Trip costs
Compare the whole trip, including empty miles.
A quoted load rate does not explain the whole trip. Empty miles, fuel, tolls and other operating costs change what remains from that quote. LoadVerge compares these entered assumptions before a person decides whether a trip is worth reviewing further.
What are deadhead miles?
Deadhead miles are miles driven without a paying load. For a specific opportunity, that can include the empty drive from the truck’s current location to pickup. If your comparison also includes repositioning after delivery, include that distance consistently across the opportunities you compare.
A quote divided by loaded miles alone can hide the cost of getting to the load. Include both loaded and empty miles when reviewing the whole trip. LoadVerge’s mileage inputs are manually entered estimates, not truck-route directions.
Truck trip-cost calculator
Starts with the fictional example below. Replace each assumption with your own figures. Calculations stay on this page and are not saved or submitted.
Estimate using your inputs
- Total miles
- 306
- Fuel estimate
- $181.25
- Other operating costs
- $351.90
- All entered costs, including tolls
- $545.15
- Remaining after entered costs
- $604.85
- Gross revenue per total mile
- $3.76
The remaining amount is not guaranteed profit or take-home pay. Missing expenses are not included. Avoid counting fuel twice in the other cost-per-mile field.
The formulas behind the estimate
These are the same arithmetic calculations used in LoadVerge’s internal trip comparison. The quality of the result depends on the inputs.
- Total miles
- Loaded miles + empty miles
- Estimated fuel cost
- Total miles ÷ miles per gallon × fuel price per gallon
- Other operating costs
- Total miles × entered cost per mile, excluding fuel
- Remaining after entered costs
- Quoted rate − fuel − other operating costs − tolls
- Gross revenue per total mile
- Quoted rate ÷ total miles
A fictional load, worked through
Suppose a load quote is $1,150 for 288 loaded miles, with 18 empty miles to pickup. Enter 6.5 MPG, fuel at $3.85 per gallon, $1.15 per mile in other operating costs, and $12 in tolls. These are teaching assumptions, not current fuel prices or a freight offer.
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Total miles | 306 |
| Estimated fuel | $181.25 |
| Other operating costs | $351.90 |
| Tolls | $12.00 |
| All entered costs | $545.15 |
| Remaining after entered costs | $604.85 |
| Gross revenue per total mile | $3.76 |
Using only the 288 loaded miles makes gross revenue look like $3.99 per mile. Including the empty drive brings it to about $3.76. Neither number tells you whether the appointment schedule, equipment or next destination is suitable.
What the calculator does not know
It does not pull live rates, fuel prices, truck-safe mileage or actual expenses. Waiting time, driver compensation, maintenance, insurance, fees, taxes and other expenses only affect this estimate if you account for them in your inputs. Do not treat the remaining amount as a complete profit calculation.
Review the numbers alongside the dispatch planning checklist. A favorable estimate does not confirm a booking or authorize a driver to begin travel.