Backhaul (trucking)

In practice

Say a dry van runs from a busy distribution area into a quieter region. The outbound load (the headhaul) pays well. Coming back, there are more trucks than loads, so rates are lower. The choice is a cheaper backhaul or driving home empty.

Headhaul

800 mi, $2,400

Backhaul

750 mi, $1,500

Deadhead between them

40 mi

Round trip

1,590 mi, $3,900

All-in rate

$2.45/mi

If you came home empty

$2,400 / 1,590 mi = $1.51/mi

EXAMPLE numbers. Price the round trip, not each leg.

The backhaul in the example pays $2.00 a mile on its own, which might look weak next to the headhaul. But it lifts the round trip from $1.51 a mile to $2.45. That's why dispatchers plan the backhaul before the truck leaves on the headhaul.

Planning a good backhaul

• Look before you book the outbound load. Check what moves out of the delivery area, not just what pays to get there.
• Price the round trip. A slightly lower headhaul into a market with good backhauls can beat a high-paying headhaul into a dead zone.
• Use regular lanes. Carriers who run the same lanes build broker relationships that turn into repeat backhauls; see dedicated lanes.
• Count every empty mile. Deadhead to the backhaul pickup belongs in its rate. Our deadhead miles guide shows the math, and the rate per mile calculator works out the all-in rate.

Is a backhaul always cheaper?

No. It depends on the lanes and the season. A load out of a region that's busy that week can pay as well as the headhaul. "Backhaul" describes the direction relative to home, not the rate.

What's a backhaul in private fleets?

Companies running their own trucks use the word too: hauling another shipper's freight, or their own supplies, on the way back instead of returning empty.