Key facts
| Deadhead cost | Deadhead miles × your cost per mile |
|---|---|
| Fuel only | Deadhead miles ÷ MPG × diesel price |
| Real rate of a load | Total pay ÷ (loaded + deadhead miles) |
| Example | $1,500 for 500 loaded + 100 empty miles = $2.50 per total mile, not $3.00 |
| Diesel price | Weekly U.S. average from the EIA, or your own receipts |
Step by step
Find your cost per mile
Use your monthly costs and miles, or the free CPM calculator, to get your all-in cost per mile.
Measure the empty miles
Count the miles from where you are to the pickup, and from the delivery to your next load or home if you'll run empty.
Multiply
Deadhead miles × cost per mile is what the empty part of the trip costs you. For fuel alone, divide the miles by your MPG and multiply by the diesel price.
Compare loads by total miles
Divide each load's pay by loaded plus deadhead miles. The load with the higher loaded-mile rate isn't always the better one.
Checklist
- Cost per mile worked out
- Miles to pickup counted
- Empty miles after delivery counted
- Each load compared by pay ÷ total miles
FAQ
Do brokers pay for deadhead miles?
Usually not as a separate line: the rate covers the load. That's why the empty miles need to be priced into what you accept. On long deadheads, it's reasonable to ask for a higher rate.
How much deadhead is too much?
There's no single number. What matters is the rate per total mile: if the pay divided by loaded plus empty miles is still above your minimum rate, the load can still be worth it.
Want someone to handle it?
Tell us what you need and a Trucking Help Center specialist will reach out, free.
Official sources
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm your exact situation with the agency linked above.