Dry Van Cost Per Mile

What does a dry van cost per mile in 2026?

Start with the planning range, then replace it with your own result. Fuel sets the floor. Fixed costs set the spread. Your miles per month decide where you land inside the range.

That $2.22 sits inside the benchmark range of $2.10 to $2.80. ATRI put the 2025 industry average at $2.34, which covers fleets of all sizes. Solo operators run a wider band because one slow month moves the fixed slice a lot. Run your own payment, insurance, and miles through the cost per mile calculator instead of borrowing this example.

How is dry van cost per mile calculated?

Read that table bottom-up: $2.22 all-in is $1.61 of truck plus $0.61 of you. The truck's $1.61 is $0.95 of fuel ($6.20 ÷ 6.5 MPG), $0.42 of fixed cost ($4,200 ÷ 10,000 miles), and $0.24 of maintenance, tires, and tolls. Two forces move it from there. Fewer miles punish first: at 8,000 miles the fixed slice alone costs $0.53 and all-in climbs to $2.33, while 12,000 miles drops it to $0.35 and $2.15. Then fuel economy: 6.0 MPG burns $1.03 a mile, 7.0 burns $0.89 — half a point is worth about $0.08 per mile, or $800 a month at 10,000 miles. Your payment, your insurance, your miles: run those through the cost per mile calculator instead of borrowing this truck.

What rate per loaded mile does a dry van need?

Brokers quote loaded miles. Your cost covers all miles. Close that gap before you accept anything. At 12 percent deadhead, divide all-miles cost by 0.88: $2.22 ÷ 0.88 = $2.52 per loaded mile just to break even. At 15 percent deadhead it is $2.22 ÷ 0.85 = $2.61. Then add margin. A 15 percent margin on $2.52 means asking $2.90. Test every offer in the load profit calculator with deadhead included, check the loaded vs all-miles math, and add the fuel surcharge as its own line when diesel moves. Compare equipment in reefer vs dry van and flatbed cost per mile before you switch trailers.

How do I lower dry van cost per mile?

Four moves cover most of it. First, protect monthly miles. Fixed costs do not care if you ran 8,000 or 11,000 miles, so every extra paid mile dilutes them. Second, hold deadhead under 12 percent by booking the reload before you deliver. Third, track MPG by tank and fix what drops it: speed, idle time, tire pressure, and neglected filters show up within two fill-ups. Fourth, stop donating accessorials. Detention at $50 an hour after two free hours and $50 to $75 per extra stop belong on the rate con, per the detention guide. None of these need new equipment. They need consistent logs and a walk-away number you actually keep.

By Srikanth M. · Last reviewed October 13, 2026. Planning estimates only, not tax or financial advice. Diesel: EIA weekly prices. Method: sources and methodology. Diesel moves weekly, so re-run your numbers when it does.