What it really costs to run a truck per mile this year, what lanes are actually paying, and the gap between the two — in one living page, updated with real driver reports.
The American Transportation Research Institute's most recent analysis put the industry-average marginal cost of operating a truck at about $2.26 per mile (2024), with non-fuel costs at a record ~$1.78/mile. Fleets and solo owner-operators differ, so below is TruckMargin's illustrative model for a typical one-truck operation running ~9,000 miles/month — run your own exact numbers in the cost-per-mile calculator.
| Cost bucket (illustrative solo O-O) | Per mile |
|---|---|
| Fuel (6.5 mpg @ ~$3.95/gal diesel) | $0.61 |
| Truck & trailer payment | $0.20 |
| Repairs & maintenance | $0.20 |
| Tires & DEF | $0.06 |
| Insurance | $0.09 |
| Permits, IFTA, ELD, parking, phone | $0.05 |
| Operating cost before pay | $1.21 |
| Your own pay (the number drivers forget) | $0.60 |
| All-in cost per mile | $1.81 |
Illustrative only — your payment, fuel economy, and miles change everything. The calculator uses your real figures. Diesel anchored to EIA retail data; see diesel cost per mile by state.
National-average all-in spot rates by equipment, for a quick gut-check. These are directional averages including fuel surcharge — your lane, season, and FSC will differ.
| Equipment | Avg spot $/mi | Cushion over $2.26 cost |
|---|---|---|
| Dry van | $2.79 | +$0.53 |
| Reefer | $3.12 | +$0.86 |
| Flatbed | $3.60 | +$1.34 |
On paper, a $2.79/mi van load clears the $2.26/mi cost of running the truck by about 53¢ a mile. But that cushion is measured on loaded miles. Add even 15% deadhead and the rate per total mile drops to roughly $2.43 — and the cushion shrinks to ~17¢. That's the whole game: a load only pays if the rate per total mile (loaded + deadhead) clears your cost per mile. Run any specific load through the load-profit checker to see it instantly.
Crowd-sourced, self-reported, unverified — informational only, not a price recommendation. Lanes appear once at least three drivers have reported them. Add your lane →
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TruckMargin provides estimates for planning only and is not financial, tax, or accounting advice.
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