What is the average trucking cost per mile?

ATRI reported $2.336 a mile for 2025, or $1.854 a mile without fuel.

How do I calculate my trucking cost per mile?

Add up a month of costs and divide by every mile driven that month, loaded and empty.

Trucking · straight answer

Trucking costs about $2.34 a mile. Yours is the one that counts.

The industry average was $2.336 a mile in 2025, or $1.854 a mile without fuel, per the American Transportation Research Institute.Verified

What goes into it

ATRI 2025, per mile	Cost
Truck and trailer payments	$0.404
Repair and maintenance	$0.215
Insurance	$0.106
Everything, without fuel	$1.854
Everything, with fuel	$2.336

Source: ATRI Operational Costs of Trucking, as reported by FreightWaves, July 2026. Those averages include fleets with company drivers on wages.

One real number

In May 2026 one flatbed truck ran 17 loads and 4,953 total miles. Its costs were $13,094.Verified That's $2.64 a mile in costs.Calculated The average doesn't tell you that. Your own receipts do.

How to figure yours

Add up one month of costs: truck payment, insurance, fuel, repairs, tires, permits, phone, parking, everything. Divide by all the miles you drove, loaded and empty. That's your cost per mile. Any load that pays less than that over every mile runs you backwards.

Use the cost-per-mile calculator

Grade your next load against your own number

LaneLoc takes your cost per mile and grades a load before you book it: what it pays, what it costs you, and what you really keep after deadhead.

Grade a load free in LaneLoc