Truck Load Profit Calculator – Should You Take This Load?
Deadhead kills profit. This counts it. Tip: get your CPM from tool #1 first.
If NO-GO, open the fuel surcharge tool and add that per-mile amount to your counter-offer.
Factoring eating the margin? Price the factoring fee · Waiting on the dock? Price detention.
Log each booked load. This week and this month update as you add.
| Date | Lane | Gross | Net | $/mi |
|---|
Every scenario you saved, side by side. The richest net is highlighted.
| Scenario | Verdict | Net |
|---|
How it calculates
Worked example: the default $2,700 load
850 loaded + 120 deadhead miles, $2,700 gross, your all-in CPM $2.22, diesel $6.20 at 6.5 MPG, $35 tolls, 25% target margin:
| Step | Math | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Total miles | 850 + 120 | 970 mi |
| Fuel | 970 ÷ 6.5 × $6.20 | $925.23 |
| Non-fuel cost | 970 × ($2.22 CPM − $0.954 fuel/mi) | $1,228.17 |
| Total cost | fuel + non-fuel + $35 tolls | $2,188.40 |
| Net profit | $2,700 − $2,188.40 | $511.60 |
| Margin | $511.60 ÷ $2,700 | 18.9% |
| Break-even rate | $2,188.40 ÷ 850 loaded mi | $2.57/mi |
| Minimum at 25% margin | $2.57 ÷ (1 − 0.25) | $3.43/mi |
Verdict: NEGOTIATE. The load makes money ($0.53 per mile run) but misses the 25% target. Counter at $3.43 per loaded mile, about $2,918 gross.
Owner-operator's guide to judging any load
The broker quotes $2,700 for 850 miles. It sounds good until you drive 120 empty miles to pick it up, pay $35 in tolls, and burn $925 in fuel at $6.20 diesel. Suddenly the $3.18 per mile you thought you earned is $2.78 across all miles — and after your $2.22 break-even and the tolls, only $0.53 per mile is left. That gap between loaded-mile fantasy and all-miles reality is where bad weeks hide. This guide shows how to judge every load in 60 seconds.
Always divide by all miles
Rate per loaded mile is a sales number. Rate per all miles is a business number. Divide gross pay by loaded plus deadhead miles, every time. The calculator above does both: the all-in rate tells you what the load really pays, and the break-even rate tells you the minimum loaded-mile quote that covers your costs including the empty leg. If a load needs 15% deadhead, you need roughly 15% more per loaded mile just to stand still.
Start from your break-even, not the market average
ATRI put the 2025 national average at $2.34 per mile all-in, but your truck is not the average. Pull your own number from the cost per mile calculator — including your wage target — and paste it into the CPM field. The verdict then compares true cost against true revenue. A load that is profitable for a paid-off dry van at $2.10 can bankrupt a new reefer at $2.60.
Add the costs brokers forget
Tolls, lumper fees, and factoring percentages come straight off net. A 3% factoring fee on $2,700 is $81 — more than most toll bills. Enter them honestly. If the load is NO-GO, do not just reject it: open the fuel surcharge calculator, compute (current diesel minus baseline) divided by MPG, and counter with that amount added as a separate line. Shippers accept surcharges far more often than higher linehaul.
The 60-second workflow
1) Get your CPM from tool #1. 2) Enter loaded + deadhead miles and gross pay. 3) Read GO / NO-GO. 4) If NO-GO, add fuel surcharge and detention terms, then re-run. Never book below break-even just to stay moving — a parked truck costs fixed costs, a cheap load costs fixed costs plus fuel, tires, and your week.
By Srikanth M. · Independent, no login, formulas shown. Last reviewed October 2026. Estimates only — verify rates and fuel prices before booking. Methodology: all-miles costing per ATRI operational cost categories. Background: what cost per mile means · negotiation playbook · about.
Load profit FAQ
How do I know if a load is profitable?
Divide gross pay by all miles (loaded plus deadhead) and compare to your all-in cost per mile. If the all-miles rate clears your break-even plus profit target, take it. The calculator verdict automates this.
Should deadhead miles count?
Yes — empty miles burn fuel and hours for $0. Always judge on total miles. Quote in loaded miles, decide in all miles.
What is a good rate per mile in 2026?
Anything consistently above your break-even with margin. For context, DAT's national dry-van spot linehaul averaged $2.17–$2.25 per mile before fuel surcharge in September–early October 2026; a surcharge at $6.20 diesel (baseline $2.50, 6 MPG) adds roughly $0.62. Judge each load on your own CPM, not the average.
How does fuel surcharge affect profit?
It offsets fuel inflation above your baseline — (current minus baseline) ÷ MPG. Add it as a separate line, not hidden in linehaul, so it survives rate cuts.
Should I include factoring fees?
Yes. Enter your factoring % — 2–5% is typical — because it reduces gross before any cost is covered. Quick-pay discounts work the same way.
What about tolls and lumper?
Enter them per load. Toll-heavy Northeast lanes can add $0.05–$0.15/mi. Either the rate covers them or the broker adds them separately — never eat them silently.