Nothing you type here is sent anywhere — this runs entirely in your browser. It's an estimate, not accounting: it excludes tolls, lumpers you aren't reimbursed for, and any owner draw beyond the figure you entered.
How to calculate your cost per mile
Four steps. Most drivers get the third one wrong, and it is the one that costs the most money.
Cost per mile questions
How do you calculate cost per mile for a truck?
Add your total fixed costs for the month (truck payment, insurance, permits, plates, ELD, parking, admin) to your total variable costs (fuel, maintenance reserve, and tires multiplied by miles run), then divide by the miles you drove. To get the number that actually matters, divide by loaded miles instead of total miles — deadhead miles cost the same and earn nothing.
What is a good cost per mile for an owner-operator?
Most single-truck owner-operators land somewhere around $1.70 to $2.20 per total mile once fixed costs, fuel, maintenance, and tires are all counted honestly. The figure varies enormously with truck payment, insurance, and fuel economy, which is why a generic benchmark is close to useless — the only number worth knowing is your own.
Should I include my own pay in cost per mile?
Include it as a separate line, not inside the cost figure. Your break-even tells you the rate at which you lose nothing; your target rate tells you the rate at which you earn what you need. Confusing the two is how carriers run a full year at break-even and wonder where the money went.
How does a dispatch fee change the rate I need?
A dispatch fee comes out of linehaul, so the rate has to gross up to cover it. If you need $2.30 per loaded mile and pay a 7% dispatch fee, you need to book at $2.30 divided by 0.93, which is about $2.47 per loaded mile. The fee is only worth paying if the dispatcher books above that number more consistently than you would on your own.
Got your number? Bring it to a free rate review and we will tell you what your lanes should be paying. Or read how dispatch fees work first.