Cost per mile calculator for owner-operators

Your cost per mile is your breakeven rate – the number every load has to clear. This free calculator does the math: enter your monthly fixed costs and per-mile variable costs and it returns your total cost per mile, your breakeven, and your profit at a given rate. The diesel field is pre-filled with the live national average so your fuel line is current.

The formula

Cost per mile = (monthly fixed costs / miles driven) + per-mile variable costs. Fixed costs (payment, insurance, permits) are spread over the miles you run; variable costs (fuel, maintenance, tires, tolls, pay) accrue per mile. For context, the ATRI 2025 Update put the 2024 industry average at $2.260 per mile all-in, and $1.779 per mile excluding fuel – but your number is the one that matters.

Operating

Miles per month

mi

Fixed costs (per month)

Truck & trailer payment

$

Insurance

$

Permits, ELD, parking, other

$

Variable costs

Truck MPG

mpg

Diesel price

$/gal

National estimate — set your real price

Maintenance & tires

$/mi

Tolls, scales, other

$/mi

Driver pay

$/mi

Your rate (optional)

Line-haul rate

$/mi

Total cost per mile$0.000

Breakeven rate$0.000

Fuel / mi$0.000

Fixed / mi$0.000

Variable / mi$0.000

Profit / mi$0.000

Profit / month$0.00

Cost per mile = monthly fixed costs / miles + per-mile variable costs (fuel + maintenance + tolls + pay). Breakeven equals your total cost per mile; whatever your line-haul rate beats it by is profit. Estimates only.

How to use it

Use one real month. Total your fixed costs and enter your miles, then fill in your variable costs per mile. The fuel line auto-fills from the live diesel average; adjust it to your actual pump price and MPG. Read your breakeven, then test a line-haul rate to see your profit per mile and per month. If the rate does not clear your cost per mile, it is a losing load.

Next steps

Want the full walkthrough behind these numbers? Read how to find your real breakeven. Then make sure you are charging a proper fuel surcharge on top of the line-haul, and check current market conditions on the HaulPoint Spot Rate Index. Estimates only – use your own figures.