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Cost Per Mile Calculator
Know your true all-in CPM
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Total Cost Per Mile
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Total Monthly Costs —
Fixed CPM —
Fuel CPM —
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Fuel Cost Calculator
Per trip, per week, or per month
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Total Fuel Cost
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Gallons Needed —
Fuel Cost Per Mile —
Reefer + DEF Costs —
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Owner-Operator Profit Calculator
Gross revenue minus everything it costs to earn it
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Monthly Net Profit
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Total Expenses —
Profit Margin —
Net Per Mile —
Annual Projection —
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Truck Payment Estimator
Monthly payment & total interest cost
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Monthly Payment
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Loan Amount —
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Total Cost of Truck —
Payment CPM Burden —
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Maintenance Reserve Calculator
Set aside enough before the breakdown hits
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Recommended Monthly Reserve
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Mile-Based Reserve —
Monthly Tire Allocation —
Monthly PM Allocation —
Annual Reserve Target —
Tip: Keep your reserve in a dedicated savings account, separate from operating funds.
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Load Profitability Checker
Is this load worth taking? Find out in seconds.
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Net Profit on Load
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Rate Per Loaded Mile —
Rate Per Total Mile —
Total Fuel Cost —
Fixed Cost Allocation —
Total Expenses —
Profit Margin —

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the most common questions from owner-operators and fleet managers.

A healthy total cost per mile for a semi truck typically ranges from $1.50 to $2.00 for owner-operators running efficiently. Fuel usually accounts for $0.55–$0.75/mile at current diesel prices, with fixed costs (truck payment, insurance, permits) adding another $0.60–$0.90/mile.

If your all-in CPM exceeds your rate per mile, you are losing money on every load. Most experienced operators aim to keep their CPM at least $0.50 below their loaded rate per mile to account for deadhead and slow periods.

Most experienced owner-operators reserve $0.08 to $0.15 per mile for maintenance and repairs — roughly 8–12% of gross revenue. On 10,000 miles/month, that's $800–$1,500 per month set aside.

Newer trucks (under 3 years) can get away with the lower end. High-mileage trucks over 600,000 miles should be closer to $0.15–$0.20/mile. Don't forget to budget separately for tires — a full 18-wheel replacement runs $4,000–$7,000.

Setting aside a fixed amount per mile into a dedicated savings account prevents a single repair from wiping out your operating cash.

To quickly determine load profitability:

  1. Calculate total miles (loaded + deadhead)
  2. Multiply total miles × your all-in CPM to get total costs
  3. Add any load-specific costs (tolls, lumper fees, scales)
  4. Subtract total costs from the load rate

The Load Profitability Checker above automates this. As a rule of thumb, most owner-operators won't accept a load paying less than $2.00–$2.50 per loaded mile in the current rate environment, though this varies by lane and equipment type.

Owner-operator net profit margins typically range from 5% to 20% after all expenses. The wide range reflects differences in:

  • Lease-on operators (running under a carrier): 5–10% margins, lower risk
  • Independent authority with brokered loads: 8–15% margins
  • Independent with direct shippers: 12–25%, highest upside

High fuel costs, excessive deadhead miles, and unexpected equipment breakdowns are the three biggest margin killers. Operators who plan their lanes strategically and maintain healthy maintenance reserves consistently outperform those who don't.

Daily operating costs for a semi truck vary widely, but a reasonable estimate for an owner-operator running 600–700 miles/day:

  • Fuel: $350–$450 (based on current diesel prices)
  • Truck payment (prorated): $70–$100/day
  • Insurance (prorated): $30–$50/day
  • Maintenance reserve: $50–$100/day
  • Permits, ELD, other: $10–$25/day

Total: approximately $510–$725 per operating day. This means a truck that sits idle for a day still costs $100–$175 in fixed costs without generating revenue — making truck utilization and lane efficiency critical.