How to calculate deadhead miles (and what they really cost)

Updated: November 14, 2026

Deadhead miles are the miles you drive empty: from where you are to the pickup, and from the delivery to wherever you find your next load or go home. Most drivers count the first part. Many forget the second, and that is where a "good" rate turns into a bad week.

The formula

Deadhead miles = empty miles to pickup + empty miles after delivery

Deadhead % = deadhead miles / total miles x 100

Cost of one empty mile = fuel price / empty MPG + maintenance per mile + fixed cost per mile

Worked example

Say diesel is $3.75, your truck gets 13 MPG empty, maintenance and tires run $0.15 a mile, and your fixed costs (payments, insurance, ELD, phone) are $3,200 a month over 8,000 miles, so $0.40 a mile.

So 220 empty miles after a rural delivery costs about $185 before you count the time it ties you up. That money comes straight out of the load you just hauled.

Count the miles after delivery

Before you book, ask: where will I find the next load from this drop? If the delivery is in a busy freight market, the empty miles after are close to zero. If it is a small town, put in the miles to the nearest market you usually reload from, or to home.

Compare by profit per day, not rate

A $1,800 load into a dead area with 220 empty miles after can leave less money per day than a $1,500 load into a big market. Our free calculator compares up to three loads side by side, counting deadhead on both ends, and shows the rate you would need for the weaker load to match the best one. That is a good number to bring to the broker.

Related: Is this load worth it? · Hotshot cost per mile

Estimates for planning only, not tax or legal advice.