Free tool
Minimum rate calculator
Before you say yes to a load, work out the lowest total rate that covers what it will cost you, including the empty miles you must drive to get there and the empty miles you expect afterward.
Result
Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. Example numbers are invented (EXAMPLE VALUES). This is a calculator, not financial, tax or legal advice.
The formulas
all miles = loaded + empty to pickup + empty after cost = all miles x cost per all mile + extra costs break-even rate = cost with profit = cost + target profit with margin = cost / (1 - margin) per loaded mile = rate / loaded miles
The tool shows whichever of profit and margin is higher as the minimum, so you do not accidentally pick the weaker target.
Worked example (invented)
612 loaded miles, 48 empty to the pickup and 35 empty after: 695 miles. At $2.09 per mile that is $1,452.55, plus $85 in tolls, so $1,537.55 to break even. A 10% margin lifts it to $1,708.39, which is $2.791 per loaded mile.
How to use it on the phone with a broker
- Fill it in before you call, not during. Pressure makes everything look reasonable.
- Count the empty miles after delivery honestly. A load into a thin area costs more than the map shows.
- If the offered rate is below the break-even, the load loses money before detention or a late invoice. Know that number before you hear the offer.
- If you accept a low rate on purpose (to reposition, for example), write down why, so it is a decision and not a habit.
This is a floor from your own costs. It is not a market rate, and we do not have live freight rates.
Questions
Where do I get my cost per all mile?
Use the cost per mile calculator with a month of real numbers.
Should the empty miles after delivery be included?
If you will really drive them without freight, yes. They are a cost the load causes. If a good return load is already lined up, enter a smaller number and say so to yourself.
Does this include detention I might bill?
No. Detention is extra income you may be owed if the rate confirmation allows it. See the detention calculator.
Formula table
| Quantity | Formula | Note |
|---|---|---|
| All miles | loaded + empty to pickup + empty after | Empty miles are counted. |
| Cost of the miles | all miles x cost per all mile | Your cost per mile, from your own books. |
| Break-even rate | cost of the miles + extra costs | Floor before any profit. |
| With target profit | break-even + profit | Dollars per load. |
| With target margin | break-even / (1 - margin) | The higher of the two targets is the answer. |
What this means for you
This is a floor made from your own costs. It is not a market rate and it does not know what the lane pays. Any offer below it either loses money or earns less than the target you typed.
Use it before you counter-offer: the number tells you how far you can come down and still be paid for the job.
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