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Truck rate per mile calculator

Enter a load's rate and miles to see what it really pays per mile once deadhead is counted, and what is left after fuel, driver pay and tolls. It is the same math LoadBit runs on every posting, inside your load board.

The load
$
mi
mi

Empty miles from the truck to the pickup.

Trip costs
$/ gal
mpg
$/ mi

Paid on every mile. Set 0 if you drive the truck yourself.

$

All-in rate per mile

$2.65

Posted $2.79 per loaded mile

Deadhead share5% of miles
Total miles
827 mi
Fuel
$483
Driver pay
$496
Tolls
$0
Trip cost
$980
Break-even on trip costs
$1.18 / mi

Left after trip costs

$1,210

$1.46 / mi across all miles

Before insurance, truck and trailer payments, maintenance and other fixed costs. Subtract those to see true profit.

How to calculate rate per mile

Rate per mile (RPM) is the load's linehaul rate divided by miles. The only question is which miles.

Posted RPM = rate ÷ loaded miles

All-in RPM = rate ÷ (loaded miles + deadhead miles)

A load board shows posted RPM because the loaded miles are all it knows. Your truck also drives the empty miles to the pickup, and burns fuel on them. All-in RPM is what the load pays for every mile the truck actually turns.

A worked example

A Dallas to Atlanta van load pays $2,190 for 785 loaded miles. Posted, that is $2.79 a mile. The truck sits 42 miles from the pickup, so it drives 827 miles in total and the load really pays $2.65 a mile. Put the same truck 245 miles away and the identical load drops to $2.13.

What counts as a good rate per mile?

There is no single number. Rates move with the season, the lane and the equipment, and a rate that works for one truck loses money for another. The useful test is your own: a load is worth booking when its all-in RPM covers your cost per mile plus the margin you need.

To find your cost per mile, add up a typical month of fuel, driver pay, insurance, truck and trailer payments, maintenance and permits, then divide by the miles the truck drove that month. Keep that number next to the board, or let LoadBit carry it for you.

Why deadhead matters more than it looks

Deadhead miles cost the same fuel and time as loaded ones and pay nothing. On a 400-mile haul, 100 empty miles take a fifth off the real rate. Checking all-in RPM before you bid is the quickest way to stop a good-looking rate from turning into a bad week.

Questions

Rate per mile, answered.

How do you calculate rate per mile for a truckload?

Divide the linehaul rate by the miles. Posted RPM uses loaded miles only. All-in RPM divides the same rate by loaded plus deadhead miles, which is what the load pays for every mile the truck drives.

Should I include deadhead in rate per mile?

Yes, if you want to know what a load is really worth. Deadhead miles cost the same fuel and time as loaded miles and pay nothing, so leaving them out makes every load look better than it is.

Is rate per mile the same as profit per mile?

No. Rate per mile is revenue. Profit per mile is what remains after fuel, driver pay, tolls and your fixed costs such as insurance, truck payments and maintenance.

Does LoadBit calculate this automatically?

Yes. LoadBit shows posted and all-in RPM beside every rate in DAT One and Truckstop, and on the loads it reads in Sylectus, Loadlink, Super Dispatch and TruckSmarter. Fuel, tolls and driver pay go into a profit estimate built from your own costs. See the plans.