Deadhead Miles: What They Cost and How to Reduce Them

What Are Deadhead Miles and Why They Drain Your Profit

Deadhead miles are the miles you drive with an empty trailer. Every mile you run without freight on board costs you money in fuel, tire wear, oil consumption, and equipment depreciation while generating exactly zero revenue. The trucking industry calls them "empty miles" or "deadhead" interchangeably, and they are one of the most controllable profit killers in your operation.

Here is why deadhead miles matter more than most operators realize: it is not just the fuel you burn driving empty. It is the compounding effect of consuming hours of service, adding wear to your truck and tires, increasing your maintenance costs, and occupying time that could be spent earning revenue. When you deadhead 200 miles to pick up a load, you are effectively paying for the privilege of working.

According to data from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) and DAT, the national average deadhead percentage for the trucking industry runs approximately 15-20%. ^{1 2} That means for every 10,000 miles the average trucker drives, 1,500 to 2,000 of those miles earn nothing. For small fleet owners and owner-operators operating on thin margins, those empty miles can be the difference between a profitable quarter and a break-even one.

What Is a Good Deadhead Percentage

Your deadhead percentage (also called your deadhead ratio) measures what portion of your total miles are driven empty. It is one of the most important KPIs in your operation, and you should track it monthly at minimum.

How to calculate your deadhead ratio:

Deadhead Miles / Total Miles x 100 = Deadhead Percentage

If you drove 9,000 loaded miles and 1,500 deadhead miles last month, your total miles were 10,500 and your deadhead percentage was 1,500 / 10,500 x 100 = 14.3%.

Here is where different operators typically fall:

Deadhead Percentage	Performance Level	Typical Profile
25%+	Needs immediate attention	Reactive load booking, no lane strategy
18-25%	Below average	Inconsistent planning, single load board
12-18%	Average	Some planning, market-rate performance
8-12%	Above average	Lane-focused, proactive backhaul planning
Under 8%	Top performer	Dedicated lanes, strong shipper relationships

The top operators target a deadhead percentage under 10%. That does not mean they never deadhead -- some empty repositioning is unavoidable. But they treat every deadhead mile as a cost to be minimized, not an accepted part of the job.

Calculating the Real Cost of Your Deadhead Miles

Before you can fix the problem, you need to feel the full financial weight of it. Let us run the numbers with a realistic example.

Scenario: You run 10,000 total miles per month. Your all-in operating cost is $1.80 per mile ⁶ (fuel, insurance, truck payment, maintenance, permits -- see our full expense breakdown for how to calculate yours). Your current deadhead percentage is 20%.

• Empty miles per month: 10,000 x 0.20 = 2,000 miles
• Direct cost of deadhead: 2,000 miles x $1.80 = $3,600 per month
• Annual cost: $3,600 x 12 = $43,200 per year

That $43,200 covers fuel burned, tire wear accrued, maintenance costs accumulated, and depreciation logged -- all while hauling nothing but air. And that does not count the revenue you missed by spending those hours driving empty instead of loaded.

Now imagine cutting your deadhead to 10%:

• Empty miles per month: 10,000 x 0.10 = 1,000 miles
• Direct cost of deadhead: 1,000 miles x $1.80 = $1,800 per month
• Monthly savings: $3,600 - $1,800 = $1,800 per month
• Annual savings: $21,600 per year

That $21,600 in annual savings goes straight to your bottom line. It is the equivalent of getting a raise without running a single additional loaded mile. For a small fleet with 5 trucks, cutting deadhead by 10 percentage points could mean $100,000+ in annual savings.

Your operating cost per mile includes fuel, fuel surcharge adjustments, insurance, maintenance reserves, and every other line item on your expense sheet. When you drive those miles empty, every single one of those costs still applies. The only thing missing is the revenue.

Rate-Per-Total-Mile Thinking: The Deadhead Lens

One of the most important mental shifts you can make is to stop evaluating loads based on the loaded rate and start evaluating them based on revenue per total mile -- loaded miles plus deadhead miles combined.

Example:

A load posts on the board paying $3,000 for 800 loaded miles. On the surface, that looks like $3,000 / 800 = $3.75 per mile. Solid rate.

But you are currently sitting 200 miles from the shipper. You have to deadhead 200 miles to pick up this load.

Your real rate: $3,000 / (800 + 200) = $3,000 / 1,000 = $3.00 per mile.

That is a 20% reduction from what the load appeared to pay. At $1.80 per mile operating cost, your profit per mile just dropped from $1.95 to $1.20. Over those 1,000 total miles, that is $750 less in your pocket than you thought you were earning.

Now compare that to a load paying $2,400 for 750 loaded miles with only 30 miles of deadhead:

Real rate: $2,400 / 780 = $3.08 per mile.

The "cheaper" load actually pays you more per total mile. This is the kind of analysis that separates operators who are busy from operators who are profitable. Calculate your per-load profitability before booking to make this comparison on every load.

10 Proven Strategies to Reduce Deadhead Miles

1. Specialize in Consistent Lanes

Running the same corridors repeatedly is the single most effective way to reduce deadhead miles. When you specialize in a set of lanes -- say, Atlanta to Dallas, Dallas to Houston, and Houston back to Atlanta -- you learn the freight patterns, build relationships on each end, and develop a reliable rhythm that minimizes empty repositioning.

How to implement this:

• Identify 3-5 corridors where freight flows reliably in both directions
• Study rate data on load boards to find lanes with strong headhaul and backhaul rates ⁴
• Prioritize lanes that connect to your home base or preferred regions
• Build a network of 2-3 reliable brokers or shippers on each lane
• Track your lane performance weekly -- loaded rate, deadhead percentage, and total revenue per mile

Lane specialization is not glamorous, and it means turning down loads that take you to unfamiliar territory. But the operators who build their business around 5-8 strong lanes consistently outperform those who chase freight all over the map.

2. Use a Multi-Load-Board Strategy

Relying on a single load board limits your options and increases the chance you will deadhead simply because you could not find a suitable backhaul in time. Running multiple sources of freight widens your pool and improves your odds of finding loads closer to your delivery point.

Build your freight stack like this:

• Primary paid board: DAT or Truckstop for the deepest load volume and rate data
• Secondary board: 123Loadboard, Direct Freight, or the other major paid board you did not pick as primary
• App-based freight: Amazon Relay, Uber Freight, or Convoy for quick booking options
• Direct relationships: Shippers and brokers you work with regularly outside of boards

Check our load board guide for detailed comparisons of each platform, or compare load boards side by side to find the right combination for your operation.

The goal is not to pay for every platform indefinitely. Start broad, identify which sources consistently deliver freight on your lanes, and narrow down to the combination that gives you the best coverage with the least cost.

3. Plan Triangular Routes Instead of Out-and-Back

Running A to B and back to A almost guarantees deadhead in one direction because most lanes have a strong direction and a weak direction. Triangular routing -- A to B, B to C, C back to A -- lets you chain loads through different markets and avoid the empty return.

Example triangle:

• Leg 1: Chicago to Nashville (strong southbound freight) -- 470 miles loaded
• Leg 2: Nashville to Atlanta (solid lane) -- 250 miles loaded
• Leg 3: Atlanta to Chicago (returning freight market) -- 720 miles loaded

Total loaded miles: 1,440. Total deadhead between loads: maybe 40-80 miles for short repositioning. That is a deadhead percentage under 5% for the entire triangle versus 50% if you ran Chicago to Nashville and deadheaded back.

How to build triangular routes:

• Map your primary lane and identify the freight markets near your delivery destination
• Use load board heat maps to see where freight is concentrated near your drop points
• Build 2-3 triangle variations so you have flexibility depending on what is available
• Allow 2-4 hours of buffer between delivery and next pickup to search for connecting loads

4. Plan Your Backhaul Before Accepting the Outbound Load

This is the discipline that separates strategic operators from reactive ones. Before you commit to an outbound load, spend 10-15 minutes checking what freight is available from the destination area for your return trip.

Before booking, answer these questions:

• What loads are currently posted from within 50 miles of my delivery point?
• What rates are those backhaul loads paying?
• Are there loads heading toward my next preferred origin or home base?
• What is my total revenue for the round trip (outbound + backhaul) divided by total miles?

If the outbound load pays well but drops you in a freight desert with no backhaul options, that great rate evaporates when you deadhead 300 miles to find your next load. A slightly lower-paying outbound to a location with strong return freight often nets you more money over the full cycle.

5. Build Relationships for Round-Trip Lanes

Brokers and shippers who move freight regularly between two points need reliable carriers in both directions. If you can become the go-to carrier for a round-trip lane, you eliminate the load board search entirely and dramatically cut your empty miles.

Steps to build round-trip relationships:

• When you haul consistently for a broker on a lane, ask them what freight they have going the other direction
• Contact shippers directly at or near your delivery points and offer your availability for return freight
• Deliver flawlessly -- on time, communicative, no drama -- so brokers think of you first when they have return loads
• Use your rate negotiation tips to structure fair pricing for both directions that keeps both you and the broker profitable

The broker benefits because they have a reliable carrier on a round trip. You benefit because you eliminate deadhead and lock in consistent revenue. This kind of arrangement takes time to develop, but once established, it is more valuable than any load board subscription.

6. Evaluate Regional vs. Long-Haul Trade-Offs

Long-haul loads often look attractive because of high total dollar amounts, but they frequently come with significant deadhead on one end. Regional operations -- running 250-500 mile loads within a defined area -- can produce lower deadhead percentages because you stay within a dense freight market.

Compare these two scenarios:

Metric	Long Haul	Regional
Loaded miles per week	2,800	2,200
Deadhead miles per week	600 (21%)	150 (6%)
Average rate per loaded mile	$2.60	$2.40
Gross revenue	$7,280	$5,280
Deadhead cost ($1.80/mi)	-$1,080	-$270
Net revenue after deadhead cost	$6,200	$5,010
Revenue per total mile	$1.82	$2.13

The long-haul scenario generates more gross revenue, but the regional operator earns more per total mile driven. Depending on your cost structure and income needs, regional could be the more profitable option -- and it gets you home more often.

This is not a universal rule. The right choice depends on your lanes, your market, and your personal priorities. But do not default to long haul without running the numbers on regional alternatives.

7. Automate Load Board Alerts

Every major load board offers alert features that notify you when loads matching your criteria are posted. Use them aggressively, especially for backhaul searches.

Set alerts for:

• Loads from within 50 miles of your typical delivery points
• Loads heading toward your home base or preferred origin markets
• Loads matching your equipment type in your specialized lanes
• Loads posted with above-average rates on your core corridors

On DAT and Truckstop, you can set location-based alerts that ping you the moment freight posts from a specific area. Set these alerts before you even start your current load so that by the time you deliver, you already have backhaul options queued up.

The minutes between delivering a load and booking your next one are some of the most expensive minutes in your operation. Alerts cut that search time and reduce the temptation to accept a poor backhaul load out of urgency.

8. Consider Partial Loads and LTL to Fill Gaps

When a full truckload backhaul does not materialize, a partial load or LTL shipment heading in your direction can offset some of your deadhead cost. You will not earn a full linehaul rate, but earning something beats earning nothing.

Options to explore:

• Partial load boards: Some platforms list partial loads that do not fill a full trailer
• LTL consolidation: Services that match partial shipments with carriers heading in the right direction
• Courier and expedite loads: Small shipments that need to move quickly and pay a premium per mile
• Shipper direct partials: Contact warehouses near your delivery point and ask if they have anything heading your way, even partial

This strategy works best for dry van operators who have flexibility on trailer space. If you run specialized equipment like flatbed or reefer, partial loads are less common but still worth exploring.

9. Adjust Lanes Seasonally

Freight markets shift dramatically with the seasons, and the operators who adjust their lanes accordingly deadhead far less than those who run the same routes year-round regardless of market conditions. ⁵

Seasonal freight patterns to follow:

Season	High-Freight Markets	Why
Spring (Mar-May)	Florida, Texas, California	Produce season begins, construction materials move
Summer (Jun-Aug)	Midwest, Pacific Northwest	Harvest freight, beverage demand, construction peak
Fall (Sep-Nov)	Northeast, Southeast ports	Retail inventory build for holidays, import surge
Winter (Dec-Feb)	Sun Belt states, distribution hubs	Holiday retail, citrus season, snowbird moves

How to adjust seasonally:

• Study the previous year's rate trends on your target lanes using DAT or Truckstop historical data
• Shift your primary corridors 2-4 weeks ahead of seasonal freight surges
• Avoid chasing produce freight into areas that become freight deserts once the season ends -- always plan the exit
• Build broker and shipper contacts in seasonal markets so you get first call when volumes increase

Operators who follow seasonal freight patterns not only reduce deadhead but often command premium rates during peak periods because capacity tightens in high-demand markets.

10. Always Think in Revenue Per Total Mile

This is less a tactic and more a fundamental operating discipline. Every load decision you make should be evaluated on revenue per total mile -- the total pay divided by loaded miles plus deadhead miles. Make it your default filter.

Build this into your daily process:

• When scanning the load board, mentally add the deadhead distance to every load's mileage before calculating the rate
• Keep a simple spreadsheet or use your TMS to track revenue per total mile for every load you haul
• Set a minimum revenue-per-total-mile threshold based on your cost per mile plus target profit
• Review your monthly numbers and identify which loads and lanes produced the best and worst revenue per total mile
• Calculate your per-load profitability on any load before committing

When you consistently evaluate loads this way, you will naturally gravitate toward lower-deadhead freight because the math rewards it. A $2,500 load with 50 miles of deadhead will always beat a $3,000 load with 300 miles of deadhead when you compare them on total-mile revenue.

Strategy Impact Summary

Not all strategies deliver equal results. Here is how they stack up in terms of deadhead reduction impact and ease of implementation:

Strategy	Deadhead Reduction Impact	Effort to Implement	Best For
Lane specialization	High	Medium	All operators
Multi-load-board strategy	Medium-High	Low	Spot market dependent
Triangular routing	High	Medium	OTR and regional
Backhaul pre-planning	High	Low	All operators
Round-trip relationships	Very High	High (time investment)	Established operators
Regional vs. long-haul analysis	Medium	Low	Operators flexible on range
Load board alerts	Medium	Low	All load board users
Partial loads and LTL	Low-Medium	Medium	Dry van operators
Seasonal lane adjustments	Medium-High	Medium	Flexible operators
Rate-per-total-mile thinking	High	Low (mindset shift)	All operators

Start with the low-effort, high-impact strategies: backhaul pre-planning, rate-per-total-mile thinking, and load board alerts. Then layer in lane specialization and relationship building as you refine your operation.

Tools That Help Reduce Deadhead Miles

Technology will not eliminate deadhead on its own, but the right tools make it significantly easier to find backhaul freight, analyze lanes, and spot patterns in your empty miles.

Load boards with lane analytics: DAT and Truckstop both provide historical rate data, freight volume trends, and heat maps that show where loads are concentrated. ² Use these tools to identify lanes with balanced freight flow and avoid lanes where backhaul freight is thin. Compare load boards to see which platform fits your budget and needs.

TMS and dispatching software: Even a basic trucking management system helps you track your deadhead percentage over time, identify your worst-performing lanes, and build data you can use to make better lane decisions. For small fleets, platforms like TruckingOffice, Axon, or even a well-structured spreadsheet work.

Route optimization tools: Tools that factor in fuel stops, rest requirements, and available freight along your route help you plan multi-stop trips that minimize empty segments.

ELD and telematics data: Your ELD records show exactly where you are spending your miles. Review your monthly data to identify deadhead patterns -- maybe you consistently deadhead on Mondays because you deliver Friday and do not plan the next load until you are already empty.

Load matching apps: Amazon Relay, Uber Freight, and similar platforms let you book loads quickly from your phone while still at the delivery point. Speed matters -- the faster you can book a backhaul after delivery, the less likely you are to deadhead or settle for a poor rate out of desperation.

Next Steps

Reducing your deadhead miles is one of the highest-leverage improvements you can make to your trucking operation's profitability. You do not need to implement all 10 strategies at once. Start with the three that match your current operation:

1. If you have no lane strategy: Begin with lane specialization and triangular routing. Pick 3 corridors and commit to them for 60 days.
2. If you use a single load board: Add a second source of freight immediately and set backhaul alerts on both platforms. Read our load board guide for recommendations.
3. If you already have lanes but your deadhead is still high: Focus on relationship building and backhaul pre-planning. The loads you find through relationships almost always come with less deadhead than spot market freight.

Run the numbers on your own operation. Pull your last three months of trip data, calculate your deadhead percentage, and put a dollar figure on what those empty miles are costing you. Then set a target -- if you are at 20%, aim for 15% in 90 days. If you are at 15%, push for 10%.

Calculate your per-load profitability on every load this week using total miles -- loaded plus deadhead -- instead of just loaded miles. That single shift in how you evaluate freight will start moving your deadhead percentage in the right direction immediately.

Your truck costs the same to run whether the trailer is loaded or empty. The strategies in this guide help you make sure it is loaded more often.