Trip fuel cost calculator
Enter the trip's loaded and empty miles, your MPG and the diesel price. You get gallons, fuel cost, cost per loaded mile, and reefer fuel if the unit is running.
Updated October 2026 · Free, no signup
Trip fuel cost
EXAMPLE- Total fuel cost
- $954
- Truck fuel
- 153.8 gal · $954
- Per total mile
- $0.954
- Per loaded mile
- $1.060
The broker pays on loaded miles; fuel burns on all of them. That's why fuel per loaded mile is the number to hold against the rate.
$954 in fuel for 1,000 miles, 100 of them empty. Our dispatchers plan the next pickup near the drop to cut that empty part, and you confirm every offer.
Cut my empty milesHow it's calculated
| Number | Formula |
|---|---|
| Truck gallons | (Loaded miles + empty miles) / MPG |
| Truck fuel cost | Truck gallons x diesel price |
| Reefer gallons | Run hours x gallons per hour |
| Total fuel cost | Truck fuel + reefer fuel |
| Fuel per loaded mile | Total fuel cost / loaded miles |
Diesel price is your input. The U.S. Energy Information Administration publishes the weekly average on-highway diesel price by region if you need a reference.
Source: U.S. EIA, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update · checked 2026-10
Worked example
| EXAMPLE: dry van, 900 loaded + 100 empty miles | |
|---|---|
| MPG | 6.5 |
| Gallons | 153.8 |
| Diesel (about the EIA U.S. average, early October 2026) | $6.20/gal |
| Fuel cost | $954 |
| Per total mile | $0.954 |
| Per loaded mile | $1.060 |
Same trip on a reefer running 18 hours at an EXAMPLE 0.8 gallons per hour adds 14.4 gallons, about $89 at the same price.
What the result means
Fuel is usually the biggest single variable cost on a load. Compare fuel per loaded mile with the rate per mile the load pays: if fuel takes a big share, the rest of your costs and your profit have to fit in what's left. A fuel surcharge on the rate con, when the broker pays one, is meant to cover the swing in fuel prices; the fuel surcharge calculator shows how it's usually figured.
Different trucks, same math
The formula works for every truck we dispatch; only the inputs change. A 26 ft box truck or a hotshot pickup gets better MPG than a loaded tractor-trailer but hauls less, so compare fuel per loaded mile against the rate, not the fuel bill alone. Dump trucks also burn fuel idling at the pit and in the loader line, which no mileage formula sees; track those hours separately. Oversize loads run slower with escorts and curfews, so check MPG on past permitted moves.
Lowering trip fuel cost
The levers you control: less idle time, steady highway speed, correct tire pressure, fuel at in-network stops on your card, and fewer empty miles. Deadhead is the one dispatch can help with most, by lining up the next load near the drop before the current one delivers.
Questions about this calculator
How do I calculate fuel cost for a truck trip?
Divide total miles, loaded and empty, by your miles per gallon to get gallons, then multiply by the price per gallon. EXAMPLE: 1,000 miles at 6.5 mpg is about 154 gallons; at $6.20 a gallon that's about $954.
What MPG does a semi truck get?
It depends on the truck, the load, the terrain, speed and idle time. Use your own number from fuel receipts and the odometer, or your ELD's fuel report, over at least a few weeks. A single tank is too noisy to trust.
How much fuel does a reefer unit burn?
It depends on the unit, the set point, the outside temperature and how often the doors open. Your unit's hour meter and fuel log give your real rate in gallons per hour. Enter that, and the calculator adds reefer fuel to the trip.
Where can I find current diesel prices?
The U.S. Energy Information Administration publishes average on-highway diesel prices every week, nationally and by region. Your fuel card's net price after discounts is the better number for your own trips.
Why is fuel cost per loaded mile higher than per mile?
Because you burn fuel on the empty miles too, but the broker only pays for the loaded ones. With 100 empty miles on a 900-mile load, fuel per loaded mile is about 11% higher than fuel per total mile.
Numbers done. Want someone to find loads that beat them?
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