Every mile a truck drives without freight costs fuel, tires, maintenance and the driver's time, and earns nothing. Brokers quote rates on loaded miles, so a load that looks good on the board can look very different after the drive to the pickup.
Measure it on every load
Deadhead percentage is the empty miles divided by all miles driven. Track it by load and by week. Many carriers watch it closely and try to keep it as low as the lanes allow.
Judge the load on all miles
Divide the revenue by all miles, loaded and empty. That all-miles rate is what the truck actually earned for the distance it covered, and it is the number to compare with your cost per mile.
Ways to cut it
- Book the next load before delivering the current one.
- Learn which delivery areas reload well and which do not.
- Price loads into weak markets higher, to cover the drive back out.
- Compare a nearby reload with repositioning to a stronger market.
Our deadhead calculator shows the empty-mile share, the all-miles rate and what the empty miles cost.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or regulatory advice. Rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible agency or a licensed professional.
