Load profitability calculator
Enter the load's pay, miles, fuel and tolls. You get net profit, the true rate per mile across all miles, and what the load pays per hour of truck time.
Updated October 2026 · Free, no signup
Load profit
EXAMPLE- Net profit
- $610
- Gross
- $2,000
- Fuel
- -$640
- Other costs
- -$600
- Tolls
- -$50
- Fee 5%
- -$100
- True RPM (all miles)
- $2.00/mi
- Profit per mile
- $0.61/mi
- Profit per hour (24.0 hrs)
- $25.42/hr
Profit per hour is the honest test: a short load with a long wait can pay less per hour than a long, clean run, even at a higher rate per mile.
This load nets $610, about $25 an hour of truck time. Our dispatchers run this math on every offer before it reaches you, and you confirm or pass.
Send me loads worth takingHow it's calculated
| Number | Formula |
|---|---|
| Gross | Load rate + paid extras (stop pay, detention) |
| Fuel | (Loaded + deadhead miles) / MPG x diesel price |
| Other costs | All miles x your other costs per mile |
| Fee | Gross x fee % |
| Net profit | Gross - fuel - other costs - tolls - fee |
| True RPM | Gross / all miles |
| Hours | All miles / average speed + dock and wait time |
| Profit per hour | Net profit / hours |
Worked example
| EXAMPLE dry van load | |
|---|---|
| Rate | $2,000 |
| Loaded / deadhead | 800 / 200 miles |
| Fuel at $4.00 and 6.25 mpg | $640 |
| Other costs at $0.60/mi | $600 |
| Tolls | $50 |
| 5% dispatch fee | $100 |
| Net profit | $610 |
| True RPM | $2.00/mi |
| Time at 50 mph + 4 hrs at docks | 24 hours |
| Profit per hour | $25.42 |
The broker would call this a $2.50 load (2,000 / 800). Over all 1,000 miles it's $2.00, and after costs the truck earns about $25 an hour. Cut the deadhead to 50 miles and profit per hour jumps.
What a good result looks like
Positive net profit is the minimum. Beyond that, compare profit per hour across the loads you're choosing between, and against your weekly target: if you need $5,000 a week from 60 hours of truck time, every load has to average around $83 an hour after costs, or the week falls short.
The loads that look good and aren't
Watch for long deadhead to a high rate, multi-stop loads with no stop pay, appointment windows that guarantee waiting, and drops in areas with nothing coming back. Each one shows up in this calculator as lower true RPM or fewer dollars per hour.
Questions about this calculator
How do I know if a load is profitable?
Subtract every cost the load causes from what it pays: fuel for loaded and empty miles, tolls, your other costs per mile, and any percentage fee. If what's left is positive and the profit per hour beats your other options, it's profitable. A load can look good per mile and still lose once deadhead and waiting are counted.
What is true rate per mile?
The load's gross divided by all the miles you drive for it, including deadhead to the pickup. Brokers quote loaded miles; true RPM shows what each mile your truck actually drives earns.
Why does profit per hour matter?
Because time is the truck's real limit. Hours-of-service rules cap how much you can drive, and a load with four hours at the dock uses time you could spend on another load. Comparing profit per hour helps you pick between a short load with waiting and a longer clean run.
What costs should I include?
Fuel, tolls and any fee on the load directly, plus your other costs spread per mile: truck payments, insurance, maintenance and tires. The trucking cost per mile calculator gives you that other-cost number.
Should I count detention in load profit?
Only if you're actually paid it. Detention terms on the rate con are worth negotiating, but the money arrives only after the broker approves the claim. Count it in profit once it's confirmed.
Numbers done. Want someone to find loads that beat them?
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