Power only rate per mile calculator

What the result means

• All-in rate per mile is the number to judge a power only load by. It divides the pay by every mile the load makes you drive: empty to the trailer, loaded, and empty after the drop.
• Loaded rate per mile is what the load looks like on a board. It flatters loads with long deadhead.
• Deadhead share is the percentage of the trip you drive empty. On power only freight, a share above about 15 to 20% is worth a second look, because you are paying to reach someone else's trailer.
• Deadhead cost is what those empty miles cost you at your fuel price, fuel economy and other running costs.
• Break-even pay is what the load must pay just to cover the cost of all its miles. Anything above it is profit before your own pay.

How it is calculated

total miles      = deadhead to trailer + loaded miles + deadhead after drop
all-in rate      = load pay ÷ total miles
loaded rate      = load pay ÷ loaded miles
deadhead share   = (deadhead to trailer + deadhead after drop) ÷ total miles
cost per mile    = diesel price ÷ MPG + other cost per mile
deadhead cost    = deadhead miles × cost per mile
break-even pay   = total miles × cost per mile

Negative or blank inputs are treated as zero, and a result shows "n/a" instead of dividing by zero.

Assumptions and sources

• Diesel price defaults to $6.28 per gallon, the EIA U.S. on-highway average for the week of October 19, 2026. Use what you actually pay after discounts.
• Fuel economy defaults to 6.5 MPG as an example. Bobtailing to the trailer usually burns less per mile than loaded running, so this slightly overstates deadhead fuel cost; the calculator uses one MPG for simplicity.
• Other cost per mile defaults to $0.85 as an example of non-fuel running costs for an owner-operator. For context, ATRI's industry average for 2025 was $2.336 per mile including fuel and $1.854 excluding fuel, but those averages include driver wages and large-fleet overhead.
• Results are estimates for comparing loads, not accounting or financial advice.

How to use it before accepting a load

1. Put in the posted pay and loaded miles.
2. Add the empty miles from where your truck will be to where the trailer sits. Not from your home; from your truck.
3. If you know where the next load is, add the miles after the drop.
4. Compare the all-in rate with your floor rate. If it falls short, use the break-even and your profit target to set a counter-offer.
5. Use Copy link to send the exact numbers to a partner or dispatcher.

For the bigger picture on how power only loads get priced and how to set your floor, read power only rates per mile. Insurance is one of the costs hiding in "other cost per mile"; power only insurance breaks it down. If you want a desk pricing every load this way for you, see our power only dispatch service.