Truck cost per mile calculator
Enter one week, month or year of costs and miles. See your cost per mile, what you keep and your break-even rate.
All numbers below are for one…
Enter costs and miles for that same week. Don't mix, like monthly costs with weekly miles.
Fixed costs (Weekly)
Variable costs (Weekly)
Miles and rate (Weekly)
Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere. The math runs on your device.
Your numbers (Weekly)
- Cost per mile (CPM)$0.00
Enter your miles and at least one cost above.
- Total fixed costs$0
- Total variable costs$0
- Total cost$0
- Rate per mile (RPM)—
- Profit per mile—
- Total profit this week—
- Profit margin—
- Break-even rateThe lowest load you can take, per loaded mile—
This calculator is for planning and doesn't replace a quote. A lower premium that doesn't fit your cost per mile isn't a real saving; talk to a broker who understands how insurance fits your numbers.
How cost per mile worksThe formula, fixed vs. variable, and an example
Add up everything the truck costs in a week, a month or a year, then divide by every mile it drove in that time. Compare it to what loads pay per mile, and you know which loads make money before you book them.
Cost per mile = total costs ÷ total miles (same period) Profit per mile = rate per mile − cost per mile
- Fixed costsInsurance, truck and trailer payments, permits, IFTA/IRP, ELD, dispatch, softwareSame every week. Spread over more miles, each mile gets cheaper.
- Variable costsFuel, repairs, tires, tolls, driver pay, factoring feesGo up with every mile. Running more doesn't make them cheaper per mile.
- Empty milesDeadhead to the next load, trips homeCost the same as loaded miles but earn nothing, so they raise your real cost per paid mile.
An example with made-up numbers: a truck runs 2,500 miles in a week and costs $4,250 to run. That's $1.70 a mile. If 12% of those miles are empty, a load paying $2.00 per loaded mile only brings in $1.76 for every mile driven. That leaves 6 cents a mile, $150 for the week, before anything breaks.
Insurance is one of the biggest fixed costs, and the one owner-operators ask me about most. To understand what drives your premium, start with the commercial truck insurance guide.
Questions people ask8 short answers
What is cost per mile in trucking?
Cost per mile (CPM) is everything it costs to run your truck over a period, divided by every mile you drove in that period, loaded and empty. It's the number that tells you whether a load makes money before you book it.
What's the difference between RPM and CPM?
RPM, rate per mile, is what a load pays. CPM is what each mile costs you. Profit per mile is RPM minus CPM. Most owner-operators know their RPM by heart and have never worked out their CPM, which is how good-looking loads end up losing money.
Should I count empty miles?
Yes. Your truck burns fuel and wears tires on empty miles too, but nobody pays for them. That's why the calculator divides costs by all miles and asks for your rate per loaded mile separately.
Should I include my own pay?
Not if you drive your own truck. Leave your take-home out of driver pay, and the profit the calculator shows is what you take home. Only enter driver pay for drivers you pay.
Should I use weekly, monthly or yearly numbers?
Whichever you know best. Many owner-operators think in weekly settlements; fleets often think monthly. Cost per mile comes out the same either way, as long as costs and miles are for the same period.
How does insurance affect my cost per mile?
Insurance is a fixed cost: you pay the same premium whether you run 1,500 miles a week or 3,000. The more miles you run, the less insurance costs per mile. That's also why an underwriter cares about your radius and how many miles you run.
What is a break-even rate?
It's the lowest rate per loaded mile that covers every cost you entered. Any load paying less than that loses money, even if it keeps the truck moving.
Is my information saved?
No. The math runs on your phone or computer. Nothing you type is stored or sent to anyone.
Who built this
I'm Alex Kuchkarov, an independent trucking insurance broker since 2020. I built this because "I can't afford insurance" is usually a cost per mile problem, not an insurance problem. The carriers I insure who last are the ones who know their numbers. Watch my short video on RPM vs. CPM.
This calculator is for planning only. Your real costs depend on your truck, your lanes and your records.