Calculator
Break-Even Miles Calculator
Minimum monthly miles required to cover all fixed costs.
Quick answer
Break-even miles = monthly fixed costs ÷ (rate per mile − variable cost per mile). Below this many miles, the truck loses money even at a fair rate.
Contribution margin / mi
$1.45
Break-even miles / month
5172 mi
Formula
Break-Even Miles = Fixed Costs ÷ (RPM − Variable CPM)
Benchmark: ATBS 2024 — top-quartile owner-operators average 9,600 paid miles/month.
How it works
- 1Total fixed costs
Truck payment, insurance, permits, ELD, software — anything that bills whether the truck rolls or not.
- 2Enter all-in RPM
Booked RPM including FSC and accessorials.
- 3Enter variable CPM
Fuel, tolls, per-mile maintenance — only costs that scale with miles.
Example: $7,500 fixed, $2.40 RPM, $0.95 variable
| Contribution margin | $1.45/mi |
| Break-even | 5,172 mi/mo |
| Monthly buffer at 9,000 mi | 5,539 mi profit |
Takeaway: Below 5,200 monthly miles this truck loses money — push utilization with a denser lane plan.
Key takeaways
- Break-even = Fixed Costs ÷ (RPM − Variable CPM).
- Most owner-operators break even at 5,000–6,500 miles/mo.
- Adding 500 mi/mo at $2.40 = ~$1,200 extra contribution.
Frequently asked questions
How many miles does a trucker need to drive to break even?+
Most one-truck owner-operators break even at 5,000–6,500 monthly miles assuming $1.85 CPM and $2.40 RPM. Below that, fixed costs eat the margin.
Last reviewed June 15, 2026 by the Bonafide Trucking Solutions dispatch team.