintenance, tires, time, and equipment capacity. Include it in total miles even though it does not directly earn loaded-mile revenue.
What should I include in a maintenance reserve?
Use a per-mile amount that reflects preventive service, expected repairs, major component risk, and the age and condition of your equipment.
Why is cost per loaded mile higher?
Loaded miles must recover the costs created by all miles, including deadhead. Fewer loaded miles spread the same monthly costs across a smaller revenue-producing base.
How often should I update the calculation?
Update it whenever diesel prices, insurance, payments, maintenance experience, fees, mileage, or your expected loaded rate changes materially.
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