Deadhead Cost Calculator
Calculate your true cost of deadhead miles and find out if a load is worth the drive. Every empty mile costs you ~$1.75 in fuel, maintenance, and wear.
Understanding Deadhead Miles
Deadhead miles are empty miles you drive without freight — from your current location to the next load's pickup point. Every deadhead mile costs you approximately $1.75 in fuel, tire wear, maintenance, and depreciation.
The average owner-operator drives 15-20% deadhead miles. At 10,000 miles/month, that's 1,500-2,000 empty miles costing $2,625-$3,500/month in pure loss. Reducing deadhead from 20% to 12% saves $1,400/month.
Rule of thumb: If deadhead miles exceed 15% of your loaded miles, the load needs to pay a premium rate to be worth it. Use this calculator to check before accepting.