Trucking cost per mile calculator
Know your number before you book the load. Enter your monthly costs and miles to get your real cost per mile, your break-even rate and the rate you need to hit your profit goal. Works for owner-operators and small fleets.
01 · MILES PER MONTH
02 · FIXED COSTS PER MONTH
03 · VARIABLE COSTS
04 · RATE GOALS
How to calculate your trucking cost per mile
Your cost per mile is everything it costs to run your truck for a period, divided by every mile you drove in that period — loaded and empty.
Cost per mile = Total monthly costs ÷ Total monthly miles
Costs fall into two buckets:
- Fixed costs you pay whether the wheels turn or not: truck and trailer payments, insurance, plates and permits, ELD and software. The more miles you run, the less each mile carries.
- Variable costs that rise with every mile: fuel, maintenance and tires, tolls, and driver pay.
Cost per mile vs. break-even rate vs. target rate
| Number | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Cost per mile | What every mile costs you, loaded or empty. |
| Break-even rate | The minimum you must get paid per loaded mile to cover all costs — including your deadhead and factoring fee. Below this, you lose money. |
| Target rate | The rate per loaded mile that covers costs and hits your profit goal. This is the number to negotiate toward. |
The break-even rate is always higher than your cost per mile, because brokers only pay you for loaded miles — but you pay for every mile.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good cost per mile for an owner-operator?
There's no single right number — it depends on your equipment payment, insurance, fuel prices and how many miles you run. What matters is knowing your number and never booking below your break-even rate. Running more miles lowers your cost per mile because fixed costs get spread out.
Should I include deadhead miles?
Yes. Enter your total miles, then your deadhead percentage. The calculator spreads your costs over loaded miles to find your break-even rate, so empty miles are priced in.
Should I include my own pay?
Yes. If you drive your own truck, enter what you want to pay yourself per mile. Otherwise your “profit” is really just your wages, and you'll underprice your loads.
How often should I recalculate?
At least monthly, and any time fuel prices, your insurance or your equipment payment changes. The calculator saves your numbers in your browser, so you can come back and update them.
How do I track these costs automatically?
Set up your books with a trucking chart of accounts so every expense lands in the right category — then your real cost per mile is always one report away. Keep What You Haul shows you exactly how, with click-by-click QuickBooks setup.
More free help: truck driver tax deductions list · per diem for truck drivers · Form 2290 explained
Default values are planning examples, not quotes — your costs depend on your equipment, lanes and insurance. Diesel default based on the EIA national average (fall 2026). This tool is for educational purposes only and is not financial or tax advice.