Step 1: Add up your fixed costs
Fixed costs are what you pay each month whether the truck moves or not: truck and trailer payments, insurance, permits, ELD and phone, parking, and the pay you need to take home. Add them for one month.
Step 2: Work out fuel per mile
Divide the price of a gallon of diesel by your average miles per gallon. At $3.80 a gallon and 6.5 miles per gallon, fuel costs about $0.58 a mile.
Step 3: Add maintenance and tires
Set aside a fixed amount per mile for maintenance, repairs and tires, based on your truck's age and your records. Owners who skip this step get hit with a big repair bill and no cash to cover it.
Step 4: Put it together
| Item | Example | Per mile |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed costs | $8,100 a month ÷ 10,000 miles | $0.81 |
| Fuel | $3.80 ÷ 6.5 mpg | $0.58 |
| Maintenance and tires | Set aside per mile | $0.18 |
| Break-even | $1.57 |
These are example numbers. Plug in your own with our free cost per mile calculator.
Use it on every load
When a broker offers a load, divide the rate by all the miles it takes, including the empty miles to get to pickup. If the result is below your break-even, the load loses money unless it sets up a much better next load.
A good dispatcher does this math for you on every load, and plans backhauls so your average rate stays above your cost. See how dispatch fees fit into the math.