Counter-offer calculator: your target rate for a load

This counter-offer calculator returns three numbers for a load: your walk-away minimum, your target rate and an opening counter, in total dollars and per loaded mile.

Most rate negotiations are lost before the call starts, because the carrier does not know their numbers. A broker who hears hesitation has every reason to hold the rate. A carrier who knows exactly what the load needs to pay, and why, can counter with confidence and walk away without regret.

How it works

• Walk-away minimum = cost per mile x (loaded miles + deadhead miles)
• Target = minimum x (1 + target margin)
• Opening counter = target x (1 + room to negotiate)

Each is also shown per loaded mile, because that is how brokers usually talk about rates. If you enter the broker's posted rate, the calculator tells you whether it is above target, between minimum and target, or below the minimum.

Where your cost per mile comes from

Everything depends on the first input. Your cost per mile should include fuel, tires, a maintenance reserve, fixed costs spread per mile and your own pay. Tires are easy to underestimate; our guide on how much semi truck tires cost helps with that line, and DEF adds a little on top of fuel, covered in the guide to DEF cost and usage per gallon of diesel. If you run an APU, its cost and savings belong in the number too; the APU ROI and payback calculator shows both sides.

A worked example

A truck costs $1.95 a mile to run. A load runs 600 loaded miles with 80 miles of deadhead. The owner wants a 15% margin and 8% room to negotiate.

• Minimum: $1.95 x 680 = $1,326, or about $2.21 per loaded mile
• Target: $1,326 x 1.15 = about $1,525, or about $2.54 per loaded mile
• Opening counter: $1,525 x 1.08 = about $1,647, or about $2.74 per loaded mile

The broker posted $1,400. That is above the minimum but below target. The owner counters at $1,650, explains the 80 mile run to the pickup, and settles at $1,525. If the broker had held at $1,300, below the minimum, the right answer would have been a polite pass.

Counter-offer calculator tips

• Give a reason. "The deadhead is 80 miles and the reload out of there is weak" carries more weight than "can you do better?"
• Be specific. Name a number, not a range.
• Ask about accessorials. Detention, layover and truck order not used terms are part of the deal. A fair rate with no detention can be worse than a lower rate with good terms.
• Watch timing. A load posted for hours, close to pickup, often has more room than one posted a minute ago.
• Stay professional. A broker you pass on today may have your best load next week.

What the margin and room inputs mean

The target margin is what you want above your full cost. Many owners pick a margin that covers slow weeks, surprise repairs and the months when the truck earns less. The room to negotiate is how far above target you open, so there is space to come down and still land at or above target.

Neither is a rule. Set them from your own experience on your lanes, and adjust as the market moves.

From the target to the whole trip

A good rate on one load can still lead to a poor week if it drops the truck in a market with nothing coming out. Before you counter, look at the reload side. The rate per mile calculator shows the all-in rate once empty miles are counted, which is a useful check on any load you are about to accept.

Where a dispatcher fits

Countering takes time, and good loads move fast. A dispatcher makes the calls, counters with your numbers and a reason, and brings you the final offer. You decide: yes, counter again, or no. On a yes, the broker sends the rate confirmation to you to sign. We never accept a load for you. Single-truck carriers can read how we dispatch owner-operators.