Guide
How deadhead miles change load profitability
Deadhead miles are miles traveled without a load. Include them when judging a trip: the truck still travels even when those miles do not earn separate revenue. A good rate per loaded mile can look quite different across the whole journey.
Draw the whole trip first
Include the empty trip to pickup, loaded travel and any known empty repositioning after delivery. Do not count the same repositioning miles in two adjacent loads. If the next load is unknown, make that uncertainty explicit instead of assuming a paid return.
- Write down the start point, pickup and delivery.
- Estimate each loaded and empty leg separately.
- Note expected tolls, waiting time and other trip-specific costs.
- Compare options over the same start and end points where possible.
An illustrative load
A load pays $2,000 for 800 loaded miles. The truck travels 200 empty miles to pick it up. Revenue per loaded mile is $2.50, but revenue per total mile is $2,000 ÷ 1,000 = $2.00.
For illustration, assume your own consistently calculated operating cost is $1.70 per total mile. Estimated cost is $1,700 and the operating remainder is $300. If empty travel rises to 400 miles, total miles become 1,200, estimated costs become $2,040 and the remainder becomes −$40.
This simplified estimate holds the cost per mile constant. Real costs and time can change by trip. It is not an industry rate or a promise of what a load will earn.
Average costs and the next-load decision
An all-in average helps you understand whether the business covers recurring costs over time. A short-term choice between two trips also needs their incremental costs, time, destination and next opportunity. One average cannot answer every dispatch question.
A route with fewer miles might still involve more waiting, tolls or an inconvenient destination. Compare the total operating remainder and time required, then consider what work may follow. Do not treat a positive result based only on fuel as proof that the business covers all its costs.
Review estimates after the trip
Record actual loaded and empty miles once the trip is complete. Check missing GPS segments and correct your records where necessary. Compare estimated costs with recorded expenses and note what changed.
PackMule’s workflow lets a driver start a GPS trip and review mileage. Permissions and reliable records still matter; tracking is in testing and does not certify IFTA records or establish ELD compliance. Use the same total-mile basis when comparing results in a spreadsheet or the calculator.