Profit Per Load Calculator
See true net profit after fuel, deadhead, dispatch, factoring, tolls, and lumpers — plus margin and effective rate per mile — before you accept the load.
The short answer: profit per load is the booked rate minus every variable cost tied to that trip. Run the defaults on this page — $3200 rate, 1100 loaded miles, 85 deadhead, 6.5 MPG, $5.26/gal diesel, 6% dispatch — and you land near $2050 net (64.1% margin) and roughly $1.73 per total mile after fuel and the dispatch fee. That is the number that matters, not the gross on the load board.
Why Gross Rate Lies to Owner-Operators
A $3,200 load sounds like a win until fuel, empty miles, percentage fees, and a lumper finish the story. Carriers who book off gross rate alone quietly donate margin every week. This calculator forces the honest conversation: what do you actually keep after every dollar goes where it needs to go?
Pair it with the Deadhead Calculator, the Fuel Cost Calculator, and the Cost Per Mile Calculator so trip profit sits on top of a real breakeven. For negotiation tactics that protect margin before you ever open the tool, see rate negotiation tips.
Profit Per Load Calculator
Load Details
Load Expenses
How to Calculate Profit Per Load, Step by Step
Same sequence the tool runs — useful when you are on the phone with a broker and need the logic without the screen.
- 1
Pull the rate confirmation and the real miles
Use the booked rate, loaded miles from the rate con, and the empty miles you will actually run to the shipper. Guessing deadhead is the fastest way to approve a load that looks profitable on paper and loses money on the road.
- 2
Price fuel from total miles, not loaded miles
Fuel burns on every mile. Divide total miles (loaded + deadhead) by your real MPG, then multiply by your diesel price. At $5.26/gal (EIA, week of August 10, 2026) and 6.5 MPG, 1185 total miles costs about $958 in fuel alone.
- 3
Subtract percentage fees before you celebrate the gross
Dispatch and factoring come off the top of the rate. At 6% dispatch on a $3,200 load that is $192 gone before fuel. If you also factor at 3%, another $96 disappears. Run both percentages every time.
- 4
Add trip-specific cash costs
Tolls, lumpers, lumper service fees, scale tickets, permits for that lane, and layover or detention you already know you will eat. Leave them blank only when they are truly zero — not when you hope they will be.
- 5
Read net profit, margin, and effective rate together
Net profit is what you keep in dollars. Margin is net ÷ rate. Effective rate is net ÷ total miles. A load can clear a high dollar profit and still be a weak use of the week if the effective rate is soft after a long deadhead.
The Formula Behind Net Profit, Margin, and Effective Rate
Net profit = rate − fuel − dispatch fee − factoring fee − tolls − lumper − other trip costs.
Fuel = (loaded miles + deadhead miles) ÷ MPG × diesel $/gal. Never compute fuel on loaded miles alone.
Margin % = net profit ÷ rate × 100. Effective $/mi = net profit ÷ total miles.
Percentage fees apply to the gross rate, not to net. That is why a 6% dispatch fee on a thin load hurts more than the same fee on a fat one — the fee does not shrink when fuel eats the middle.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross rate | $3,200 |
| Fuel (1185 mi ÷ 6.5 MPG × $5.26) | −$958 |
| Dispatch (6%) | −$192 |
| Net profit (variable) | $2050 |
| Margin / effective rate | 64.1% / $1.73/mi |
Diesel from U.S. EIA on-highway average, week ending August 10, 2026. Your pump price and MPG will move the fuel line — update the fields.
Worked Scenarios
Healthy dry-van spot
$3200 for 1100 loaded + 85 deadhead. Fuel ≈ $958, 6% dispatch $192, no factoring/tolls/lumper. Net ≈ $2050 (64.1% margin), effective ≈ $1.73/mi on total miles.
Same rate, 250-mile deadhead
Push deadhead to 250 and fuel jumps while effective rate falls hard. Gross looks identical on the load board; the truck knows the difference. If the broker will not bump the rate, the honest move is often to pass.
Grocery with $275 lumper, no reimbursement
A $2,900 load that looked fine at $2.60/mi becomes marginal once lumper, city tolls, and appointment detention risk hit. Always ask who pays the lumper before you book produce or retail DCs.
Costs This Tool Includes — and What It Leaves Out on Purpose
Included (per load)
- Fuel on loaded + deadhead miles
- Dispatch percentage fee
- Factoring percentage fee
- Tolls, lumper, and other trip cash costs
Not included (use CPM)
- Truck / trailer payment
- Insurance, permits, plates
- Maintenance reserve and tires
- Your own wage / draw
Fixed costs belong in cost per mile and in your weekly scoreboard via the Weekly Revenue Calculator. Mixing them into every load comparison just muddies which freight is actually better.
How Deadhead, Detention, and Accessorials Quietly Kill Margin
Empty miles are the obvious killer. Less obvious: free time that expires while you wait to load, lumpers that were "supposed to be reimbursed," and toll routes you forgot to price. If a shipper is known for four-hour waits, either get detention terms in writing or add a cash buffer in the "other" field before you say yes.
For empty-mile tactics, read how to avoid deadhead. For the unpaid-wait problem, see detention time not paid. And if lumpers keep surprising you, lumper fees explained covers who typically pays and how to get it on the rate con.
When a "Good" Load Still Fails the Week
Trip profit is necessary but not sufficient. A solid Monday load that dumps you in a freight desert can force a cheap Tuesday. Score the load, then ask where you reload. Dispatchers who manage lanes — not just single rates — protect weekly revenue, which is why many carriers compare self-dispatch against a service with the Dispatch ROI Calculator and the honest take in why hire a dispatcher.
If you are still building authority or rebuilding after a rough quarter, start with new authority dispatch and maximizing spot-rate revenue so the loads you run through this calculator are worth running at all.
Quick Decision Rules
- 30%+ variable margin: strong candidate if the reload market is acceptable.
- 15–30%: take it when it positions the truck, skip it when it strands you.
- Under 15%: renegotiate rate, cut deadhead, or pass — hope is not a strategy.
- Effective rate below your CPM breakeven: you are working for the truck payment. Stop.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if a load is profitable?
A load is profitable when the rate exceeds every variable cost tied to that trip — fuel on loaded and empty miles, dispatch, factoring, tolls, lumpers, and other trip costs — and still leaves a margin that covers your share of fixed costs for the week. Most healthy carriers target 25–35% variable profit margin per load before truck payment and insurance. This calculator shows net profit, margin, and effective rate so you can decide before you book.
What profit margin should I aim for on each load?
Aim for 30% or higher on variable expenses when you can get it. Fifteen to 30% is workable if your fixed costs are low and utilization is high. Under 15% is fragile — one detention, breakdown, or fuel spike can erase the trip. Remember this tool measures per-load variable profit only; fixed costs still come out of those dollars.
Should I include deadhead miles when calculating profit per load?
Yes. Deadhead burns fuel and time with zero revenue. If you empty 150 miles to a pickup at 6.5 MPG and $5.26/gallon, that empty stretch alone costs about $121 in fuel. Always evaluate total miles, not just the loaded leg on the rate confirmation.
Should I factor in dispatch fees when evaluating loads?
Always. At 6% on a $3,200 load the fee is $192; at 8% box-truck dispatch it is $256. Those dollars are real. A dispatcher who consistently improves rate and cuts deadhead can still be a net win — run the Dispatch ROI Calculator to prove it — but every load you score yourself must deduct the fee you actually pay.
How do factoring fees change profit per load?
Factoring is a percentage of the invoice, usually 1–5% depending on volume and recourse. On a $3,200 load at 3%, that is $96. It does not change your fuel burn, but it does change take-home. If you only need cash on some loads, toggle factoring on those trips only so you do not bake a cash-advance fee into loads you can wait 30 days to collect.
What is effective rate per mile and why does it matter?
Effective rate is net profit divided by total miles (loaded + deadhead). It answers whether the trip was a good use of the truck compared with other options that week. Two loads can both clear $800 net; the one that did it in 900 total miles beats the one that needed 1,400.
Does this calculator include truck payment and insurance?
No. Those are fixed monthly costs. This tool isolates the trip so you can compare loads apples-to-apples. Use the Cost Per Mile Calculator for the full operating picture, then make sure the effective rates you accept sit above your loaded-mile breakeven.
How much do lumper fees usually cost?
Grocery and big-box receivers commonly charge $150–$400+ for unload help, sometimes more for multi-SKU or night appointments. Some brokers reimburse lumpers with a receipt; many do not. If the rate con is silent, assume you eat it and price the load accordingly.
What if the load looks profitable but the next pickup is empty for 250 miles?
Chain the math. A strong outbound that strands you in a dead market can erase the win on the following empty. Score the current load, then estimate the next deadhead before you commit. Lane planning beats single-load optimism.
How often should I recalculate fuel cost in the tool?
Every time diesel moves enough to matter. EIA on-highway diesel was $5.257/gal for the week ending August 10, 2026. A $0.40 swing at 6.5 MPG is about $0.06 per mile — enough to flip a thin margin. Update the fuel price field when you fill up, not once a quarter.
Every Load We Book Is Profit-Checked
Our dispatchers analyze fuel cost, deadhead, and fees on every load before presenting it. You only see loads that actually make you money.