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Calcimator

Deadhead Mile Cost

Calculate the true cost of empty miles and their impact on profitability.

InputsLoading live data…

mi
mi
$/gal
mpg
mpg
$
$
$

Results

Total Deadhead Cost

$127.14

≈ 8 movie tickets

Cost per Deadhead Mile

$1.27

Deadhead Percentage16.7%
Deadhead Fuel Cost$57.14
Deadhead Driver Pay$55.00
Effective Revenue/Mile$2.50
Revenue/Loaded Mile$3.00
Net Profit$659.22
Revenue Lost$300.00
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Loaded Miles (miles driven with a paying load) and Deadhead Miles (empty miles to next pickup).
  2. Set Fuel Price ($/gal), MPG Loaded, and MPG Empty.
  3. Enter the Load Revenue, Driver Pay per Mile, and Fixed Cost per Mile.
  4. Review Total Deadhead Cost, Cost per Deadhead Mile, and Deadhead Percentage of total miles.
  5. Use these figures to negotiate better load pairing or adjust minimum rate requirements.

How the result changes with Deadhead Miles

Deadhead MilesTotal Deadhead CostCost per Deadhead Mile
200$254.29$1.27
700$890.00$1.27
1,300$1,652.86$1.27
1,800$2,288.57$1.27

What each input means

Loaded Miles
Miles driven with a paying load.
Deadhead Miles
Empty miles driven to pick up the next load.
Fuel Price
Current diesel price per gallon.
MPG (Loaded)
Fuel economy when hauling a load.
MPG (Empty)
Fuel economy when running empty.
Load Revenue
Total revenue for the load.
Driver Pay per Mile
Driver compensation per mile (all miles).
Fixed Cost per Mile
Insurance, depreciation, and other fixed costs per mile.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Loaded Miles = 500, Deadhead Miles = 100, Fuel Price = 4, MPG (Loaded) = 5.5 = 8 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Total Deadhead Cost
    Total Deadhead Cost
    127.14 = $127.14
  3. Calculate Cost per Deadhead Mile
    Cost per Deadhead Mile
    1.271 = $1.271
  4. Calculate Deadhead Percentage
    Deadhead Percentage
    16.7 = 16.7
  5. Calculate Deadhead Fuel Cost
    Deadhead Fuel Cost
    57.14 = $57.14

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