Trucking moving and storage
Freight trip contribution and empty miles
Calculate freight trip contribution using loaded and empty miles, driver time and trip expenses.
Your inputs
Complete the fields for your selected method. Zero means intentionally zero, not unknown. Currency selection labels amounts; it does not convert exchange rates.
How this calculation works
contribution = freight receipts - total miles × non-driver cost/mile - paid driver hours × labor rate - other
Include positioning, waiting and return on the same trip scope. Do not put driver wages in both cost per mile and labor. No freight-market rate, legal driving hours or cargo safety determination is supplied. Use your own records for the same scope and period. Example figures are illustrative, not industry benchmarks. Results exclude income taxes and any cost you have not entered. Check the result before pricing work or committing resources.
What information do I need?
Use records for the same job, equipment or accounting period. Only the fields for your selected entry method are required. An unknown amount is not zero.
Input definitions and where to find them
- Loaded trip miles (miles): Use the matching measured quantity, time log, schedule or clearly stated estimate. Zero means intentionally none; an unknown amount is not zero.
- All empty positioning and return miles (miles): Use the matching measured quantity, time log, schedule or clearly stated estimate. Zero means intentionally none; an unknown amount is not zero.
- Freight receipts including paid surcharges (selected currency): Use a supplier quote, invoice, payroll record or allocated cost for the exact job or period named here. Include this amount only once.
- Vehicle cost per total mile excluding driver (selected currency): Use a supplier quote, invoice, payroll record or allocated cost for the exact job or period named here. Include this amount only once.
- Paid driver hours including waiting (hours): Use the matching measured quantity, time log, schedule or clearly stated estimate. Zero means intentionally none; an unknown amount is not zero.
- Loaded driver cost per hour (selected currency): Use a supplier quote, invoice, payroll record or allocated cost for the exact job or period named here. Include this amount only once.
- Other trip costs such as tolls (selected currency): Use a supplier quote, invoice, payroll record or allocated cost for the exact job or period named here. Include this amount only once.
Use the Where to find this value controls beside the inputs for available work-it-out helpers. Estimates remain your assumptions; a helper does not verify the source figures.
Worked example
Example amounts use US dollars (USD).
Example answer: Trip contribution after entered costs is $490.00 for the illustrative inputs below.
Example inputs
- Loaded trip miles: 400.00 miles
- All empty positioning and return miles: 100.00 miles
- Freight receipts including paid surcharges: $1,500.00
- Vehicle cost per total mile excluding driver: $1.20
- Paid driver hours including waiting: 12.00 hours
- Loaded driver cost per hour: $30.00
- Other trip costs such as tolls: $50.00
- Trip contribution after entered costs
- $490.00
- Total trip cost
- $1,010.00
- Receipts per total mile
- 3.00 currency/mile
- Empty-mile share
- 20.00 %
- Contribution per paid driver hour
- 40.83 currency/hour
These illustrative values are not recommended rates or industry averages. Replace every example input with your own figures.
Use the result well
Calculate freight trip contribution using loaded and empty miles, driver time and trip expenses. Inputs come from your own records and stated assumptions; no rates or legal limits are looked up.
Keep inputs on the same scope and time basis. Calculations retain precision internally; displayed values generally round to two decimal places, with extra precision for very small values and whole-unit rounding where required. Economic comparisons describe your supplied assumptions and do not guarantee future results.
This tool provides business arithmetic. It does not approve engineering designs, establish legal or tax treatment, select equipment or certify safe operating conditions.