Average cost of trucking per mile: every line item, and what's changed since
Steve Woods · Lead Dispatcher, TruckSprint
Steve Woods leads the TruckSprint dispatch desk and reviews every guide we publish. How we research and update guides.
Updated October 2026
Quick answer
The average cost of trucking per mile was $2.336 in 2025, up 3.4% from $2.260 in 2024, according to ATRI; $1.854 excluding fuel. But fuel has jumped since: at the EIA's $6.199 diesel price for the week of October 5, 2026, and 6.7 mpg, fuel alone is about $0.93 a mile, nearly double ATRI's 2025 fuel cost.
Source: ATRI, An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking (2025 data), as reported by FreightWaves 2026-07-15 · checked 2026-10
"Cost per mile" is the number every rate decision should start from, and the industry average is only a starting point. I'm Steve, lead dispatcher at TruckSprint. Our desk prices every load against the carrier's own cost per mile. Here are the public numbers, the line items behind them, what's changed since they were measured, and a way to compare your own.
ATRI 2025, line by line
| Cost per mile | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total marginal cost | $2.260 | $2.336 | +3.4% |
| Total excluding fuel | $1.779 | $1.854 | +4.2% |
| Fuel (derived: total minus excluding fuel) | $0.481 | $0.482 | about flat |
| Truck and trailer payments | $0.390 | $0.404 | up |
| Repair and maintenance | $0.198 | $0.215 | up |
| Insurance | $0.102 | $0.106 | +3.9% |
| Tires | $0.047 | $0.050 | up |
Source: ATRI, An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking (2025 data), as reported by FreightWaves 2026-07-15 · checked 2026-10
The report also said driver wages rose 2.5% and driver benefits rose 6.6% in 2025. Driver pay per mile wasn't given as one industry figure in the coverage we read, so it isn't in the table. ATRI's data comes mostly from established fleets.
Fuel now: why the 2025 average is already out of date
ATRI's 2025 fuel cost works out to about 48 cents a mile. Diesel has moved a lot since:
- $6.199 a gallon: U.S. average retail on-highway diesel, week of October 5, 2026, up $2.488 from a year earlier (EIA).
- 6.7 mpg: average fuel economy of combination trucks in 2023 (FHWA).
- About $0.93 a mile: fuel at that price and fuel economy.
Source: U.S. EIA, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update (weekly retail on-highway diesel, U.S. average) · checked 2026-10
That's about 44 cents a mile more than ATRI's 2025 fuel figure. On the same other costs, the total would be closer to $2.78 a mile. Fuel surcharges recover part of it on brokered loads; see the fuel surcharge calculator for how much.
Compare your costs
Enter your monthly costs and miles. The bars show your cost per mile for each line next to ATRI's 2025 average:
Your cost per mile vs ATRI 2025. EXAMPLE values
Your total for these lines: $1.517/mi vs ATRI's $1.257/mi. Driver pay, permits, tolls and overhead come on top.
ATRI 2025 averages, mostly larger fleets, as reported July 2026. ATRI fuel shown as total minus total excluding fuel.
The EXAMPLE fuel default reflects October 2026 diesel at 6.7 mpg, which is why it runs well above ATRI's 2025 line. For a full cost per mile with driver pay and overhead, use the cost per mile calculator.
Small fleets vs large fleets
ATRI's 2025 findings, as reported:
- Driver wages were lowest on average at fleets with fewer than 26 trucks and highest at fleets over 1,000 trucks.
- Driver turnover was 32% at fleets with fewer than 26 trucks, versus 70.7% at truckload carriers with more than 1,000 trucks.
- Benefit cost growth varied little by size, except at small fleets, which often offer fewer benefits to begin with.
The averages don't show how your own insurance and financing compare; get real quotes. See commercial truck insurance for what moves premiums.
What moves your cost per mile
- Miles. Fixed costs (payments, insurance) spread over more miles cost less per mile. A truck that sits costs more per mile it does run.
- Empty miles. Deadhead adds cost without revenue; see deadhead miles.
- Fuel economy. Speed, idling, tires and maintenance all show up in mpg.
- Equipment age. Newer trucks cost more to finance and less to repair; older trucks, the reverse.
- Repairs. One major failure can wipe out months of margin.
Planning for repairs
Repair and maintenance averaged 21.5 cents a mile in 2025, but repairs don't arrive evenly. Set aside a reserve every week with the maintenance reserve calculator, and consider how you'd cover a big failure.
For the wider industry picture, see trucking industry statistics.