A trucking cost per mile calculator adds up your monthly fuel and fixed costs and divides them by the miles you drive, so you know the minimum rate a load must pay. At 10,000 miles a month, 6.5 mpg and $3.80 diesel, with $4,600 of fixed costs, the truck costs $1.04 per mile before driver pay.
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How to use the trucking cost per mile calculator
- Enter total miles per month, loaded and empty.
- Enter average miles per gallon and the diesel price.
- Enter your monthly truck payment, insurance, maintenance and other fixed costs.
- Enter average revenue per mile to see the margin.
What formula does the trucking cost per mile calculator use?
- Fuel cost per month = miles ÷ miles per gallon × diesel price
- Fixed costs per month = truck payment + insurance + maintenance and tires + other fixed costs
- Cost per mile = (fuel + fixed costs) ÷ miles per month
- Margin per mile = revenue per mile − cost per mile
Trucking cost per mile calculator worked example
10,000 miles a month at 6.5 mpg with diesel at $3.80, a $2,200 truck payment, $1,200 insurance, $800 maintenance and tires and $400 of other fixed costs:
| Miles/month | MPG | Diesel | Fuel | Total cost | Cost per mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | 6.5 | $3.80 | $5,846 | $10,446 | $1.04 |
| 8,000 | 6.5 | $3.80 | $4,677 | $9,277 | $1.16 |
| 12,000 | 6.5 | $3.80 | $7,015 | $11,615 | $0.97 |
| 10,000 | 7.5 | $3.80 | $5,067 | $9,667 | $0.97 |
| 10,000 | 6.5 | $4.30 | $6,615 | $11,215 | $1.12 |
Fuel comes to $5,846 and fixed costs to $4,600, a total of $10,446, or $1.04 per mile. At $2.50 a loaded mile, that leaves $1.46 a mile before the driver is paid.
The cost this tool leaves out: the driver
The trucking cost per mile calculator does not include driver wages or an owner-operator’s own pay. That is the largest single cost for most carriers. In ATRI’s 2025 report on 2024 costs, the average marginal cost of operating a truck was $2.260 per mile, of which driver wages were 79.8 cents and fuel 48.1 cents. Add your pay per mile, plus payroll taxes and benefits if you have drivers, to the result before setting rates.
Empty miles and revenue per mile
Enter all miles driven, loaded and empty, so the cost per mile reflects the real cost of running the truck. Then compare it with revenue spread over the same miles. A load paying $2.50 per loaded mile with 15% deadhead earns about $2.13 per total mile, because 15% of the miles earn nothing. Many owner-operators lose money on loads that look profitable because empty miles were not counted.
Ways to lower cost per mile
- Fuel: lower cruising speed, reduce idling and keep tires at the right pressure. A gain from 6.5 to 7.5 mpg cuts fuel cost by about 13%.
- Utilization: fixed costs are the same whether the truck runs 8,000 or 12,000 miles, so more productive miles lower the cost per mile.
- Maintenance: preventive maintenance costs less than breakdowns and lost days.
- Fuel prices: diesel prices vary by region; the U.S. Energy Information Administration publishes weekly averages.
Estimates for planning only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Check carrier, card network, lender and state rules before relying on a figure.
Using cost per mile to set rates
Your cost per mile is the floor for any rate you accept. Add your driver pay per mile and a profit margin to the trucking cost per mile calculator result to get a target rate, then compare each load against it after counting the empty miles to the pickup. Loads below the target can still make sense if they reposition the truck toward a better lane, but they should be a choice, not an accident.
Recalculate whenever a big input changes: a new truck payment, an insurance renewal or a jump in diesel prices. Running the trucking cost per mile calculator each month with your real figures, rather than estimates, also shows which costs are growing fastest. Keep fuel receipts and maintenance invoices organised by month so the inputs are easy to update.
Fixed costs that are billed yearly, such as permits, registration or an annual insurance premium, should be divided by 12 and entered as a monthly figure. Leaving them out makes the trucking cost per mile calculator result look better than reality.
Related converters and calculators
Related calculators:
- Fuel cost calculator: fuel
- Freight class calculator: LTL
- Break even calculator: break-even
- Profit margin calculator: margins
Sources
ATRI: Operational Costs of Trucking, 2025 update; U.S. EIA: Gasoline and diesel fuel update.
Questions about this calculator
How do I calculate cost per mile?
Add monthly fuel and fixed costs and divide by monthly miles.
Does it include driver pay?
No. Add your pay or driver wages per mile to the result.
What is the average cost per mile?
ATRI reported $2.260 per mile for 2024, including driver wages.
Should I include empty miles?
Yes. Enter all miles so the cost per mile is realistic.
How does mpg affect cost?
Going from 6.5 to 7.5 mpg cuts fuel cost by about 13%.
Check the assumptions and units before relying on a result. Financial, tax and health estimates do not replace advice for your individual circumstances.
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