Trucking cost per mile calculator
Enter your monthly fixed costs, fuel and per-mile costs, and your miles. You get your cost per mile, what drives it, and the rate you need to break even.
Updated October 2026 · Free, no signup
Fixed, per month
Variable, per mile
Cost per mile
EXAMPLE- Your cost per mile
- $1.280
- Monthly cost
- $12,804
- Fixed costs per mile
- $0.395
- Break-even rate after 5% fee
- $1.35/mi
- ATRI 2025 avg, all costs
- $2.336
- Truck & trailer payments$0.250
- Insurance$0.100
- Permits, plates, IFTA$0.015
- ELD, phone, parking, other$0.030
- Fuel$0.615
- Maintenance & repair$0.200
- Tires$0.050
- Tolls$0.020
- Driver pay$0.000
Blue: fixed (falls as miles rise). Amber: variable. ATRI's average includes driver wages and covers mostly fleets (2026-10).
Your break-even is $1.35 a mile. Our dispatchers negotiate against your number, not the board's, and every load comes to you to confirm or pass.
Get loads above my break-evenHow it's calculated
| Line | Formula |
|---|---|
| Fixed per mile | Each monthly fixed cost / miles per month |
| Fuel per mile | Diesel price / MPG |
| Other variable | Your $ per mile for maintenance, tires, tolls, driver pay |
| Cost per mile | Fixed per mile + fuel per mile + other variable |
| Break-even rate | Cost per mile / (1 - fee %) |
Use total miles, loaded and empty. Deadhead miles cost the same as loaded ones.
Worked example
| EXAMPLE month, one truck, owner drives | |
|---|---|
| Miles | 10,000 |
| Payments + insurance + permits + other | $3,950/month = $0.395/mi |
| Fuel at $4.00/gal and 6.5 mpg | $0.615/mi |
| Maintenance + tires + tolls | $0.270/mi |
| Cost per mile | $1.280/mi |
| Break-even after a 5% dispatch fee | $1.35/mi |
Anything above $1.35 all-in pays the owner. At $2.00 all-in, that's about $6,200 a month after the fee and costs, before taxes, for the owner's time.
Compare with the industry
ATRI's survey puts the 2025 average at $2.336 per mile with driver wages, and lists these lines:
| ATRI 2025 line item | Per mile |
|---|---|
| Truck and trailer payments | $0.404 |
| Repair and maintenance | $0.215 |
| Insurance premiums | $0.106 |
| Tires | $0.050 |
| All costs excluding fuel | $1.854 |
Source: ATRI operating cost survey, 2025 data · checked 2026-10
What a good or bad result means
A cost per mile far above the ATRI line items usually points to one of three things: too few miles to spread fixed costs, poor fuel economy, or a payment too large for the truck's work. A cost far below can mean you've left something out: count repairs, tires and permits even in a month you didn't pay them, by setting aside a reserve.
Know this number before you look at a load board. It turns every offer into a yes-or-no question: does the all-in rate clear your break-even, and by how much? Run loads through the rate per mile calculator to compare.
Questions about this calculator
What is the average cost per mile for a truck?
ATRI's operating cost survey put the average at $2.336 per mile in 2025, including driver wages and benefits, or $1.854 per mile excluding fuel. That average comes mostly from fleets. An owner-operator who drives their own truck and counts profit separately will see a different number; calculate your own.
How do I calculate cost per mile for my truck?
Add up a month of fixed costs (payments, insurance, permits, phone and ELD) and divide by the month's total miles, loaded and empty. Add variable costs per mile: fuel (diesel price divided by MPG), maintenance, tires, tolls and driver pay. The sum is your cost per mile.
What's the difference between cost per mile and break-even rate?
Cost per mile is what each mile costs you. Break-even rate is what a load must pay per mile to cover it after any percentage fee, such as a dispatch or factoring fee. With a 5% fee, break-even is cost per mile divided by 0.95.
Why does my cost per mile go up when I run fewer miles?
Fixed costs stay the same whether the truck moves or not. Spread a $3,500 monthly payment and insurance bill over 6,000 miles instead of 10,000 and it adds about 23 cents to every mile. Slow weeks cost more per mile, not less.
Should I include my own pay in cost per mile?
If you want the true cost of running the truck, yes: put in what you'd pay a driver. If you'd rather see what the truck earns you, leave it at zero and treat what's left over as your pay. Just know which number you're looking at.
Numbers done. Want someone to find loads that beat them?
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