Carrier guide · Load decisions
How to evaluate a freight rate before booking
A posted rate per mile is a starting point. To decide whether a load fits your business, compare its compensation with every mile, the time it uses and your own operating costs. The example below is arithmetic, not a market rate forecast.
By Rai Dispatch · Published · Updated · 6 minute read
Sources, examples and corrections- Count every trip mile
- Separate revenue from profit
- Include the next available day
1. Divide the load pay by all the relevant miles
Loaded rate per mile equals the agreed load pay divided by loaded miles. Total trip rate per mile includes the empty drive to pickup, plus any repositioning you include in your plan. Using the same definition for every candidate load makes the comparison more useful.
Suppose a load pays $2,000, runs 800 loaded miles and requires 100 empty miles to pickup. The loaded rate is $2.50 per mile, while the rate across the 900 known trip miles is about $2.22. A later empty reposition would lower that figure further.
| Item | Example |
|---|---|
| Agreed load pay | $2,000 |
| Loaded miles | 800 |
| Empty miles to pickup | 100 |
| Known total miles | 900 |
| Gross per loaded mile | $2.50 |
| Gross per known total mile | $2.22 |
2. Include dispatch and operating costs
For this dry van example, the 5% dispatch fee on the full $2,000 billing base is $100. The remaining $1,900 is about $2.11 per known total mile before fuel, maintenance, tires, insurance, financing, driver pay, taxes and other expenses. It is not profit. Reefer dispatch is 4% and flatbed dispatch is 5%; use your equipment’s rate for other truck types.
Use your own recent records for fuel consumption and operating costs. Avoid subtracting a cost twice: if your all in cost per mile figure already includes insurance or maintenance, do not add the same expense again. Fixed costs still matter during days the truck does not move.
3. Compare the time the load commits
A delivery appointment can turn a short run into a multi day commitment. Consider pickup readiness, live loading, unloading, extra stops and the next realistic available day. Two loads with the same rate per mile can have very different effects on the week.
Ask what happens if an appointment is missed or loading runs late. Detention, layover and other additional charges should be evaluated against the written terms, not counted as certain income before approval.
4. Review where the load leaves your truck
Check whether the destination fits your next lane, home time plan and equipment. Potential reloads can inform the decision, but an unbooked load should not be counted as guaranteed revenue.
For power only work, include trailer return obligations. For reefers, consider refrigeration fuel and washouts. For flatbeds, consider tarping and site time. For box trucks and vans, check delivery access and driver labor. The right comparison uses the actual job.
5. Make a repeatable booking decision
Write down the load pay, known total miles, key costs, appointment times and next destination before accepting. Over time, compare estimated and actual results. That feedback helps refine your pickup radius, preferred lanes and minimum acceptable terms.
Rai Dispatch supports rate discussions and lane planning. You decide whether the load meets your operating needs; no calculation can guarantee market rates, future freight or profit.
Questions carriers ask
Practical answers before you start
Is a higher rate per loaded mile always better?
No. Deadhead, waiting, handling requirements and destination can outweigh the headline rate. Compare the complete trip using consistent assumptions.
Is revenue after dispatch fees my profit?
No. Fuel, maintenance, insurance, equipment costs, driver compensation and other operating expenses still need to be accounted for.
What rate per mile should every truck accept?
There is no universal number. Your equipment, costs, lane, schedule and alternatives determine whether a specific load is workable.