Priority Dispatch LLC
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Trucking Cost Per Mile Calculator

Your cost per mile is the minimum you must earn on every mile just to break even. Add your monthly fixed costs (truck payment, insurance, permits) and your per-mile variable costs (fuel, maintenance, tires) and divide by the miles you run. ATRI's 2026 report puts the national average at $2.336 per mile, or $1.854 without fuel.

Fixed costs per month ($)

IRP, UCR, 2290 spread per month

Phone, parking, accounting

Variable costs

0 if you drive your own truck

Results

Cost per mile$1.415
Monthly cost$14,146
Fixed per mile$0.570
Fuel per mile$0.585

National average (ATRI 2026): $2.336 per mile. You are $0.921 below the average. Your minimum rate is $1.41 per mile on every mile, loaded or empty, plus your profit.

Everything is calculated in your browser. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.

How to use it

  1. Enter the miles you drive in a typical month, loaded and empty.
  2. Enter your monthly fixed costs: truck and trailer payments, insurance, permits, ELD and other bills.
  3. Enter fuel price, your average MPG and your maintenance and tire cost per mile.
  4. Read your total cost per mile and compare it with the national average.

Sources

Questions

What is a good cost per mile for an owner-operator?

It depends on equipment and miles, but ATRI's 2026 report puts the national average at $2.336 per mile including fuel and $1.854 excluding fuel. Owner-operators who own their truck outright or run high miles can be well below that.

Should I include deadhead miles?

Yes. Use all the miles you drive, loaded and empty. Your costs happen on every mile, so dividing by loaded miles only would make your cost per mile look lower than it really is.

How do I use my cost per mile?

Never accept a load whose rate per mile, counted over all the miles including deadhead, is below your cost per mile. Add your profit target on top to set your minimum rate.

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