Load Profitability Calculator
Revenue, fees, every mile and your cost per mile in; estimated profit, effective rate and the rate you need out. Know before you book, not after you deliver.
The numbers filled in are a worked example. Replace them with yours.
Revenue
Miles
Empty miles after delivery that this load forces, for example back to a better freight market. Leave 0 if your next load picks up nearby.
Costs and fees
From the cost per mile calculator.
Tolls, lumper, scale. Only costs not already in your CPM.
Only used for the time estimate.
Estimated profit on this load
Compare two loads
| Load A (saved) | This load |
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Time is driving time at your average speed only. It does not predict loading time, detention or how soon you will find the next load.
A Texas Solutions dispatcher negotiates every rate and plans lanes around your cost per mile. Semi trucks 5%, hotshots 7%, box trucks 8% of weekly gross. You approve every load.
What does the Load Profitability Calculator do?
Free load profitability calculator: revenue, dispatch and factoring fees, deadhead and return miles, your cost per mile and trip expenses give estimated profit, effective rate per mile and the rate you need.
How load profit is calculated
The inputs: revenue R, total trip miles M (deadhead + loaded + return), operating cost per mile C, extra trip expenses A, dispatch fraction d and factoring fraction f (5% = 0.05).
- When both fees apply to the same revenue: Estimated profit = R × (1 − d − f) − M × C − A
- For a profit target P: Required revenue = (M × C + A + P) ÷ (1 − d − f)
- Effective rate per mile = total revenue ÷ total trip miles
- Profit margin = estimated profit ÷ total revenue × 100
When other pay (fuel surcharge, detention, accessorials) is not subject to a fee, that fee is applied to the linehaul only: profit = linehaul + other pay − d × (dispatch base) − f × (factoring base) − M × C − A, and the required linehaul is solved the same way.
Avoid counting a cost twice. If your cost per mile already includes tolls, lumpers or your dispatch and factoring fees, leave them out here (or tick the box). The result is an estimated profit based on the costs you entered, not a guarantee.
A load pays $2,400 linehaul for 600 loaded miles, with 50 deadhead miles to the pickup and no return trip. The carrier's cost per mile is $1.50, tolls are $60 (not in the CPM), dispatch is 5% and factoring 3% of the same revenue.
- Total trip miles M = 650; mileage cost = 650 × $1.50 = $975
- Fees = $2,400 × (0.05 + 0.03) = $192
- Estimated profit = $2,400 × 0.92 − $975 − $60 = $1,173 (48.9% margin)
- Effective rate = $2,400 ÷ 650 = $3.69 a mile, against $4.00 per loaded mile
- For an $800 profit: required revenue = ($975 + $60 + $800) ÷ 0.92 = $1,995 ($3.32 per loaded mile); break-even is $1,125
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a load is profitable?
Take the total revenue, subtract the dispatch and factoring fees, your cost per mile times every mile the load takes (deadhead, loaded and any return trip) and any extra trip expenses. If the estimated profit is positive and worth the time, the load is profitable; if it is thin or negative, it is likely not worth it unless it repositions you for a better load.
Should deadhead miles count against a load's profit?
Yes. Deadhead miles cost fuel and time just like loaded miles, so they are included in total trip miles when working out true cost and effective rate per mile. So are return or repositioning miles the load forces on you.
How do dispatch and factoring fees affect a load's profit?
Both are a percentage of revenue, so they come off the top before your costs. With a 5% dispatch fee and a 3% factoring fee on the same revenue, you keep 92 cents of every revenue dollar. The calculator lets you choose whether each fee applies to other pay such as fuel surcharge, to match your agreements.
What rate do I need to make a set profit on a load?
Required revenue = (total miles x cost per mile + extra expenses + the profit you want) / (1 - dispatch fraction - factoring fraction). The calculator shows this as the linehaul you need, and the break-even linehaul when your target profit is zero.
Related calculators
Fixed and variable costs, your own pay shown separately, per total and per loaded mile.
Surcharge per mile and per trip by your contract's method: per-mile, step table or percentage.
Eligible detention hours and estimated pay from arrival, release, free time and your agreed rate.
Ready to keep your truck loaded?
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