Enter a load's pay and miles to get your rate per loaded mile, your rate per total (deadhead-adjusted) mile, your profit per mile, and a verdict against current spot averages. The rate per total mile, measured against your own cost, is the only number that actually pays you.
Don't know your cost per mile? Work it out first with the cost-per-mile calculator — leaving your own pay out of it is the #1 reason a "good rate" still loses money. Default $2.26/mi is ATRI's 2024 industry-average marginal cost; most solo owner-operators land $1.80–$2.20 all-in.
There are two yardsticks, and you need both. The first is your own all-in cost per mile — fixed costs, fuel, maintenance, tires, and your pay, divided by the miles you actually run. For most solo owner-operators that lands between $1.80 and $2.20 per mile. Any load priced below that is losing you money no matter how the rate "looks." The second yardstick is the market: as of mid-2026, national average spot rates (including fuel surcharge) sit near $2.79/mi for dry van, $3.12/mi for reefer, and $3.60/mi for flatbed. Use the market number as a gut-check, but book against your cost.
Brokers quote rate per loaded mile because it always looks bigger. But the deadhead miles you drive to the pickup burn real fuel and wear for zero revenue, so the rate that actually hits your wallet is pay ÷ (loaded + deadhead) miles. A $3.00/mi load with 200 miles of deadhead can pay you less per total mile than a $2.40/mi load sitting right under your wheels. The calculator above always shows you both.
| Equipment | Avg spot rate /mi | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Dry van | ~$2.79 | General freight, the largest market |
| Reefer | ~$3.12 | Temperature-controlled (food, pharma) |
| Flatbed | ~$3.60 | Building materials, machinery, steel |
National averages move weekly and vary a lot by lane, season, and fuel. Treat them as a sanity check, not a quote.
A good rate first has to beat your own all-in cost per mile (usually $1.80–$2.20 for a solo owner-operator). As a market gut-check, mid-2026 spot averages run ~$2.79/mi dry van, ~$3.12/mi reefer, ~$3.60/mi flatbed — including fuel surcharge.
Total miles (loaded + deadhead). Rate per loaded mile ignores the unpaid miles to pickup, so it always overstates what you actually earn.
The big levers are fuel economy, a cheaper truck payment, and running more paid miles per month. Knock down deadhead, and shop fuel — that's why fuel cards and load-board tools can pay for themselves.
Break-even default uses ATRI's 2024 average marginal cost of $2.26/mile (non-fuel record ~$1.78/mile); spot benchmarks are mid-2026 national averages and differ by lane. Sources: ATRI operational-cost data and national spot-rate indices. Last updated June 2026. Estimates for planning only — verify before booking. Built by TruckMargin.