What does it really cost
to run a mile?
Enter your monthly fixed costs, variable costs, driver pay, and miles — get your true operating cost per mile and the rate you need to beat.
CPM = (fixed + variable + driver pay) ÷ total miles. Lower miles spread fixed costs thinner, raising your CPM.
Know your cost per mile automatically.
Alogix aggregates fuel, maintenance, pay, and fixed costs across your fleet — and shows live cost per mile per truck.
What is cost per mile (CPM)?
Cost per mile is the single most important number in trucking. It is the total amount it costs to operate your truck divided by the miles you run. If you do not know your CPM, you cannot know whether a load is profitable — you are guessing. CPM rolls up three buckets: fixed costs (which you pay whether the wheels turn or not), variable costs (which scale with miles), and driver pay. Every load you book should be measured against this number.
Average trucking cost per mile in 2025
For owner-operators in 2025, all-in cost per mile typically runs $1.85 to $2.10 per mile, though it varies widely by equipment, lane, and fuel prices. Roughly speaking, fixed costs (truck payment, insurance, permits, plates) account for $0.45–$0.65/mi, while variable costs (fuel, tires, maintenance, tolls, def) account for $0.95–$1.25/mi. Fuel alone is usually the largest single line item at $0.55–$0.75/mi. Driver pay, when separated out, adds another $0.45–$0.70/mi. Carriers running fewer than 8,000 miles a month see noticeably higher CPM because fixed costs are spread over fewer miles.
How to lower your cost per mile
- 01Run more loaded miles — fixed costs are the same at 8,000 or 12,000 miles, so higher utilization directly lowers CPM.
- 02Cut deadhead — empty miles burn fuel and add to total miles without adding revenue.
- 03Improve fuel economy — every 0.5 MPG gain meaningfully reduces your largest variable cost.
- 04Stay on top of preventive maintenance — a $400 PM service is cheaper than a $4,000 roadside breakdown.
- 05Shop insurance and financing annually — fixed costs are negotiable more often than operators assume.