Power only load profit calculator

Rate per mile tells you half the story. This calculator adds fuel, tolls, running costs and the hours a load really takes, then tells you whether to accept it, negotiate, or pass, and what to counter with.

Updated October 2026By PowerOnlyDispatch Dispatch Desk

Result

Negotiate

Net profit

$551

Profit per hour

$42.08

Hours (driving + wait)

13.1

Fuel cost

$585

Other running costs + tolls

$514

Pay needed for your target

$1,688

This load clears about $42 an hour; it would need about $1,688 to hit your $45 target. That gap is what a dispatcher negotiates.

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What the result means

Net profit is load pay minus fuel, other running costs and tolls. It is what is left for you and the business before taxes.
Profit per hour spreads that over the driving time plus the waiting time. This is the number that compares a quick drop and hook with a long live load.
Verdict compares profit per hour with the target you set. It is a starting point for your decision, not the decision.
Pay needed for your target is the counter-offer: costs plus your target times the hours.

How it is calculated

miles            = loaded miles + deadhead miles
fuel cost        = miles ÷ MPG × diesel price
other cost       = miles × other cost per mile
total cost       = fuel cost + other cost + tolls
net profit       = load pay − total cost
hours            = miles ÷ average speed + wait time
profit per hour  = net profit ÷ hours
counter-offer    = total cost + target per hour × hours

verdict: accept     if profit per hour ≥ target
         negotiate  if profit per hour ≥ 75% of target and net profit > 0
         decline    otherwise

Assumptions and sources

Diesel defaults to $6.28, the EIA U.S. average for the week of October 19, 2026.
Other cost per mile defaults to $0.85 as an EXAMPLE of an owner-operator's non-fuel running costs. ATRI's 2025 industry average was $1.854 excluding fuel, but that includes driver wages.
Average speed of 50 mph and target of $45 an hour are EXAMPLES. Replace them with your own.
Wait time should include finding and inspecting the trailer, dock time on live loads and the drop.
Estimates only; not accounting or financial advice.

How to use it before accepting a load

Enter the posted pay, loaded miles and the empty miles to the trailer.
Add tolls on the route and a realistic wait. For program drop and hook freight, such as Amazon Relay's preloaded trailers, wait time is often short; live loads need more.
Set your target per hour once, and the link you copy will keep it.
If the verdict is negotiate or decline, call with the counter-offer number and a reason: deadhead, wait time or tolls.

Comparing a retail program load with a broker load? Our guide to Amazon Relay and Walmart power only loads explains how that freight is offered, and power only carrier programs covers the rest of the trailer-pool world. Our power only dispatchers run this math on every load before they bring it to you.

FAQ

Why profit per hour instead of rate per mile?

Because power only loads vary a lot in time. A preloaded drop and hook and a live load can pay the same per mile, but the live load can take three more hours. Profit per hour shows which one is worth your day.

How does the verdict work?

Accept when profit per hour meets your target. Negotiate when it is at least 75% of your target and the load still makes money. Decline or counter when it is below that or loses money. The counter-offer is the pay that would hit your target.

Does the calculator include the dispatch fee?

No. Add it to other cost per mile if you want it included, or use the dispatch fee calculator to see the weekly total.

Is the drive time accurate?

It is an estimate: miles divided by your average speed, plus wait time. It doesn't model hours-of-service breaks, traffic or weather, so set an average speed that matches your real trips.

Sources

Checked October 2026. Official pages first; company facts only from each company's own site.

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