Buy a trailer vs power only calculator

What the result means

• Buying a trailer gains or staying power only saves is the monthly difference between the extra money a trailer would bring in and what it costs you to own.
• Net monthly cost of the trailer is the payment, physical damage insurance, upkeep and plates, minus any trailer interchange premium you would no longer pay.
• Break-even extra pay is how much more per loaded mile your own-trailer loads must pay, after deadhead savings, to cover the trailer.
• Break-even loaded miles is how many loaded miles a month you need at your entered rate difference.

The question behind this calculator is power only vs owning a trailer: does the rate gain pay for the steel? If the break-even rate is higher than the difference you actually see on your lanes, power only is the cheaper way to run.

How it is calculated

trailer cost   = payment + insurance + maintenance + (plates and inspection ÷ 12)
                 − interchange premium dropped
extra pay      = loaded miles per month × extra pay per loaded mile
deadhead saved = deadhead miles avoided per month × your running cost per mile
net            = extra pay + deadhead saved − trailer cost
break-even $/mi   = (trailer cost − deadhead saved) ÷ loaded miles, never below 0
break-even miles  = (trailer cost − deadhead saved) ÷ extra pay per loaded mile

Assumptions

• Every default is an EXAMPLE, not a market price. Get a real quote for the payment and insurance, and use your own repair history.
• Each trailer needs its own annual inspection under 49 CFR 396.17, which is why plates and inspection are a yearly input.
• Interchange coverage protects trailers you don't own; IANA's UIIA requirements describe it as covering non-owned equipment in your care. Drop it only if you stop pulling pool trailers.
• The calculator ignores the down payment, resale value and tax treatment. Talk to your accountant about those.

How to use it before you buy

1. Get a trailer quote and an insurance quote and enter them.
2. Look at a month of real load offers on your lanes, with and without a trailer, and enter the difference per loaded mile.
3. Estimate the deadhead you spend reaching trailer pools today.
4. If the break-even rate is close to what you see, stay power only a while longer and check again; a thin margin disappears with one bad repair.

For the bigger comparison of van, reefer and flatbed trailers against power only, read power only vs dry van. If you are new to how power only works, start with what is power only trucking. And to see what a dispatcher costs on the freight you already run, use the dispatch fee calculator; power only dispatch from our desk keeps your tractor on pool trailers without a trailer payment.