Break-Even Rate Per Mile Calculator
Brokers pay per loaded mile — but your truck runs, and costs you, on every mile, loaded or empty. This is the floor rate per loaded mile that covers your deadhead too, so you know exactly what you can't afford to quote below.
How this is calculated
break-even per loaded mile = cost per mile ÷ (1 − deadhead %)
Empty miles don't pay, so your loaded miles have to carry them.
FAQ
Why quote per loaded mile?
Brokers pay you for loaded miles only, but your truck's costs run on every mile you drive — loaded and empty alike. This formula bridges the two: it inflates your cost per mile by your deadhead share, so the rate you quote on loaded miles still covers the empty ones.
How do I cut deadhead?
Book your next load before you deliver the one you're hauling, use your load board's backhaul search instead of waiting on calls, and weigh a cheaper loaded backhaul against driving home empty — a low rate on wheels still beats zero revenue on those miles. Run any specific option through the load profit calculator to see which one actually wins.
Does break-even include my salary?
Only if you baked owner pay into your cost per mile to begin with. Both conventions exist — some owner-operators count their own wage as a cost, others treat whatever's left as pay — just be consistent between this number and the cost per mile calculator feeding it.