How to use the load profit calculator (owner-operator)
- Choose whether the load pays a flat amount or a rate per loaded mile, and enter that amount.
- Enter the loaded miles and the empty (deadhead) miles needed to reach the pickup or return home.
- Enter your fuel price, miles per gallon, other cost per mile, tolls, any broker fee, the days the trip takes and your fixed cost per day.
- Read the profit, the profit per loaded and total mile, the profit per day and the rate per loaded mile you would need to break even.
Formula
Total miles = loaded miles + empty miles
Fuel = total miles / miles per gallon x fuel price
Costs = fee + fuel + other cost per mile x total miles + trip costs + daily fixed cost x days
Profit = load pay - costs
Break-even rate per loaded mile = (costs - fee) / (loaded miles x (1 - fee %))
Everything is before income tax. The fee is a percent of the load pay and comes out first.
An 800 mile load paying $2,400
The load is 800 loaded miles and 120 empty miles, 920 in all. Fuel at $3.90 a gallon and 6.5 miles per gallon is $552.00. A 5% broker fee is $120.00, other costs at $0.25 a mile are $230.00, tolls are $85 and two days of fixed cost at $120 are $240.
Costs add up to $1,227.00, so the profit is $2,400 - $1,227 = $1,173.00. That is $1.47 per loaded mile, $1.28 per total mile and $586.50 per day. The load pays $3.00 per loaded mile, and breaking even would need about $1.46.
Count the empty miles
A load that pays a good rate per loaded mile can still lose money if you drive far to get to it or have no freight to bring back. Per total mile figures include those empty miles, and they are the better number to compare between loads.
The break-even rate shows how low the pay can go before the load costs you money, given your own costs. It is a floor for negotiating, not a target.
Fixed costs by the day
Truck payment, insurance, permits and similar costs continue whether the wheels turn or not. To use them here, add up a year of those costs and divide by the days you run. The figure is an estimate that you should review as your year unfolds.
For gig work with a car, try the gig driver profit calculator. To check what fuel alone costs for a trip, use the fuel cost calculator, and the mileage reimbursement calculator covers business mileage rates.
Assumptions and limits
- All costs are numbers you enter. The example fuel price, mpg, cost per mile, fee and daily cost are only examples.
- Fuel taxes, income tax, detention, lumper fees, driver pay and depreciation are not modeled unless you include them in your own costs.
- The trip is a single load. Returning loads and layovers are not modeled.
- Profit is before income tax and is not take-home pay.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate profit on a load?
Subtract all costs from the load pay: fuel, any broker fee, maintenance per mile, tolls and a share of your fixed costs. The result is the profit on that load before tax.
Should I include deadhead miles?
Yes. Empty miles burn fuel and wear the truck, so they belong in the cost. That is why the tool shows profit per total mile in addition to profit per loaded mile.
What is a good rate per mile?
There is no single answer. It depends on your costs. Use the break-even rate on this page as a floor, then decide how much profit per day or per mile you want above it.
How do I estimate my fixed cost per day?
Add up a year of truck payments, insurance, permits and other fixed costs, then divide by the number of days you expect to run. Enter that figure as the daily fixed cost.