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    Carrier Tool

    Carrier Cost Per Mile Calculator

    Plug in your numbers to see your true operating cost per mile — and the rate you need to book to turn a profit.

    What this tool tells you (and why it matters)

    Every single mile your truck rolls costs you money — fuel, the truck payment, insurance, tires, all of it. Most owners have no idea what that real number is, so they take loads that feel okay and quietly lose money. This finds your true cost for one mile. Once you know it, you know the lowest rate you can ever say yes to. Anything below it and you're paying to haul someone else's freight.

    Just 5 numbers

    Answer these and we'll show what it really costs you to run a mile. Don't know one? Our starting numbers are solid industry averages — leave them be.

    miles / mo

    Count loaded AND empty miles — the truck burns fuel either way. A busy truck runs about 10,000 a month.

    $/ mo

    What you send the bank every month for the truck and trailer. Own it free & clear? Type 0.

    $/ mo

    Your total monthly truck insurance bill (liability, cargo, physical damage — all of it added up).

    MPG

    Most loaded big rigs get 6 to 7. Not sure? Leave 6.5.

    $/ gal

    Live U.S. average diesel, as of Jun 22, 2026.

    What it really costs you

    Fuel$7,434/mo
    Repairs, tires & DEF$2,300/mo
    Tolls$300/mo
    Driver pay$0/mo
    Truck, insurance, permits & bills$4,445/mo
    What it costs to run, total$14,479/mo
    Your true cost per mile
    $1.45/mi
    $173,746 a year to keep this truck rolling
    What "$1.45 per mile" means: before you make one penny of profit, every mile that truck moves already costs you $1.45. A load that pays $1.45/mile exactly is a break-even — you covered your bills and made nothing.

    So here's the one number that matters: don't book a load under $1.81/mile. Below that, you're working for free — or paying to work.

    Here's the math, out loud: at $1.81/mile you take in $1.81 and spend $1.45 to run that mile — so you keep $0.36 profit per mile. That's 20¢ out of every dollar you charge (20% margin).

    And be clear on what that margin actually is: it's your profit — the money you keep after every bill is paid. Not a fee, not a cushion, not money set aside for costs. Those are already covered. This is yours.

    Hold that margin all year — here's your profit
    $42,601/yr
    $0.36 profit/mile × ~117,692 miles a year (51 weeks — one week off). That's about $3,620/mo in your pocket.

    Two more things worth knowing. First, that's margin, not markup: $0.36 is 20% of the $1.81 you charge, but a bigger 25% on top of your $1.45 cost — same dollars, carriers just quote the margin. Second, every load you book below $1.81/mile eats straight into that yearly number — that's what you're giving away when you take cheap freight.

    Planning estimate only — your real numbers will vary by lane, equipment, and credit.