Break-Even Rate Calculator — Minimum Loaded $/Mile
Fixed + fuel + variable + wage, spread over paid miles. The floor no quote may go under.
BREAK-EVEN PER LOADED MILE
$—
All-miles cost—
With margin—
Gross needed / month—
Worked example: $4,200 fixed, 10,000 mi, $0.95 fuel, $0.25 variable, $6,000 wage, 15% deadhead
All-in $2.22/mi, break-even $2.61/mi loaded, $2.90/mi with 10% margin — gross needed $24,666.67/mo.
Break-even questions
What is a break-even rate per mile?
The loaded $/mi that covers fixed, fuel, variable and wage after deadhead. The default rig breaks even at $2.61 per loaded mile — $2.90 to hold a 10% margin.
How does deadhead change break-even?
It divides the all-miles cost by paid share: $2.22 all-in ÷ (1 − 0.15) = $2.61. Every 5 points of deadhead adds roughly $0.13/mi here.
Break-even vs cost per mile — what is the difference?
Cost per mile is all-miles cost; break-even restates it per loaded mile so you can judge the broker's quote directly. Use both: CPM for the business, break-even for the load.