📋 Your Numbers
Enter loaded and deadhead miles, your cost per mile, and the linehaul rate. The tool returns total miles, deadhead cost, deadhead percentage, revenue per total and loaded mile, and the net after deadhead.
Paid (loaded) miles for the trip.
Enter loaded miles greater than 0.
Empty repositioning miles to reach the load.
Deadhead miles must be 0 or more.
Your operating cost per mile, applied to every mile run.
Enter a cost per mile greater than 0.
The load's linehaul (line-item) rate.
Enter a linehaul rate greater than 0.
Estimates only. This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, accounting, or business advice. Results are based solely on the values you enter.
Advertisement — 728×90
Frequently Asked Questions
How is deadhead cost calculated?
Deadhead cost is the empty (deadhead) miles multiplied by your cost per mile. The tool also adds loaded and deadhead miles into total miles, works out what share of the trip ran empty, and subtracts the cost of all miles from the linehaul to show the net after deadhead.
Why does revenue per loaded mile differ from revenue per total mile?
Revenue per loaded mile divides the linehaul by paid miles only, so it looks higher. Revenue per total mile divides the same linehaul by every mile the truck runs, including the empty repositioning miles. The gap between the two is the drag that deadhead puts on a load.
Is the net after deadhead advice on whether to take the load?
No. The net after deadhead simply subtracts the cost of all miles, loaded and empty, from the linehaul, so you can see the effect of repositioning on a specific trip. Whether a load is worth running depends on your lane mix, what comes next, and the relationship. The figures here are estimates for your own planning only.
Running dispatch like an operator?
Dispatcher Command keeps your deadhead, per-mile economics, and load net in one workspace. Free to calculate. Built for dispatchers.
Join the waitlist