Know the number before the wheels turn.

Fuel is the single largest variable expense in trucking — routinely 25–35% of total operating costs. Yet plenty of drivers still estimate fuel spend by gut feel, leaving real money on the table at every fill-up. Enter your route distance, your truck's average MPG, and today's price per gallon, and you get an instant, accurate picture of what that run costs in diesel.

• Compare fuel costs between routes before committing to a load
• Build accurate weekly and monthly fuel budgets from real numbers
• Back your rate negotiations with documented fuel projections

If fuel cost shows you what one trip costs, cost per mile shows you the health of your whole operation. It's the foundational metric of trucking profitability — the number that separates thriving businesses from ones quietly bleeding out. It aggregates every expense — fuel, insurance, truck payment, maintenance, tires, permits, and your own pay — and divides them across the miles you actually run.

Industry ballpark, not your number. The point of the tool below is to find yours — it will differ.

A load that looks good on paper can turn into a money-loser once you factor in the deadhead miles to the pickup, detention time, and broker fees. This does that math for you — instantly, before you accept. Put in the gross rate, your loaded and empty miles, your cost per mile, and any fees, and you get the three numbers that actually matter: net profit, profit per mile, and effective hourly rate.

• Run two loads side by side and take the one that actually pays more
• Empty miles have a cost — make sure every rate absorbs them
• Know your minimum acceptable rate before the broker calls