What is a good profit margin on a trucking load?

Most owner-operators aim for a net margin of 15-25% after all costs. In a competitive market, margins of 10-15% are common. Below 10% net, the load may not be worth the risk and wear on your equipment.

How do I calculate if a load is profitable?

Start with the gross rate, subtract the broker fee, then subtract fuel cost (miles divided by MPG times diesel price), deadhead fuel cost, detention time value, and your allocated fixed costs per mile. The remainder is your net profit.

What costs should I include in load profitability?

Include fuel (loaded and deadhead miles), broker or dispatcher fees, detention time, lumper fees, tolls, permit costs, and a per-mile allocation of your fixed costs (insurance, truck payment, ELD, health insurance).

What is the break-even rate per mile?

Your break-even rate is your total cost per mile including fixed cost allocation. If your all-in cost is $2.10/mile, any load paying less than that loses money. Use the break-even rate calculator to find your floor.

Load Profitability Calculator for Owner-Operators

⚡ Operator Profile

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📋 The Load Offer

Load Rate ($)

Load Miles (loaded)

Deadhead Miles (to pickup)

Broker / Dispatch Fee

Custom Broker % (if selected above)

Lumper / Accessorial Fees ($)

🚛 Your Operating Costs

Fuel Economy (MPG)

Diesel Price ($/gal)

Variable Cost Per Mile

Your Variable Cost/Mile (excl. fuel)

Fixed Costs Per Week ($)

Avg Loads Per Week

Net Profit This Load

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True Rate Per Mile

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💵 Full Cost Breakdown

📋 Gross load rate—

🤝 Broker fee—

⛽ Fuel cost (loaded miles)—

🔄 Deadhead fuel cost—

🔧 Variable costs (maint, tires, misc)—

🏢 Fixed cost allocation (per load)—

📦 Lumper / accessorial fees—

✅ Net profit—

Total Miles (w/ deadhead)

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Deadhead %

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Fuel Cost

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Break-Even RPM

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Profit Margin

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Annualized (×52 loads)

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What Makes a Load Profitable?

Industry benchmarks from ATBS show that owner-operators need a minimum net margin of 12-15% after all costs to sustain a profitable operation. A load paying $2.50/mile with a total cost of $2.20/mile leaves $0.30/mile net — that's a 12% margin, which is at the floor. Anything below that and you're working for break-even or worse.

The most common mistake is calculating profitability based on gross rate without accounting for deadhead miles. A $3.00/mile load with 150 miles of empty deadhead on a 400-mile loaded run has an effective rate of $2.18/mile — well below most operators' break-even cost.

Know your floor rate before you open a load board. If the net per mile falls below your break-even, walk away — no matter how good the gross rate looks. Calculate your floor with the break-even rate calculator.

📊 Load Profitability Calculator

⚡ Operator Profile

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What Makes a Load Profitable?