How to calculate rate per mile in trucking
To calculate rate per mile, divide what the load pays by the miles you drive for it. Use all miles, loaded and empty, or the number lies to you.
The formula, the deadhead trap, all in against linehaul and the rate your own truck needs, with the math shown.
Key takeaways
- Pay divided by miles is the whole formula. The answer changes with the miles you count. (DAT, 2026)
- $3.13 to $2.61 is what 120 empty miles do to a 600 mile load at the van average. (DAT, 2026)
- All in means linehaul plus the fuel surcharge. Linehaul is the rate without fuel. (DAT, 2026)
- $0.88 of the average van rate was fuel surcharge in early October 2026. (DAT, 2026)
- $2.336 per mile was the average cost to run a truck in 2025, driver pay included. (ATRI, 2026)
- 62% to 70% of revenue is what Landstar says its BCOs get with a tractor only. (SEC, 2026)
A broker gives you a rate per mile in 5 seconds. Whether that rate works for your truck takes one more minute of math.
When I leased to Landstar Ranger, my pay was a percentage of each load. Today I book my own freight. Both ways come down to the same math.
This guide shows the formula and 4 places it goes wrong. Every example uses numbers you can check.
What is rate per mile?
Rate per mile is what a load pays, divided by the miles you drive for it. It turns any load into one number you can compare.
Rate per mile = load pay ÷ miles
The trap is which miles you use. Brokers quote on loaded miles. Your truck burns fuel on all of them.
How do you calculate rate per mile on a load?
Divide the pay by the loaded miles to get the quoted rate. Then divide it by all miles, loaded and empty, to get the real one.
For example, a load pays $1,878 for 600 loaded miles. That is $3.13 per mile, the DAT dry van average for early October 2026 (DAT).
You drive 120 empty miles to pick it up. Now the same pay covers 720 miles, and the rate is $2.61.
| Line | Loaded miles only | All miles |
|---|---|---|
| Miles | 600 | 720 |
| Pay | $1,878 | $1,878 |
| Rate per mile | $3.13 | $2.61 |
Example. The pay is 600 miles at the DAT van average for September 27 to October 3, 2026. The division is mine.
The 120 empty miles cut 52 cents off every mile. Use the all miles number when you decide.
The load profit calculator does this sum for you.
What is the difference between an all in rate and a linehaul rate?
All in means linehaul plus the fuel surcharge. Linehaul is the rate without fuel.
| Trailer | All in, per mile | Linehaul, per mile | Fuel part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry van | $3.13 | $2.25 | $0.88 |
| Reefer | $3.69 | $2.74 | $0.95 |
| Flatbed | $3.71 | $2.65 | $1.06 |
Source: DAT, published October 5, 2026. The fuel part is the all in rate less the linehaul.
Ask which one a broker is quoting before you compare 2 loads. A $2.60 linehaul can beat a $3.00 all in rate.
Then check the fuel part against your own truck. At 6.5 MPG and the $6.529 diesel DAT used that week, fuel cost $1.00 per mile.
The van surcharge paid $0.88 of it. You covered the other 12 cents from the linehaul.
How do you calculate the rate per mile you need?
Add your cost per mile and the profit you want. Then scale it up for the empty miles you will drive.
- Find your cost per mile. The example in my calculator comes to $1.37.
- Add your profit. At 30 cents a mile, you need $1.67 on all miles.
- Multiply by all miles. $1.67 times 720 miles is $1202.40.
- Divide by loaded miles. $1202.40 over 600 miles is $2.00 per loaded mile.
So on this lane, $2.00 per loaded mile is the least you can take. The quote of $3.13 clears it.
Those cost figures are example values with no pay for you in them. ATRI's fleet average, with driver pay, was $2.336 per mile in 2025 (ATRI).
Find your own number in the cost per mile calculator before you quote anything.
How do you figure rate per mile on percentage pay?
Take your share of the load first, then divide by the miles. Leased on, your rate is on your share, not on the whole load.
For example, at 65%, your share of that $1,878 load is $1220.70.
That is $2.03 per loaded mile and $1.70 on all 720 miles.
Landstar's annual report puts its BCO share at 62% to 70% with a tractor only (SEC). Check what your share has to cover.
From the cab. When I leased to Landstar Ranger, I was paid 65% of the load. I picked my own loads from its board, and my pay was a share of each one.
See what lease on carriers keep for the splits other carriers publish.
What is a good rate per mile in 2026?
A good rate beats your own cost per mile on all miles, with your profit on top. No national average can tell you that.
Use the averages as a yardstick. DAT's van average was $3.13 all in for early October 2026, with 13.7 loads posted for each truck.
In the example, $2.61 on all miles less a $1.37 cost leaves $1.24 per mile. Over 720 miles, that is $892.
Run the same check with your own cost. A rate that works for a paid off truck can lose money for one with a $2,900 payment.
My article on owner operator salary after expenses shows what the average owner kept in 2025. For the payment itself, see how much a semi truck costs.
What does rate per mile leave out?
It leaves out your time and the extras. A short load can show a high rate and still be a bad day.
- Days. For example, $1,878 over 2 days is $939 a day. Your fixed bills come due every day the truck sits.
- Detention. Hours at the dock are not in the rate. Get the detention terms on the rate con.
- Lumpers and other extras. Know who pays before you back in.
- The next load. A good rate into a dead market costs you deadhead on the way out.
ATBS saw deadhead rise as a share of total miles in 2025 (Overdrive). Price the trip out before you take the trip in.
My loads and free load boards guide shows where to look for that next load.
Frequently asked questions
What is the formula for rate per mile?
Load pay divided by miles. Use all miles, loaded and empty, when you decide on a load. (DAT)
Should you use loaded miles or all miles?
All miles. A $1,878 load is $3.13 on 600 loaded miles and $2.61 once you add 120 empty miles. (DAT)
What is a good rate per mile for a dry van?
One that beats your cost per mile. DAT's national van average was $3.13 all in for September 27 to October 3, 2026. (DAT)
Does rate per mile include the fuel surcharge?
An all in rate does. A linehaul rate does not. Ask the broker which one the quote is. (DAT)
What is the difference between rate per mile and cost per mile?
Rate per mile is what the load pays you. Cost per mile is what the truck costs you. The gap is what you keep. (ATRI)
How do you calculate rate per mile on percentage pay?
Multiply the load by your percentage, then divide by the miles. At 65%, a $1,878 load is $1,220.70 to you. (SEC)
How much profit per mile should an owner operator make?
That is your call. The example here uses 30 cents on top of a $1.37 cost, before any pay for you. (ATRI)
How this was checked
This is a method guide, so most numbers are examples. The load, the cost per mile and the profit target are example values, and the article says so each time.
The DAT rates and the fuel check were read on October 8, 2026 for my Loads and Rates guide. I read them again on October 10. The ATRI, ATBS and Landstar figures were read in October 2026.
The 65% is my own lease figure from Landstar Ranger. It is one driver's number, not an offer.
This is not financial advice. Your own costs set the rate you need.
Evidence label: from the cab for the method, researched for the market figures. Update schedule: when the DAT averages in the examples go stale, every quarter.
Sources
- DAT spot market data for September 27 to October 3, published October 5, 2026. DAT. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- Trucking industry glossary. DAT. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- New ATRI Report Details Accelerating Costs and Low Profitability Despite Cuts, July 15, 2026. ATRI. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- Owner operator income up, with capacity driven trucking recovery ongoing, March 26, 2026. Overdrive. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- Landstar System, Form 10-K for fiscal 2025. SEC. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- Deadhead miles. Truckstop. Accessed October 10, 2026.