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Trucking Cost Per Mile Calculator

Enter your monthly miles and costs to see your break-even rate per mile and the rate you need for a target margin.

mi
$

Payments, insurance, permits, ELD, parking

$/mi
$

Leave 0 if paid per mile

$/gal
mpg
$/mi
$/mi
$
%

Of revenue

Example values are pre-filled — replace them with your own. Fixed costs = truck/trailer payments, insurance, permits, ELD, parking, admin. Estimates for planning only; nothing you enter is stored or sent.

Cost per mile

$1.75

Your break-even rate per mile

Fixed
$0.450/mi
Fuel
$0.500/mi
Other variable (driver, maint., tires)
$0.800/mi
Total monthly cost
$17,500
Rate for 10% margin
$1.94/mi
Where each mile's cost goesIllustrative
  • Fixed (spread over miles)$0.450/mi26%
  • Fuel$0.500/mi29%
  • Driver, maintenance, tires$0.800/mi46%

Plots the numbers you entered. Not a benchmark or a forecast.

Cost per mile vs miles drivenIllustrative
Cost per mile falls as monthly miles rise. At 10k miles it is $1.75.$1.60$1.85$2.09target rate $1.94$1.756kmiles per month14k

Same inputs, different monthly miles: fixed costs spread thinner as miles rise. Illustrative, not a forecast.

How it is calculated

  • Fixed cost per mile = (fixed costs + driver salary + tolls and other) ÷ monthly miles.
  • Fuel per mile = fuel price per gallon ÷ miles per gallon.
  • Variable cost per mile = fuel + maintenance + tires + driver pay per mile.
  • Cost per mile = fixed per mile + variable per mile. Target rate = cost per mile ÷ (1 − target margin).

Formulas last reviewed 2026-10-08. Results are estimates for planning, not accounting, tax or legal advice.

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Want this on every load, automatically?

Cost per mile is only useful if it is current. FleetSpire is designed to roll fuel, driver pay and fixed costs into per-load margin. It is in early access: join the waitlist and we will tell you when it opens. Plans and terms are not final.

Nothing you enter here is stored or sent. See the privacy notice.

Common questions

About the trucking cost per mile calculator

What is cost per mile in trucking?

Cost per mile is your total operating cost divided by the miles you drive. It is the minimum rate per mile you must earn to break even.

What should be included in fixed costs?

Costs that do not change with miles: truck and trailer payments, insurance, permits and licences, ELD subscription, parking and administration.

What is the difference between break-even rate and target rate?

Break-even is your cost per mile. The target rate adds the profit margin you choose, calculated as cost divided by one minus the margin.

Is my data saved?

No. The calculator runs in your browser and nothing you enter is stored or sent.

Trucking Cost Per Mile Calculator — FleetSpire