Guides / Trucking
Should I take this load? TAKE / NEGOTIATE / PASS
Rate plus surcharge against all the km including deadhead at your cost per km. A verdict and the counter to ask for.
Skip the reading. The tool does this maths for you, free, as you type.
Check a loadA load is a rate against distance, and the distance includes the deadhead to get there. Profit is what is left after your cost per km on all of it. Fifteen percent margin is the line. Works the same in miles: flip the switch on the calculator.
The formula
Profit = rate + surcharge − (loaded + deadhead km) × cost per km. Margin = profit ÷ gross. Counter = all km × cost per km ÷ 0.85, rounded up to $25.
What a good number looks like
15% margin or better.
Positive but under 15%. Counter at the suggested number.
Loses money over the whole trip.
What to do about it
- Always count deadhead. Brokers never do.
- Know your cost per km before the phone rings.
- Save loads in the load board and see the month, not the load.
Now do it with your numbers.
Free, no account, saved on your device. The verdict comes back while you type.
Check a load