What deadhead miles really cost

By True Lanes · published 2026-10-17

Deadhead miles burn the same fuel, take the same hours and wear the same tires as loaded miles, and pay nothing. One load, worked twice, shows what they take away.

Count the miles you will drive

Deadhead is every mile without paying freight for that load: from the last delivery to this pickup, and from this delivery to wherever the next load starts if nobody pays for it. Use the miles you will actually drive, not the distance on a map, and include the trip to a scale, a shipper that makes you wait outside, or a yard you have to visit.

Pricing the empty miles in

The least a rate has to add for deadhead is the fuel for those miles plus the hours they take. In the example, holding profit at $1.43 for every one of the 1,300 miles would need about $1,862 of profit, which means a rate near $2,900 instead of $2,500. If the broker will not move, the question is whether the delivery puts you somewhere with outbound freight, because a load that pays a little less but ends in a busy market can beat one that ends in a dead zone.

That is what the market pages are for: each freight market lists the roads, ports, rail yards and seasonal freight that decide whether a truck finds its next load there, and the app shows how many trucks are already posted.

Open the load profit calculator

Questions

What counts as deadhead?

Every mile the truck runs without paying freight for that load: from where you delivered the last one to the pickup, and from the delivery to wherever the next load starts if nobody pays for it. Count the miles you will actually drive, not the straight line.

How much should I add to a rate for deadhead?

At least the fuel for those miles plus the time they take, and more if the delivery leaves you somewhere with few outbound loads. The calculator shows profit per total mile, so you can see what rate keeps the load worth running after the empty miles are counted.

Is a short deadhead always better?

Usually, but not always. A longer empty run to a load that delivers into a market with plenty of outbound freight can beat a short one that leaves you stranded. Judge the pair of moves, not the single load.

More guides

Worked examples use the numbers shown and are not financial or pricing advice. Every member sets their own rates.