Load profitability calculator
By Fernandez · Updated October 2026
Check what a load really leaves you before you say yes.
Net before truck payment and insurance
$1,020
True rate per mile (all miles)
$2.31
Net per hour
$64
Fixed costs (payment, insurance) are left out so you can compare loads; subtract them per day from the trucking cost per mile calculator for a full picture.
This load nets about $1,020 before fixed costs. We line up loads that beat it, and you choose.
Our dispatchers find and negotiate the loads; you approve each one and sign the rate con. 5% of gross for one truck with an MC 6 months or older, no setup fee.
Start dispatchHow it is calculated
- Gross = load rate + extra stops x stop pay.
- Fuel = (loaded + empty miles) / MPG x diesel price.
- Costs = fuel + other running cost x miles + tolls + gross x dispatch fee.
- Net = gross - costs. True rate per mile = gross / all miles. Net per hour = net / hours.
Worked example
| Item | EXAMPLE |
|---|---|
| Rate | $1,800 |
| Loaded and empty miles | 700 + 80 |
| Fuel at $3.80 and 6.5 MPG | about $456 |
| Other running costs at $0.30 a mile | $234 |
| Dispatch fee at 5% | $90 |
| Net before fixed costs | about $1,020 |
| True rate per mile | $2.31 |
| Net per hour over 16 hours | about $64 |
EXAMPLE load and costs.
Comparing loads
Run two loads through the calculator and compare net and net per hour, not the headline rate. A $2,400 load with 250 empty miles and a day of waiting can leave less than a $1,800 load close by. Then think about where each one leaves you: a slightly weaker load into a strong market can set up a better next load.
To see whether a dispatcher's fee pays for itself across a month, use the dispatch ROI calculator. Idle hours cost fuel too; the APU ROI payback calculator prices that. For the bigger question of whether the truck pays as an investment, read is buying a semi truck a good investment and semi truck depreciation by age and mileage.
Mistakes that make a load look better than it is
- Counting only loaded miles. Empty miles to the pickup burn fuel and wear the truck the same as loaded ones.
- Using last month's diesel price. Fuel moves weekly; use the price you will actually pay on this trip.
- Ignoring time. A load with long waits at the dock ties up the truck; compare net per hour, not just net.
- Forgetting where the load ends. A good rate into a dead market can cost you the next day; price the way out too.
Loads that beat this one
We find and price loads with empty miles included, and you choose.