Cost-Per-Mile and Break-Even Calculator for Owner-Operators

Work out what each mile really costs you, the lowest rate per loaded mile that covers your costs and your own pay, and whether a specific load is worth taking. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.

The numbers already filled in are made-up examples, not industry averages. Replace every one with your own figures from your bank statements, fuel receipts and insurance bill. A good habit: use last quarter's totals divided by 3.

1. Miles Total miles per month (loaded + empty) Deadhead (empty) miles, % of total

2. Fixed costs per month

Truck payment or lease Trailer payment or lease Insurance (all policies, monthly) Permits, plates, IRP/IFTA, UCR (monthly share) ELD, phone, load boards, software Other fixed costs (parking, accounting, etc.)

3. Per-mile costs

Diesel price ($ per gallon) Miles per gallon Maintenance and repairs ($ per mile) Tires ($ per mile) Tolls, scales, other ($ per mile)

4. Your pay and percentage fees

What you want to pay yourself per month Factoring cost (% of revenue)Use the effective rate from the factoring cost calculator. Dispatch fee (% of revenue)

Your cost per mile and break-even

5. Check a load (optional) Load rate, all-in ($) Loaded miles Deadhead miles to pick up Include my pay in the cost

How the math works

Fuel per mile = diesel price ÷ miles per gallon.
Operating cost per mile = (fixed costs per month + per-mile costs × total miles) ÷ total miles. This is before your own pay.
Break-even revenue per month = (operating costs + your pay) ÷ (1 − factoring % − dispatch %). Percentage fees come off the top of revenue, so they're divided out rather than added.
Break-even per loaded mile = break-even revenue ÷ loaded miles, where loaded miles = total miles × (1 − deadhead %). Brokers quote per loaded mile, so this is the number to compare offers against.
Checking a load charges the load its share of your costs: (loaded + deadhead miles) × your cost per mile. The "lowest rate that covers it" is that cost ÷ (1 − percentage fees).

This is a planning tool, not accounting or tax advice. It doesn't include income tax, self-employment tax, or saving for a replacement truck unless you add them as fixed costs.

Next steps

Find what factoring really costs you with the factoring cost calculator.
See what lands in your account on one invoice with the cash today estimator.
Shopping for a factor? Tell us what you need and we may follow up with options.