Trucking Cost Per Mile Calculator
Your cost per mile is every dollar it takes to run the truck for a month divided by the miles you drove. Know it to the penny and you know which loads make money.
Next: turn this into the rate you need — break-even rate per loaded mile.
How cost per mile is calculated
Fixed costs — truck and trailer payments, insurance, plates and permits, software and phone — don't change with miles, so they cost less per mile the more you run. Variable costs — fuel, maintenance, tires, tolls and driver pay — scale with every mile.
Cost per mile = (monthly fixed costs ÷ miles) + fuel per mile + maintenance, tires and other variable costs per mile. Fuel per mile is simply your diesel price divided by your miles per gallon.
Recalculate when fuel moves or your insurance renews. A 20¢ change in diesel at 6.5 mpg moves your cost about 3¢ a mile — roughly $300 a month at 10,000 miles.
Questions truckers ask
What is a good cost per mile for an owner-operator?
There's no universal number. Industry studies such as ATRI's annual Operational Costs of Trucking put fleet costs above $2 a mile once driver wages are included; an owner-operator who doesn't count their own pay usually lands well below that. A paid-off truck and a brand-new lease can differ by 50¢ a mile — the only number that matters is yours.
Should I count empty (deadhead) miles?
Yes. Cost per mile uses every mile you drive, loaded or empty, because the truck burns fuel and wears either way. Deadhead is handled when you set your rate: the break-even calculator divides your cost across loaded miles only.
Where do Form 2290, UCR and IRP go?
They're fixed costs. Add up a year of HVUT (up to $550 per truck), UCR, IRP apportioned plates, IFTA decals and permits, divide by 12, and enter it as plates, permits & taxes.
Should I include my own pay?
If you drive your own truck, leave driver pay at zero and treat what's left over as your profit — then check it with the owner-operator profit calculator. If you pay a driver by the mile, enter that rate.
Estimates for planning only — not tax, legal or financial advice.