Trucker pay & cost calculator
However you're paid — by the mile, the hour, the load, the ton, the barrel, a percentage, or a salary — work out your real pay and take-home. Owner-operators can also run cost per mile and fleet profit. Covers dry van, reefer, flatbed, tanker, dump, and oilfield pay methods.
What you'll make
| Gross pay | – |
| Truck & business costs | – |
| Work expenses | – |
| Taxes (est.) | – |
| Take-home | – |
Owner-operator cost per mile
| Fixed costs per month | – |
| Fuel per month | – |
| Maintenance + tires per month | – |
| Tolls, IFTA, scales | – |
| Total monthly cost | – |
| Loaded miles (after deadhead) | – |
| Monthly revenue at your rate | – |
Profit shown is before income and self-employment taxes and before your own pay. Your break-even per loaded mile is the floor — any load priced below it costs you money to haul.
Fleet owner profit per truck
You own trucks leased under a carrier, with drivers paid a percentage of each load. You collect the revenue and pay the drivers, fuel, and everything else.
| Revenue per truck | – |
| Driver pay | – |
| Fuel | – |
| Truck payment + insurance | – |
| Maintenance & other | – |
| Profit per truck (before your taxes) | – |
Profit is business profit before the owner's self-employment and income taxes, and before back-office costs (dispatch, factoring, bookkeeping). Fixed costs apply whether or not the truck runs.
Company (W-2) vs contract (1099) driver
Same driving, offered as a W-2 company driver or a 1099 contract driver in someone else's truck — you don't pay for the truck, fuel, or insurance. See which offer leaves more after tax and the benefits you give up. Owner-operators who own the truck should use the "What you'll make" tab instead.
| Per year | W-2 | 1099 |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | – | – |
| Social Security & Medicare | – | – |
| Federal income tax | – | – |
| State income tax | – | – |
| Health premium you pay | – | – |
| Take-home pay | – | – |
| Employer 401(k) match | – | — |
| Paid time off given up | — | – |
| Total value | – | – |
Every way a trucker gets paid
The "What you'll make" tab above handles the common methods:
Per mile (CPM) is used in over-the-road and long-haul work. Per hour is standard for local, LTL, dump, and oilfield work. Percentage of the load pays a share of the load's rate; the base may be the gross, or the linehaul — the base freight rate, before fuel surcharge and accessorials. Per ton is used in dump and aggregate hauling. Per barrel is used in crude oil and oilfield water hauling. Flat per load appears in drayage and short regional runs, and salary pays a fixed amount regardless of miles or loads. On top of any of these, accessorial pay — detention, stop, layover, tarp, per diem, and fuel surcharge — is added.
Trailer type changes the rate
The same mile pays differently depending on what you pull, and the tanker and hazmat endorsements pay a premium on top; flatbed also adds tarp pay. Enter your real rate in the calculator. Spot rates by trailer type, with their source, are on the Pay Data page.
Deadhead and your real costs
Every empty mile burns the same fuel and tires as a loaded one. Deadhead miles do not earn, so your break-even per loaded mile is higher than your cost per total mile — the owner-operator tab calculates this. A 1099 rate is also taxed differently from a W-2: the full 15.3% self-employment tax applies, with nothing withheld. The W-2 vs 1099 tab compares the take-home of both.
Trucking pay FAQs
What taxes does a 1099 driver owe?
A 1099 driver pays the 15.3% self-employment tax on net profit — both halves of Social Security and Medicare — plus federal and state income tax (IRS). Nothing is withheld, so the tax is paid directly to the IRS in quarterly estimated payments using Form 1040-ES. See how much to set aside for taxes.
How is cost per mile calculated for an owner-operator?
Add all costs for a period — fixed costs such as the truck payment, insurance, and permits, plus variable costs such as fuel, maintenance, and tires — then divide by the total miles driven in that period, including deadhead miles. Total expenses ÷ total miles = cost per mile.
How do percentage pay and mileage pay differ?
Percentage pay scales with the load’s rate; mileage pay scales with the distance regardless of the rate. On percentage pay, the base may be the gross including fuel surcharge and accessorials, or the linehaul — the base freight rate — only. The two bases produce different amounts from the same percentage.