Cost per mile calculator. The number every load has to beat.
Enter what you pay each month and each mile. You get your total cost per mile, the rate you need to break even, and your profit at any rate.
What moves your number
Small changes add up. Here is what each one would do to your cost per mile, using the numbers above.
- 1,000 more miles a month−$0.04 a mileSpreads your monthly bills thinner
- One more mile per gallon−$0.08 a milesaves $720 a month
- Diesel up 25 cents a gallon+$0.04 a mileadds $346 a month
These results are estimates for planning. They are not a loan offer, a quote or financial advice. Your actual rate, payment and costs depend on your lender, your truck and how you run it.
How it’s worked out
Monthly bills are your truck payment, insurance, permits and anything else you pay whether or not the truck moves.
Fuel per mile is your diesel price divided by your miles per gallon.
Break-even rate is the same total. Below it, every mile costs you money. If you enter empty miles, it is divided by the share of miles that are loaded, because only those pay.
| Monthly bills: $3,400 ÷ 9,000 miles | $0.38 |
|---|---|
| Fuel: $3.90 ÷ 6.5 MPG | $0.60 |
| Maintenance and tires | $0.18 |
| Driver pay | $0.60 |
| Total cost per mile | $1.76 |
Cost per mile questions
What is cost per mile?
It is everything it takes to run your truck for a month, divided by the miles you ran. It tells you what a mile really costs you before you take a load.
What is the difference between monthly bills and per-mile costs?
Monthly bills, such as your truck payment and insurance, stay the same whether you run or sit. Per-mile costs, such as fuel, tires and driver pay, go up with every mile you run.
Why does my cost per mile fall when I run more miles?
Your monthly bills get spread over more miles. Fuel and maintenance stay about the same per mile, but the truck payment and insurance take a smaller share of each one.
What is a break-even rate?
It is the rate per mile that exactly covers your costs. Any rate above it is profit before income taxes. Any rate below it loses money.
Should I include my own pay?
If you drive your own truck, put what you need to pay yourself in Driver pay. Otherwise your break-even will look better than it really is.
Does this include income taxes?
No. To count them, add a monthly set-aside in Other monthly.
Are the example numbers typical for a truck like mine?
They are placeholders so you can see how the calculator works. They are not market rates or averages. Replace each one with your own numbers.
Want a truck that makes these numbers work? Talk to John.
Tell John your cost per mile and the work you need the truck for. He has spent more than 50 years in commercial trucks. There is no call center. The number on this site rings through to John.
(563) 529-1538John Mravinac, Davenport, Iowa
john@usedtruckdealer.com