Empty miles are the number your pitch leaves out.
A rate per mile sounds simple. The trouble is that you are paid for the loaded miles and you drive all of them. The miles from the last drop to the next pickup, run empty, are called deadhead, and they are left out of most pitches.
A small carrier looked at a lane that paid a good rate per loaded mile. On paper it was a strong fit. Once the empty return was added in, the same lane barely covered fuel and fixed costs. Fixed costs such as loan payments, a truck note and a phone plan do not pause when the truck is empty or parked.
This matters even more for part-time operators. A truck that runs a few days a week carries the same fixed costs over fewer loaded miles, so it can lose money on work that looks fine per mile.
What to do
- Pull your own last few months of trips. For each, record loaded miles and total miles driven.
- Divide total by loaded to get your real ratio. Use that, not a guess, in every quote.
- List your fixed costs per month and your variable costs per mile (fuel, tires, maintenance).
- Build two small models in a spreadsheet, one full-time and one part-time, each with the deadhead ratio you measured.
- Compare the result per month, not per mile. Check what happens when the ratio gets worse.
- Only then decide which lanes to chase and which to turn down.
When not to
If you have a steady backhaul or a dedicated route that returns loaded, deadhead is small and this model will tell you so quickly. Do not build a fancy tool for it. A spreadsheet with your own trip data is enough.