What is RPM?
Rate per mile (RPM) = the rate the broker is paying you, divided by the miles you drive.
RPM = Total rate ÷ Total miles
The trick is which miles. Three flavors:
1. Loaded RPM (most common)
Total rate ÷ paid miles (origin to destination).
$2,000 / 1,000 miles = $2.00/mile loaded
This is what brokers usually quote.
2. Round-trip RPM (smarter)
Total rate ÷ (loaded miles + deadhead miles).
$2,000 / (1,000 + 300 deadhead) = $1.54/mile
This is what actually matters to your wallet.
3. All-in / weekly RPM (smartest)
All revenue ÷ all miles, including every deadhead and empty mile.
This is the number you should track week-over-week — it tells you what your truck is actually earning per mile run.
Typical expedited RPM ranges (2025–2026 ballpark)
Rates change daily and vary by lane. Always check the Profitability Heatmap for live data.
Equipment | Typical Loaded RPM |
Cargo van (standard) | $1.25 – $2.50 |
Sprinter / high-roof van | $1.75 – $3.00 |
16' box truck | $1.50 – $2.75 |
24'-26' box truck | $1.75 – $3.25 |
With premium adds (liftgate, expedited, white glove, hazmat) | +20–40% |
Spot market rates fluctuate with fuel prices, season, lane demand, and shipper urgency.
Your break-even
Before you accept ANY load, know your break-even RPM. The math:
Break-even RPM = (Fixed monthly costs ÷ miles per month) + variable per-mile costs
Example — Sprinter owner-operator:
Truck payment + insurance + permits = $1,500/mo
Monthly miles = 10,000
Fixed per mile: $0.15
Fuel per mile (at 15 MPG and $4/gal): $0.27
Maintenance: $0.10
Tolls, parking, misc: $0.05
Total break-even: $0.57/mile
That doesn't include your salary or any profit. So if you want to take home $1,500/week on 10,000 miles/month (2,500/week):
Add $0.60/mile for salary → $1.17/mile minimum
Add $0.30/mile for profit/reinvestment → $1.47/mile minimum
Anything below that, you're losing or making sub-minimum-wage money.
Why the Profitability Heatmap matters
The Heatmap shows real-time lane RPM. If your break-even is $1.47 and a lane is averaging $1.80, you have a tight but workable margin. If the same lane averages $1.20, the answer is "go somewhere else this week."
Most failed expedited carriers don't fail because they couldn't find loads — they fail because they took loads below break-even hoping volume would save them. It doesn't.
Accessorials matter more than you think
Detention, layover, TONU, and accessorials can add 10–20% to your revenue if you negotiate them upfront and document them properly.
Detention: bill if held >2 hours past your appointment.
Layover: bill if you're forced to wait overnight.
TONU: if a broker cancels after you've committed and started moving.
Extra stops, liftgate use, inside delivery, pallet jack — add line items on the rate con.
A $1.50 RPM load that pays 3 hours of detention can effectively become $1.65 RPM. Over a year, that's real money.
How rates change
Factor | Effect on rate |
Fuel surcharge environment | Rates rise/fall with diesel prices |
Season | Q4 retail peak = higher; Jan–Feb = lower |
Day of week | Mon-Wed often higher than Fri-Sun for B2B |
Region | Coastal corridors usually higher than rural |
Urgency | "Need it today" = premium |
Capacity tightness | Hurricanes, snowstorms, post-holiday shortages = premium |
Stay close to the Trucking Market Insights (Pro/Enterprise) to spot these shifts before competitors.