Cost Per Mile Calculator — Rex's Toolbox

Rex says

Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.

Try a scenario

Click to load — tweak from there.

Inputs

Annual miles

Truck + trailer payment (monthly)($)

Insurance (monthly)($)

Permits, IFTA, plates (annual)($)

Diesel price($/gal)

Fuel economy(mpg)

Maintenance + tires($/mi)

Driver pay($/mi)

Deadhead miles(%)

Target profit margin(%)

Result

Rate per loaded mile to hit margin

$2.466

Total cost per mile

$1.844

Cost per loaded mile (with deadhead)

$2.096

Fixed cost per mile

$0.462

Fuel cost per mile

$0.592

Total annual operating cost

$184,431

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How to use this

1Enter annual miles.
2Enter truck + trailer payment (monthly) ($).
3Enter insurance (monthly) ($).
4Enter permits, ifta, plates (annual) ($).
5Enter diesel price ($/gal).
6Enter fuel economy (mpg).
7Enter maintenance + tires ($/mi).
8Enter driver pay ($/mi).
9Enter deadhead miles (%).
10Enter target profit margin (%).
11Read your rate per loaded mile to hit margin on the right — it updates as you type.
12Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.

About this calculator

Cost per mile is fixed costs spread over the miles you actually run plus per-mile variable costs. Once you know it, any load board rate becomes a simple yes or no.

FormulaCPM = (annual fixed ÷ annual miles) + fuel/mpg + maintenance + tires + driver pay per mile.

Worked example

Using the values the calculator loads with:

Inputs

Annual miles: 100000
Truck + trailer payment (monthly): 2400 $
Insurance (monthly): 1100 $
Permits, IFTA, plates (annual): 4200 $
Diesel price: 3.85 $/gal
Fuel economy: 6.5 mpg
Maintenance + tires: 0.19 $/mi
Driver pay: 0.6 $/mi
Deadhead miles: 12 %
Target profit margin: 15 %

Results

Rate per loaded mile to hit margin: $2.466
Total cost per mile: $1.844
Cost per loaded mile (with deadhead): $2.096
Fixed cost per mile: $0.462
Fuel cost per mile: $0.592
Total annual operating cost: $184,431

What each field means

Inputs

Annual miles: The annual miles used in the calculation. Starts at 100000 so you have a working example on load.
Truck + trailer payment (monthly) ($): The truck + trailer payment (monthly) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 2400 $ so you have a working example on load.
Insurance (monthly) ($): The insurance (monthly) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1100 $ so you have a working example on load.
Permits, IFTA, plates (annual) ($): The permits, ifta, plates (annual) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 4200 $ so you have a working example on load.
Diesel price ($/gal): The diesel price used in the calculation, measured in $/gal. Starts at 3.85 $/gal so you have a working example on load.
Fuel economy (mpg): The fuel economy used in the calculation, measured in mpg. Starts at 6.5 mpg so you have a working example on load.
Maintenance + tires ($/mi): The maintenance + tires used in the calculation, measured in $/mi. Starts at 0.19 $/mi so you have a working example on load.
Driver pay ($/mi): The driver pay used in the calculation, measured in $/mi. Starts at 0.6 $/mi so you have a working example on load.
Deadhead miles (%): The deadhead miles used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 12 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–50 %.
Target profit margin (%): The target profit margin used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 15 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–60 %.

Results

Rate per loaded mile to hit margin: Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Total cost per mile: Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Cost per loaded mile (with deadhead): Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Fixed cost per mile: Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Fuel cost per mile: Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Total annual operating cost: Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.

FAQ

Why does deadhead raise cost per loaded mile?

Empty miles burn fuel and wear without revenue, so all costs must be recovered over the loaded portion only. At 12 percent deadhead your loaded rate needs to be about 14 percent higher.

Should driver pay be included for an owner-operator?

Yes — pay yourself as a line item. Leaving it out makes cheap loads look profitable and hides the fact that you're funding the truck with your own labor.

Accuracy and 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.

Cite this calculator

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APA

RevenueLab. (2026). Trucking Cost Per Mile Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/trucking-cost-per-mile

HTML

<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/trucking-cost-per-mile" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trucking Cost Per Mile Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>

Markdown

Source: [Trucking Cost Per Mile Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/trucking-cost-per-mile) (2026).