Trucking cost per mile calculator
A trucking cost per mile calculator (CPM) shows what it really costs to run a truck for each mile or kilometre driven, and the lowest rate you can quote without losing money. Enter your monthly or yearly fixed costs, your running costs per mile, how many miles you drive and how many of them are empty, then a target margin. The result is your cost per mile, your break-even rate per loaded mile and the minimum rate to quote.
It works for owner-operators and small fleets in miles and gallons or kilometres and litres. All the numbers are yours; the sample values only show how the sums work. It runs in your browser and nothing is stored or sent.
How to use the Truck Operating Cost per Mile/Km
- Pick your currency and units, and whether fixed costs are per month or per year.
- Enter the distance driven in that period, loaded and empty together.
- Fill in the fixed costs: payment or depreciation, insurance, permits and fees, admin, anything else that does not change with miles.
- Fill in the running costs per mile: fuel price and fuel economy, maintenance, tyres, driver pay, tolls.
- Set the empty-mile percentage, your target margin and a trip length to see a quote.
Truck Operating Cost per Mile/Km features
Fixed plus variable
Fixed costs are spread across all miles driven; running costs are added per mile, so you see both parts.
Deadhead-aware
Empty miles earn nothing, so the break-even rate per loaded mile is higher than your raw cost per mile.
Margin on revenue
The minimum rate is set so the target margin is a share of what you invoice, not of cost.
Trip quote
Turns the rate per loaded mile into a price for a trip length you choose.
The formulas
Fixed cost per mile = total fixed costs for the period ÷ total miles driven in that period. Fuel per mile = fuel price ÷ fuel economy (for example $3.90 per gallon ÷ 6.5 mpg = $0.60). Variable cost per mile = fuel + maintenance + tyres + driver pay + tolls + other running costs. Cost per mile = fixed + variable.
Because empty miles cost the same but earn nothing, break-even per loaded mile = cost per mile ÷ (1 − empty share). With 12% empty miles, $1.763 becomes $2.004. The minimum rate = break-even ÷ (1 − target margin), so a 10% margin lifts it to $2.226.
| Step | Calculation | Sample result |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed per mile | 3,450 ÷ 9,000 | $0.383 |
| Variable per mile | 0.60 fuel + 0.78 other | $1.380 |
| Cost per mile | 0.383 + 1.380 | $1.763 |
| Per loaded mile (12% empty) | 1.763 ÷ 0.88 | $2.004 |
| Minimum rate (10% margin) | 2.004 ÷ 0.90 | $2.226 |
Using the result
Compare the minimum rate with what brokers and shippers offer on the lane. A load paying below your break-even loses money on every mile; one between break-even and the minimum rate covers costs but leaves less than your target. Fixed costs fall per mile as you drive more, so a quiet month raises CPM sharply, which is why utilisation matters as much as rate.
For a customer quote that adds tolls, loading and a fuel surcharge, use the road freight cost calculator; for a fuel surcharge tied to the diesel price index, use the fuel surcharge calculator.
Limits
- No averages are built in. Industry cost surveys differ by year, region and fleet size, so use your own books.
- Taxes, depreciation schedules, per-diem and the value of your own time are not modelled unless you add them as costs.
- Switching units changes labels only. If you change from miles to kilometres, re-enter fuel price, economy and per-distance costs in the new units.
Truck Operating Cost per Mile/Km FAQ
What is cost per mile in trucking?
Total operating cost divided by miles driven: fixed costs spread over all miles plus the running costs for each mile.
What should be included in trucking CPM?
Fixed: truck payment, insurance, permits, admin. Variable: fuel, maintenance, tyres, driver pay, tolls. Add anything else you pay regularly.
Why is the break-even higher per loaded mile?
Empty miles are paid by loaded ones. If 12% of miles are empty, each loaded mile has to carry 1 ÷ 0.88 of the cost.
What is a good profit margin?
It depends on your business and market. The tool uses the margin you enter as a share of revenue and makes no recommendation.
Can I use kilometres?
Yes. Choose kilometres and litres, then enter fuel economy in km per litre and costs per kilometre.
Does it include driver wages?
Only if you enter them. Use the driver pay per mile field for paid drivers, or a fixed cost if you pay a salary.