{
  "slug": "load-board-rate-vs-breakeven",
  "title": "Load Board Rate vs Breakeven Calculator",
  "heading": "Load Board Rate vs Breakeven Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/load-board-rate-vs-breakeven",
  "summary": "Instantly check if a posted rate covers your real cost.",
  "description": "Load boards show a rate per mile or a flat rate for the load, but that number means nothing without comparing it to your true cost of running that specific trip, including deadhead to reach the pickup. This calculator takes the posted rate, total miles (loaded plus deadhead to origin), and your known cost per mile, and tells you the margin — positive or negative — before you accept. It's meant to be used in the two minutes between seeing a load posted and deciding whether to book it, replacing gut-feel with an actual number.",
  "formula": "Margin = (rate × loaded miles) − (cost/mi × total miles); margin per loaded mile = margin ÷ loaded miles.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=load-board-rate-vs-breakeven",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "postedRate",
      "label": "Posted rate per loaded mile",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 2.1,
      "unit": "$/mi",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "loadedMiles",
      "label": "Loaded miles for this load",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 480,
      "unit": "mi",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "deadheadToOrigin",
      "label": "Deadhead miles to reach pickup",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 45,
      "unit": "mi",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "costCpm",
      "label": "Your cost per mile",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1.55,
      "unit": "$/mi",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "margin",
      "label": "Load profit margin",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "marginPerLoadedMile",
      "label": "Margin per loaded mile",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "effRatePerTotalMile",
      "label": "Effective rate per total mile",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "revenue",
      "label": "Total revenue",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "cost",
      "label": "Total cost of trip",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Posted rate per loaded mile: 2.1 $/mi",
      "Loaded miles for this load: 480 mi",
      "Deadhead miles to reach pickup: 45 mi",
      "Your cost per mile: 1.55 $/mi"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Load profit margin: $194",
      "Margin per loaded mile: $0.405",
      "Effective rate per total mile: $1.92",
      "Total revenue: $1,008",
      "Total cost of trip: $814"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter posted rate per loaded mile ($/mi).",
      "Enter loaded miles for this load (mi).",
      "Enter deadhead miles to reach pickup (mi).",
      "Enter your cost per mile ($/mi).",
      "Read your load profit margin on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "postedRate": 1.26,
        "loadedMiles": 290,
        "deadheadToOrigin": 25,
        "costCpm": 0.9299999999999999
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "postedRate": 2.1,
        "loadedMiles": 480,
        "deadheadToOrigin": 45,
        "costCpm": 1.55
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "postedRate": 3.3600000000000003,
        "loadedMiles": 770,
        "deadheadToOrigin": 70,
        "costCpm": 2.4800000000000004
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "What margin per mile should I be looking for?",
      "a": "There's no universal target, but many owner-operators aim for at least $0.15-0.30 profit per total mile above their all-in cost to build a maintenance reserve and take home real pay. Anything near zero or negative should only be taken to reposition for a much better load ahead."
    },
    {
      "q": "Should I count deadhead to the pickup as part of the trip?",
      "a": "Yes — fuel and time spent driving empty to reach a load are real costs of taking that load, even though they're not reflected in the posted rate per mile. Ignoring them is the most common way drivers accept loads that actually lose money."
    },
    {
      "q": "What if this load leads to a great backhaul?",
      "a": "That's a legitimate reason to accept a break-even or slightly negative load — factor the expected backhaul into a combined round-trip calculation instead, similar to the deadhead-impact calculator, rather than judging the outbound leg alone."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does this account for detention risk?",
      "a": "No, this assumes on-time loading and unloading. If the shipper or receiver has a reputation for long dwell times, budget extra hours of opportunity cost against the margin shown here, or negotiate detention terms before accepting."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/deadhead-percentage-impact",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/owner-operator-cost-per-mile",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/detention-pay-recovery"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Load Board Rate vs Breakeven Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/load-board-rate-vs-breakeven)"
}