Sources & Methodology
CostPerMile is built by Srikanth M., an independent developer. This page shows where the public facts come from, how the calculators treat them, and how to report a wrong number.
Source policy
Official government, industry-association, and primary data sources come first. We link to the source when a number can change, show a review date for time-sensitive data, and leave editable fields where a carrier's contract or state rules may differ. A benchmark is context, not a promise about your truck.
Calculator results are estimates for planning. They are not tax, legal, accounting, insurance, or financial advice. Confirm current rates and filing requirements with the relevant agency or a qualified professional before filing, buying, or booking freight.
Primary sources
| Source | Used for | Review practice |
|---|---|---|
| ATRI Operational Costs of Trucking | Industry operating-cost benchmarks and cost categories. | Recheck when ATRI publishes a new annual update. |
| U.S. EIA weekly fuel prices | National and regional diesel/gas price inputs and fuel-surcharge examples. | Live weekly data; cached values show the publication period. |
| DAT weekly dry van reports | Market context for spot-rate FAQ answers (national linehaul before fuel surcharge). | Weekly; cited with the reporting period (September–early October 2026). |
| OOIDA fuel-surcharge method | Baseline/current fuel price divided by contract MPG. | Contract-specific formulas remain editable. |
| IFTA, Inc. tax rate matrix | Quarterly diesel rates and state/province surcharge defaults. | Rate sets are versioned by quarter and remain editable. |
| FMCSA registration | MC/USDOT authority and carrier-registration guidance. | Verify fees and filing requirements before submitting. |
| FMCSA QCMobile API | Live carrier lookup fields, authority, safety, insurance, inspection, crash, and location data. | Retrieved per lookup; use SAFER for the complete official snapshot. |
| FMCSA Company Census File | Keyless fallback for DOT/docket identity, status, fleet, driver, safety-rating, and city/state location fields. | Official daily dataset; approximately 24 hours old and not real-time. |
| IRS Form 2290 | Heavy Vehicle Use Tax reference. | Verify the current filing year and taxable weight. |
| FMCSA Registered ELD List | ELD registration status and compliance checks. | Check the exact device/model before purchase. |
| IRS Notice 2025-54 / Pub 463 / IRC §274(n)(3) | Transportation per diem $80/day CONUS ($86 OCONUS), 75% partial days, 80% DOT deduction. | Annual Oct 1 notice; verify current year before filing. |
| FMCSA hours-of-service summary | 11-hr drive, 14-hr window, 60/70-hr cycle planning limits. | Planning check only — ELD is the legal record. |
How the calculations work
Cost per mile
Truck operating cost equals fixed monthly costs divided by miles, plus fuel price divided by MPG, maintenance, tires, tolls, equipment-specific costs, and allocated overhead. Owner pay is shown separately and then added for an all-in break-even. Deadhead converts the all-miles cost into the loaded-mile cost a paying load must cover.
Load profit and rate per mile
Load profit includes loaded and deadhead miles, fuel, the entered CPM, tolls, lumpers, factoring, dispatch, and accessorial revenue. Dispatch is applied to linehaul; factoring applies to revenue. Verdicts compare actual margin with the target margin selected by the user.
IFTA
Fleet MPG is total miles divided by total gallons unless the operator supplies a documented override. Taxable gallons equal jurisdiction miles divided by fleet MPG. Tax is the state balance multiplied by the published rate, with KY/VA surcharge gallons added as owed amounts. Rates are quarter-specific and editable.
Per diem, HOS, take-home pay
Per diem multiplies full days by the IRS transportation rate plus partial days at 75%, with OCONUS days at the higher rate; the deductible amount applies the DOT percentage (80% for HOS drivers). HOS subtracts used hours from 11/14/cycle limits. Take-home pay subtracts fuel, fixed costs, tolls, factoring and dispatch fees from gross, then taxes (net − per diem deduction) at the planning rate.
Updates and corrections
Dynamic prices, tax rates, government fees, and vendor prices can change after publication. The page or calculator identifies the applicable review date where practical. If you find a wrong rate, broken source, or calculation error, send the URL, input values, expected result, and source through the contact page. Corrections are reviewed against the primary source and dated when applied.
Last reviewed: October 13, 2026 · Maintainer: Srikanth M. · CostPerMile is independent and not affiliated with ATRI, EIA, DAT, OOIDA, FMCSA, IFTA, Inc., or the IRS.