Rate per mile is the most quoted number in trucking — and the easiest to misuse. A higher rate per loaded mile can still mean less money for your time. Compare loads on four measures instead.
1. All-mile rate
Deadhead changes everything. Normalize every offer:
All-mile rate = gross revenue ÷ (loaded + deadhead miles)
Load A pays $2,200 for 500 loaded and 120 deadhead miles: $3.55 per all mile. Load B pays $2,500 for 700 loaded and 300 deadhead miles: $2.50 per all mile. B's gross is higher; its real rate is lower.
2. Estimated contribution
Subtract the costs the trip creates — fuel, dispatch fee, tolls, parking — from gross. Using hypothetical fuel and other costs:
| Measure | Load A | Load B |
|---|---|---|
| Gross revenue | $2,200 | $2,500 |
| All miles | 620 | 1,000 |
| All-mile rate | $3.55/mi | $2.50/mi |
| Fuel + other trip costs | $460 | $720 |
| Dispatch fee (8%) | $176 | $200 |
| Estimated contribution | $1,564 | $1,580 |
The contributions are close — so the decision comes down to time.
3. Time
Contribution per day exposes what a load pays for your calendar:
- Load A: 2 days → $782/day
- Load B: 3 days → $527/day
Load A wins decisively on time even though Load B grossed more. Time measures matter as much as mileage.
4. Practical factors the math cannot see
- Broker credit and payment terms — slow payment has a real cost if you factor or borrow.
- Detention risk — docks with a reputation for delays turn fixed-time estimates wrong.
- Where the load leaves you — a good-paying load into a dead freight zone can be worse than a modest load into a busy lane.
- Your needs — getting closer to home has value that no calculator can price.
Put it in the calculator
The Load Comparison Calculator runs this comparison on your numbers — all-mile rate, contribution, and contribution per day side by side. For a deeper look at one offer, use the Load Profitability Calculator with maintenance reserve, factoring, driver pay, and fixed costs.
Compare loads on your costs and your schedule. The load that wins on paper with someone else's assumptions may lose with yours.
This article is for general education only and is not financial, tax, or legal advice. All figures are hypothetical.