Better decisions start with numbers you can check.

Built around the decisions you make

A load can look attractive until you count the unpaid miles, the time at a dock, and the cost of keeping the truck available. TruckMargin puts those inputs in one place so you can compare the offer with your own operating costs.

The audience is solo owner-operators and small fleets in the United States and Canada. Coverage varies by tool: U.S. fuel benchmarks and U.S. tax tools use U.S. units and rules. Where a calculator offers USD and CAD, the selection changes the money label; it does not convert currencies. Use one currency consistently and check the units shown beside each input.

How the calculations work

Each tool has a specific job. The inputs, formulas, examples and limitations belong beside the result so you can understand what it includes.

Source data, modeled estimates and your inputs

These are different kinds of numbers. A published national average is not a price quote for your truck. An illustrative scenario is not a survey of what other carriers earn.

Diesel prices

Published data + modeled estimatesNational and regional on-highway diesel averages come from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. EIA does not provide an all-state diesel table. Our state estimates apply changes in EIA regional prices to historical state-to-region offsets; California uses EIA's direct reading. The page identifies the dates and assumptions. These estimates are not fresh observations of every state's pumps.

Freight-rate context

Published national averagesPublic DAT monthly market reports provide national truckload-rate context. The cost and rate index labels the observation month and distinguishes all-in rates from linehaul rates. Neither is a quote for a particular lane or box-truck delivery route.

Scenario tables

Calculated examplesEquipment comparisons, delivery quotes and factoring tables are models using disclosed assumptions. The factoring APR index annualizes per-invoice fees to show the effect of payment timing; it is not a survey of negotiated offers or a lender's APR disclosure.

Tax estimates

Published rules + user-entered inputsTax tools reference the IRS and IFTA, Inc.. Rates, eligibility and filing treatment depend on the period and jurisdiction. Check the source and effective date on the tool before using an estimate; the IFTA calculator requires you to enter the applicable jurisdiction rates.

Lane contributions

Self-reported dataLane rates are based on voluntary reports and only display aggregates after the minimum reporting threshold is met. They are not independently verified market prices. A reporting threshold reduces exposure of individual submissions; it does not prove that the sample represents a lane.

Your operating inputs

Your recordsFuel receipts, insurance renewals, maintenance history and paid and unpaid miles are more relevant to your truck than a default. Defaults demonstrate how a tool works; they are not a personalized recommendation.

For reusable data with dates, units and provenance, see the market snapshot JSON and factoring scenario JSON. Cite the corresponding tool page and identify modeled values as estimates.

Our publishing and correction standards

• Give each page a useful job. A new tool should answer a distinct operating question through a calculation, comparison or decision framework.
• Make the math inspectable. Explain inputs and units, check worked examples against the calculation, and disclose the assumptions that change the result.
• Keep data dates separate from page dates. A page review does not make every input a new observation. Source release dates and scenario assumptions remain visible on the relevant tool.
• Separate reference data from offers. National averages, hypothetical comparisons and self-reported contributions are labeled. Sponsors do not determine calculator results.
• Correct errors with context. Check the cited source and affected calculation when a problem is reported; update the relevant page and example when a correction is needed.

How the business works

TruckMargin is an independent web-tools business operated from Canada. TruckMargin publishes and maintains the calculators and explanatory content on this site. Our tools are not a substitute for advice from your accountant, tax adviser or other qualified professional.

Free tools The core calculators are free to use without an account.

Optional Pro Pro adds saved trucks, load records and exports. The core calculation tools remain available without a subscription.

Sponsorships & referrals Vendors can sponsor labeled placements. Some vendor links and introductions may earn TruckMargin a commission. Sponsorship does not change the math or imply that an offer is right for your business. See our disclosure and privacy policy.