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Glossary

Backhaul

A backhaul is a return load picked up near a delivery destination to avoid driving empty on the way back to a carrier's home base or next pickup location.

What Is Backhaul?

A backhaul is a load that takes you in the direction of home or your next desired location after completing a delivery. Instead of deadheading (driving empty) from your delivery point, you pick up a backhaul load that generates revenue on the return trip. Backhauls are essential for profitability because they turn what would be empty, cost-only miles into revenue-generating miles.

Backhaul rates are often lower than headhaul rates because there is typically less demand for freight moving in the return direction. For example, if you haul a premium load from Los Angeles to Dallas at $3.00/mile, the backhaul from Dallas to LA might only pay $2.20/mile because many trucks are competing for the return trip. However, $2.20/mile is infinitely better than $0/mile deadheading.

The best backhaul strategy considers not just the immediate return load but your entire weekly plan. Sometimes a lower-paying backhaul that positions you near a high-demand origin market is more profitable over the full week than a higher-paying backhaul that leaves you in a freight desert. This is where experienced dispatchers add significant value — they think multiple loads ahead.

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Why It Matters

Without backhauls, you could deadhead 30-50% of your total miles, slashing your effective per-mile earnings in half. Consistently finding backhaul loads is the difference between earning $0.85/mile net and $1.40/mile net over a week. It is one of the most impactful factors in owner-operator profitability.

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Real-World Example

Ahmed delivers a $3.15/mile dry van load from Chicago to Jacksonville (950 miles = $2,993). Without a backhaul, he deadheads 950 miles home — burning $585 in fuel. Net: $2,408 for 1,900 total miles = $1.27/mile effective. With a backhaul from Jacksonville to Nashville at $2.40/mile (550 miles = $1,320), then Nashville to Chicago at $2.60/mile (470 miles = $1,222), he earns $5,535 total for 1,970 miles driven = $2.81/mile effective. The backhauls more than doubled his effective rate.
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How FF Dispatch Handles This

FF Dispatch plans your full weekly route with backhauls in mind. We start booking your return load before you even deliver, ensuring minimal empty miles. Our 500+ broker relationships give us access to backhaul freight that never appears on load boards.

Related Terms

Deadhead Miles

Deadhead miles are the miles a truck drives empty without any freight, generating zero revenue while still costing fuel and wear.

Freight Lane

A freight lane is a specific origin-to-destination route that carriers regularly run, with predictable freight volumes, rates, and demand patterns.

Load Board

A load board is an online marketplace where freight brokers and shippers post available loads and carriers search for freight to haul.

Per Mile Rate

The per mile rate is the amount a carrier is paid for each mile driven on a load, and is the primary measure of load profitability in trucking.

Dispatch Service

A dispatch service is a company that finds loads, negotiates rates, handles paperwork, and manages logistics for owner-operators in exchange for a percentage of the load revenue.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are backhaul rates always lower than headhaul rates?+
Usually, but not always. Seasonal demand, produce seasons, and regional events can flip rate dynamics. For example, Florida-to-Northeast reefer rates spike during produce season, making what is normally a backhaul more profitable than the headhaul.
Should I wait for a better backhaul or leave empty?+
It depends on the math. If waiting a day for a $2.50/mile backhaul versus leaving empty saves you $800 in deadhead costs but costs you one day of revenue ($1,500-$2,000), the wait may not be worth it. Your dispatcher can run these calculations for you.
How far in advance should I plan backhauls?+
Ideally, your dispatcher should be booking your backhaul before you deliver the outbound load. FF Dispatch typically starts searching for backhaul freight the day before your delivery, ensuring no gap between loads.

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