What does it cost me to run a mile?
Estimate your cost per mile and the rate per mile you need to break even.
What this leaves out
- Your own pay, unless you enter it as driver pay.
- Income taxes, depreciation, and money set aside for downtime or repairs.
- Costs that are not on this form, such as detention, fines, and tolls (unless you enter them under more options).
Estimate
Example only
Cost per mile
$1.55 per mile
Uses only your numbers. Rerun it when costs change.
Example numbers. Yours will differ.
Need cash to cover costs between loads? Send one financing request.
Assumptions and sources
- Diesel price. The default is the U.S. Energy Information Administration weekly average on-highway diesel retail price, $6.199 per gallon for the week of October 5, 2026, rounded to $6.20. The price includes taxes. As of . U.S. Energy Information Administration, https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/.
- Every other default. An example, not a typical value. As of . Example.
- Deadhead. Deadhead counts. Enter total miles, loaded and empty. As of . Calculation scope.
- Fixed costs. Fixed costs are spread over your monthly miles. Fuel and the per-mile costs are added on top. As of . Calculation scope.
- Rounding. Results round only when displayed. As of . Calculation scope.
How the math works
Fuel per mile is the price of a gallon divided by your miles per gallon. Your monthly fixed costs (truck payment, insurance, and other fixed costs) are divided by your monthly miles to get fixed cost per mile. Add fuel, maintenance, and any driver pay or other per-mile costs, and you have your cost per mile. That is also your break-even rate: what a mile must pay just to cover your costs. If you enter a profit you want per mile, it is added on top. Monthly operating cost is your cost per mile times your monthly miles. Fewer miles spread the same fixed bills over fewer miles, so the cost per mile goes up.
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Frequently asked questions
Which miles should I count?
All of them, loaded and empty. Empty miles (deadhead) burn fuel and wear the truck, so leaving them out makes your cost look lower than it is.
Is the break-even rate my profit?
No. It is the rate that covers the costs you entered. Anything above it is what is left after those costs. Taxes, your own pay, and money for downtime are not in it unless you add them.
Where does the diesel price come from?
The default is the EIA weekly U.S. average on-highway diesel price, $6.199 per gallon for the week of October 5, 2026, including taxes. Your price at the pump will differ by location and fuel stop, so enter your own.
How do I use my result when I look at a load?
Compare it to what the load pays per mile, counting every mile you drive to run it, empty ones included. If the load pays less than your cost per mile, it loses money before your own pay.
Why does the cost per mile change when I change miles?
Your fixed bills do not shrink when you drive less. They get spread over fewer miles, so each mile carries more of them.
Does BreadRoute keep my numbers?
The tool runs in your browser and can remember your entries on your device so another tool can reuse them. We do not receive them unless you send a request.
Sources
- Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update, U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2026
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