Calculator 10 / Cost Per Mile
Cost Per Mile Calculator
Work out your true operating cost per mile from fixed and variable costs, and a suggested minimum rate to quote.
How this calculator works
This is the standard owner-operator cost-per-mile method: separate your costs into fixed (money you spend whether you drive or not — truck payment, insurance, permits) and variable (costs tied directly to miles driven — fuel, tires, maintenance), then divide each by your period's mileage. Any freight rate below your total operating CPM loses money before you've even added a profit margin.
Why split fixed and variable costs instead of just totaling everything?
Fixed costs stay the same whether you drive 5,000 or 15,000 miles a month, so more miles spreads them thinner and lowers your fixed CPM — separating the two shows you exactly how volume affects your break-even point.
What counts as a reasonable profit per mile?
It varies widely by market and equipment type, but many owner-operators target somewhere in the $0.10–$0.30 per mile range above their true operating cost — treat this as a starting point to adjust for your specific situation.
Estimates only. This is a planning tool, not tax or financial advice — work with an accountant familiar with trucking for actual business decisions, and revisit your numbers regularly as fuel and maintenance costs change.