Load profitability calculator

How the calculator works

A load's rate is only half the story. The calculator takes away the costs the load itself creates and then measures the result against the miles and hours it takes.

Costs of the load. Fuel for every mile, loaded and empty, at your diesel price and fuel economy. Your other running costs per mile, such as maintenance and tires, and insurance or payments if you choose to spread them per mile. Tolls. And a dispatch fee as a share of the rate, if you use one.

Time. Driving time from the total miles and your average speed, plus loading and unloading, plus the hours you expect at each extra stop.

Results. Profit on the load, profit per hour, the true rate per mile across all miles driven, and the loaded rate per mile as the broker quotes it.

The default diesel price is the U.S. on-highway average for the last week of September 2026. Use what you actually pay on the lane.

Source:EIA, U.S. on-highway diesel fuel price, week of Sep 28, 2026: $6.382/gal · checked 2026-10

Worked example

Example

Rate

$2,100

Miles

700 loaded + 80 empty

Fuel

$766

Profit

$1,009

Hours

19.6 h

Profit per hour

$51.50

The board shows this load at $3.00 a loaded mile; across all 780 miles it truly pays $2.69. Now compare a second offer: $1,400 for 420 loaded miles with 20 empty, but four hours waiting at the receiver. Run it and you'll find it can make less profit per hour despite a higher loaded rate, because the wait eats the day. That's the comparison the calculator is built for.

What good and bad results mean

A good load leaves profit per hour well above what your time is worth, after every cost. A thin one covers costs but leaves little per hour; it can still make sense in a slow week, or when it positions you near strong freight. A losing load costs you money for every hour you spend on it, and should only be taken with a clear reason, like a strong, confirmed reload out.

If you're deciding whether a dispatcher would raise these numbers, the dispatch ROI calculator compares your time and the fee, and the dispatcher fee calculator turns any fee into dollars. If you're thinking bigger, our guides on flatbed truck leasing and whether flatbed trucking is worth it cover the business behind the loads.

Equipment changes the inputs

The method is the same for every truck; the numbers you put in change.

• Reefers burn extra fuel to run the unit, so add that to the diesel cost or the other costs per mile, and expect longer waits at food distribution centers.
• Flatbeds and step decks need securement and tarping time at pickup; add it to loading hours, and add tarp pay to the rate if the broker pays it.
• Hotshots and 26 ft box trucks get better fuel economy but carry smaller loads, so a long deadhead weighs more on a smaller rate.
• Multi-stop loads pay for stops only if the rate con says so; every stop adds hours whether it's paid or not.

Put realistic numbers in for your rig and the comparison between two loads becomes fair. Save the result link for loads you take, and after a few weeks you'll know the profit per hour your truck usually makes, which is the best yardstick for the next offer.

Three habits that protect your profit

• Count the deadhead every time. It's the cost that hides best.
• Ask about the wait. Appointment times, live or drop, and detention terms change profit per hour more than a few cents of rate.
• Look past this load. A strong reload out of the delivery area can be worth more than a higher rate today.

Our desk weighs the reload before offering you a load, and every load still needs your yes; see dispatch pricing.