Good rate per mile & deadhead guide

What "good" actually means, and why empty miles decide it

What counts as a good rate per mile?

There is no single "good" number — it depends entirely on your cost per mile. A truck running at $1.25 CPM and a truck running at $1.85 CPM will treat the same $2.10/mile load completely differently. Use the calculator to find your break-even, then add the margin your business needs. As a rough industry reference for planning:

Trailer type	Typical all-in target (total miles)	Notes
Dry van	$1.90 – $2.50 / mi	Highest capacity, most rate pressure
Reefer	$2.20 – $2.90 / mi	Fuel for the reefer unit adds cost
Flatbed	$2.30 – $3.10 / mi	Tarping and securement time
Power only	$1.70 – $2.20 / mi	Lower fixed cost, no trailer

Ranges are illustrative planning figures, not quotes. Real market rates move weekly with lane, season, fuel, and capacity. Always price against your own numbers.

Why deadhead miles make or break a load

Brokers quote the loaded-mile rate because it looks bigger. A $2,000 load over 900 loaded miles is $2.22 gross RPM — attractive. Add 180 deadhead miles to reach the pickup and the true RPM drops to $1.85 over 1,080 total miles, and your fuel bill is calculated on all 1,080. Loads with heavy deadhead need a higher posted rate to land in the same place. The viability badge in the calculator always scores on net profit per total mile, so deadhead is never hidden.

Reading the true RPM correctly

True RPM is the honest comparison number when you're weighing two loads against each other, especially if one requires more deadhead to reach the pickup. Gross RPM (payout ÷ loaded miles only) will always look better than true RPM — that gap is the cost of the empty miles, so never negotiate off the gross figure alone.

See the exact math behind these numbers on the how it works page, or head back to the calculator to price your next load.