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Before your first load

Start your trucking business with the numbers.

Before you commit to a truck, understand the bills it must cover. Start with an editable cost-per-mile estimate, then build a budget around quotes for your own operation.

The calculator covers fixed bills, fuel and maintenance. It excludes your pay, taxes and load-specific charges. Include those in your full operating plan.

Your cost per mile

Start with the sample, then enter your own bills, miles, diesel price and MPG.

What counts as a fixed bill — and what doesn’t.

This estimate includes fixed bills, fuel and maintenance. It excludes driver pay, taxes and load-specific charges; add those when pricing a load. Fixed bills are what you pay whether the truck moves or not: truck and trailer payment, insurance, plates and permits, ELD, parking, phone, software. Keep per-load costs — tolls, lumpers, dispatch or factoring fees — off this number; they ride with the specific load, not the monthly average. Run fewer miles in a slow month and your cost per mile climbs, because the same fixed bills spread over less distance.

Build your budget

Get quotes before you get the keys.

Truck and trailer

Record the down payment, monthly payments or lease, inspections, equipment and any immediate repair needs. Keep a separate maintenance reserve.

Insurance and registration

Request insurance quotes for your drivers, equipment, lanes and coverage. Check authority, process-agent, state registration, UCR, IRP and IFTA requirements as applicable.

Monthly operating bills

List insurance, payments, permits, ELD, phone, parking and software. Divide by realistic total miles—not the best month you hope to run.

Working capital

Allow for fuel, repairs and bills before payment arrives. Use actual customer payment terms and stress-test delays, downtime and a slow week.

FMCSA lists $300 for each permanent operating authority requested. Other costs depend on the operation. Check FMCSA’s current fees and requirements. Source checked September 9, 2026.

Make the plan withstand a bad week

Revenue is the start of the calculation.

  1. Use total miles.Deadhead burns fuel and adds wear even when it brings in no revenue.
  2. Budget for your own pay.Money left before paying yourself is different from business profit after compensation.
  3. Test lower mileage.Fixed bills continue when the truck is parked. Recalculate with fewer monthly miles.
  4. Compare estimates with actual results.Record expenses and payments by load. Update your cost profile when real costs change.
Walk through a sample load →

Questions before you start.

What should I budget before buying a truck?

Get written estimates for the truck and trailer, insurance, registration, permits, maintenance and your ongoing bills. Add working capital for fuel and expenses while you wait for customers to pay. There is no reliable universal startup total.

How much is FMCSA operating authority?

FMCSA lists a $300 fee for each permanent operating authority requested. That is only one part of starting a business; process-agent filings, registration, insurance and other requirements may also apply. Check current requirements for your operation before applying.

What is a good cost per mile?

Use your own bills, realistic total miles, fuel consumption and maintenance reserve. Add your compensation and load-specific expenses when deciding whether a rate works. An industry average is context, not your personal cost floor.

Will insurance become cheaper after my first year?

Do not build your budget around a promised reduction. Quotes depend on the operation, coverage, vehicles, drivers, location and claims history. Obtain quotes for your business and plan for renewals to change.

How much working capital do I need?

Map the timing of fuel, payments and fixed bills against the payment terms in your actual contracts. Model delayed payment, repairs and lower-mileage weeks. Keep your operating cash separate from money set aside for taxes and personal spending.

How does Backhaul help?

Build a truck cost profile, review the estimated profit on an offer, and track the load through payment. The 14-day solo trial starts after your first successful full check. No card. No automatic charge.

More free tools

Keep pricing your truck.

Know your floorCost per mile calculatorTurn your fixed bills, monthly miles, diesel price, and MPG into your all-in cost per mile — the floor every load is measured against.Open →Judge the rateRate per mile calculatorCheck a broker's rate across loaded and deadhead miles against your cost, and get a take / counter / pass verdict instead of plain division.Open →Is it worth it?Load profit calculatorAnswer “is this load worth it?” — enter the offer and miles and see your estimated profit before you say yes.Open →

Put your next offer through the numbers.

Start with your truck’s costs, then check estimated profit before you commit.

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