Skip to content
Haul Math

Before you take the load

Load Profit Calculator

Put in the rate, the miles, and your cost per mile. See what the load leaves you after deadhead, and compare up to four loads side by side.

Your numbers

All-in, including your own pay. Don't know it? Use the cost per mile calculator.

On top of your cost per mile. Loads at or above this are GO. Loads that cover cost but miss it are MARGINAL.

Load 1
How does it pay?

Linehaul, without fuel surcharge or extras.

To the shipper from where you are now.

Fuel surcharge

0 if the rate is all-in.

Detention, stop-off, layover, lumper reimbursement.

Only if tolls aren't already in your cost per mile.

Door to door, including deadhead, loading, and waiting. Gives you profit per hour.

Your result

Fill in the load and your cost per mile, then tap "Check this load". The example numbers are already filled in.

How this calculator works

Profit = (linehaul + fuel surcharge + extra pay) − (total miles × cost per mile + tolls + lumper).

Total miles means loaded miles plus deadhead. Brokers pay on loaded miles, but your truck burns fuel and wears tires on every mile. That's why this calculator charges your cost per mile against all of them.

If the rate is per mile, the calculator pays it on loaded miles only. A per-mile fuel surcharge works the same way. Extra pay (accessorials) is anything on the rate con beyond linehaul and fuel, like detention, a stop-off charge, layover, or lumper reimbursement.

GO, MARGINAL, or NO-GO

You set a target profit per total mile, on top of your costs. Then each load gets one of three calls:

  • GO: profit per total mile is at or above your target.
  • MARGINAL: the load covers every cost (profit is $0 or more) but falls short of your target. It might still make sense if it gets you to a better market or fills a gap.
  • NO-GO: the load pays less than it costs you to run it.

Example

A load pays $2,150 flat for 780 loaded miles, and you're 60 miles from the shipper. That's 840 total miles. At a cost per mile of $1.85, running the trip costs $1,554.00. Add $24 in tolls and the total cost is $1,578.00. Profit is $572.00, or $0.681 per total mile. Against a $0.50 target, that's a GO. If the trip takes 16 hours door to door, it pays $35.75 an hour after costs.

Comparing loads

Add up to four loads to see them side by side. The best one by profit per total mile is marked, but also look at profit per hour. A short load with a long wait at the dock can pay less per hour than a longer run.

Only use the cost per mile you know. If you haven't worked it out, do that first with the cost per mile calculator. To find the lowest rate you can accept before you call the broker, use the break-even rate calculator.