← Guides · November 9, 2026
How to Calculate Your Trucking Cost Per Mile
Step 1: fixed costs. Add truck payment, insurance and permits for the year. At $4,400 a month that is $52,800.
Step 2: running costs. Fuel at $3.90 and 6.8 mpg is about $0.57 a mile. Add maintenance, tires and tolls for roughly $0.27.
Step 3: divide. Over 100,000 miles, fixed costs are $0.53 a mile. Total cost is about $1.37 a mile.
Step 4: adjust for deadhead. If 15% of miles are empty, you need $1.37 ÷ 0.85 ≈ $1.61 per loaded mile just to break even, before paying yourself.
Use it to negotiate
Knowing the break-even and the rate for your target pay turns “is this load worth it?” into a number.
Run your costs in the calculator.