Rate Per Mile Calculator – Loaded vs All Miles
The broker quotes loaded RPM. Your business runs on all-miles RPM. Enter the offer, see both — plus what you needed to quote for your margin.
How it calculates
Rate per mile FAQ
What is rate per mile?
Gross pay divided by miles. Loaded RPM flatters; all-miles RPM (loaded + deadhead) tells the truth. Always decide on all miles.
What is a good rate per mile in 2026?
Anything 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. Your CPM decides what is good for you.
How do I compute the rate I need?
(All miles × your CPM) ÷ loaded miles = break-even loaded RPM. Divide by (1 − target margin) for the quote. The calculator shows both.
Why does deadhead change the rate?
Empty miles cost fuel and hours for $0. 15% deadhead needs ~18% more per loaded mile to hold the same margin.
Why do two rates matter?
A $2,700 load over 850 miles quotes $3.18 per loaded mile — then 120 deadhead miles drag it to $2.78 across all miles. That $0.40 gap decides the load: against a $2.22 break-even it leaves 20% margin (negotiate up), not the 29% the loaded number implies. At a 25% target margin you needed $2,871 gross — $3.38 per loaded mile. That is your counter-offer, computed before the broker finishes the sentence.
Judge in all miles, quote in loaded miles
Brokers negotiate loaded RPM because it always looks bigger. Flip it: run every offer through the all-miles figure, then translate your required gross back into a loaded-mile quote. Pair it with the fuel surcharge as its own line so fuel inflation never eats the margin you just negotiated. Full cost workup lives in the load profit calculator; your break-even comes from the cost per mile calculator.
Worked example: the $2,700 test load
Gross $2,700, 850 loaded + 120 deadhead = 970 total miles, your CPM $2.22, target margin 25%:
| Metric | Math | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Loaded RPM | $2,700 ÷ 850 | $3.18/mi |
| All-miles RPM | $2,700 ÷ 970 | $2.78/mi |
| Total cost | 970 × $2.22 | $2,153 |
| Net / margin | $2,700 − $2,153 | $547 · 20.2% |
| Gross for 25% margin | $2,153 ÷ 0.75 | $2,871 |
| Loaded quote for 25% | $2,871 ÷ 850 | $3.38/mi |
Verdict: NEGOTIATE. The loaded $3.18 looks profitable; the all-miles $2.78 with 20% margin says counter at $3.38 loaded. That is about $0.20 more per loaded mile, $171 on this load — a tire payment.
Three mistakes that kill margin
1) Judging on loaded RPM only — 15% deadhead needs ~18% more per loaded mile to hold margin. 2) Forgetting your wage inside CPM — run the cost per mile calculator with driver pay included, or your margin is unpaid labor. 3) Hiding fuel in linehaul — add the fuel surcharge separately so the next diesel spike does not erase the rate you just won. Re-run any counter in the load profit calculator before you say yes.
Loaded RPM is not the same as revenue quality
Two loads can show the same loaded rate and produce very different weeks. A 500-mile load at $3.20 with 20 deadhead miles has 520 operating miles. A second 500-mile load at the same rate with 180 deadhead miles has 680 operating miles. The first pays $3.08 across all miles; the second pays only $2.35. If your all-in CPM is $2.22, the first leaves roughly $446 before load-specific fees while the second leaves roughly $90. The broker quote did not change; the unpaid positioning did.
That is why deadhead belongs in the first screen of your workflow, not in a month-end surprise. Ask where the truck starts, where it must be empty, whether the reload is realistic, and whether the miles shown are practical miles or a shorter map estimate. Add tolls, parking, permits, and expected detention when the lane makes them likely. A rate that survives the calculator but depends on an impossible reload is not a profitable rate.
How to set a walk-away number
Start with the number from this calculator, then separate three thresholds: break-even, target margin, and preferred margin. Break-even pays the truck's costs. Target margin pays the business for risk and downtime. Preferred margin gives you room for a repair, a late appointment, or a weak reload. For example, with $2.22 CPM, 10% deadhead, and a 20% target margin, the required loaded rate is calculated from all miles first, then grossed up for the margin. Do not use a market average as your floor; use it only as context after your own floor is known.
Write the floor down before calling a broker. If the offer is below it, counter with one number and one reason: “I can cover this at $X loaded, including the empty miles to pickup.” If the broker cannot meet it, compare the opportunity cost of waiting with the loss from hauling below cost. The deadhead and rate negotiation guide has counter examples; the load profit calculator handles factoring, dispatch, tolls, and lumpers that RPM alone cannot see.
When to use loaded RPM and when to use all-miles RPM
Use loaded RPM to communicate a quote because freight contracts commonly price the paid miles that way. Use all-miles RPM to compare loads, lanes, reloads, and weekly performance. For monthly reporting, divide total revenue by every dispatched mile, then compare it with the CPM produced from the same mileage period. Mixing loaded revenue with total miles, or total revenue with loaded miles, creates a number that looks precise but cannot guide a booking decision.
If the load includes detention, layover, stop pay, or a fuel surcharge, keep those amounts visible. A surcharge offsets fuel inflation; it should not hide a weak linehaul rate. Accessorials compensate for time or extra work, but they may arrive later than the linehaul. Record the expected amount separately and test the load both with and without it so you know the downside if payment is disputed.
By Srikanth M. · Independent, no login, formulas shown. Last reviewed October 2026. Estimates only — verify rates before booking. Methodology: sources and formulas. Background: what cost per mile means · about.