Deadhead — the silent killer
Deadhead = miles driven empty. Every empty mile costs you fuel, maintenance, and time, but earns zero revenue.
The math: a Sprinter at $0.30/mile in fuel + $0.10/mile maintenance is bleeding $0.40 every empty mile. A 300-mile deadhead = $120 cash gone.
How to minimize:
Run the Deadhead Optimizer on every one-way load before you accept it.
Cluster loads in green Heatmap regions.
Drop & hook when possible — multiple short loads in the same metro beats one long load with 200 miles of deadhead.
Repositioning loads — sometimes accepting a slightly cheap one-way load is worth it if it gets you to a hot region.
Industry rule of thumb: Deadhead miles should stay under 15% of total miles. Over 20%? You're losing money you don't see.
Detention — get paid for waiting
Detention = time spent waiting at pickup or delivery beyond the agreed-upon free window.
Standard practice:
2 hours free at pickup, 2 hours free at delivery
After that: detention pay kicks in
Typical rate: $50–$75/hour for cargo van / Sprinter / box truck
Class 8 detention often higher ($75–$100/hour)
To get detention paid, you MUST:
Document arrival time — text the broker upon arrival, time-stamped.
Document when loading/unloading starts and ends.
Get a signed Bill of Lading noting in/out times.
Notify the broker before detention starts ticking, not after.
Lines to use:
"Hey, I just arrived at the shipper at 10:15. Per the rate con, I have 2 hours free — detention starts at 12:15 if I'm not loaded by then. Just giving you a heads-up."
This is documentation that protects you when you invoice for detention.
Layover — overnight or multi-day delays
If a shipper, consignee, or broker holds you overnight, layover pay kicks in.
Typical rate: $150–$250/day
Must be authorized in writing (text counts) before you stay
Some brokers split layover with you 50/50
TONU — Truck Order Not Used
If a broker cancels a load after you've already deadheaded to pickup, you should get paid a TONU.
Typical rate: $150–$300 (or a percentage of original rate)
Get it confirmed in writing before you leave the canceled pickup
Carriers leave TONU money on the table all the time. Don't.
Accessorials — the line items that add up
Negotiate these into your rate con before you accept:
Accessorial | Typical Cost |
Liftgate | $25–$75 |
Pallet jack | $25–$50 |
Inside delivery | $50–$150 |
Residential delivery | $25–$75 |
Extra stop (multi-stop loads) | $35–$75/stop |
Driver assist (loading/unloading help) | $25–$50 |
Sort & segregate | $50–$100 |
Hazmat surcharge | $50–$200 |
Wait time (after free window) | $50–$75/hr |
How accessorials change your effective RPM
Example:
Load: $1,500 for 1,000 miles = $1.50/mile loaded
Liftgate: +$50
Inside delivery: +$100
1.5 hours detention at pickup: +$75
Total revenue: $1,725
Real RPM: $1.73/mile — 15% better than the headline number
The carriers who track and bill accessorials run 10–20% higher all-in RPM than carriers who don't.
Bottom line
The Profitability Heatmap shows you the lane. The Deadhead Optimizer protects you from empty miles. Accessorials are how you convert each load from "ok" to "good." All three together — that's the Load Work profit playbook.