Most carriers know their deadhead percentage. Fewer know what it costs them now compared to two years ago.

The miles haven't changed. The math has.

When fuel was lower, an empty mile cost less to run. The revenue opportunity was still missed, but the expense attached to it was smaller. That gap between what a mile costs to operate and what it generates was manageable.

That gap is harder to manage now.

Fuel increases apply equally to loaded and empty miles. There's no rate on an empty mile to absorb the cost. Whatever it takes to move that truck down the road, you're absorbing it entirely. And in most cases, that cost isn't sitting in one visible line item. It's spread across fuel spend, route totals, and quarterly margins that feel off without a clear cause.

That's what makes empty miles a financial problem, not just a routing one.

 The number most carriers haven't isolated  

Ask a carrier what their deadhead percentage is. Most can answer. Ask them what that percentage translates to in annual revenue not captured. Fewer can answer that quickly.

The calculation isn't complicated:

Fleet size × miles per truck per week × empty mile percentage × 52 weeks. Multiply by your average rate per loaded mile.

That's the revenue that didn't get generated while your trucks were moving.

For a fleet running 100 trucks at 2,000 miles per week with 20% empty miles and a $2.50 rate per mile, that number is over $5 million annually.

That's not a rounding error in the P&L. That's a margin conversation.

 Why contracted rates make this worse 

Spot rates move. Contracted rates don't, not at the same pace.

When fuel costs rise, contracted carriers are often carrying that increase against rates that were set in a different cost environment. Empty miles compound the problem. You're running more uncompensated miles at higher cost, against rates that haven't adjusted.

The margin compression isn't always dramatic quarter to quarter. It accumulates. By the time it shows up clearly, it's already been happening for months.

 What precision looks like 

Carriers don't eliminate deadhead. That's not the goal.

What changes when you have better visibility is decision-making. Where loads are accepted. How routes are structured. Which lanes make sense against your current cost per mile. What your utilization actually looks like across the fleet versus what it looks like on paper.

That's what Magnus gives carriers: a clearer view of where empty miles are occurring, how frequently, and what they're actually costing. Not estimates. Not generalizations. Actual fleet data, translated into cost and margin impact.

If you want to see where your number lands, the calculator is a starting point. It won't account for every variable in your network, but it will give you a baseline to work from.

Book a demo  or call 877-381-4632 to speak with a transportation technology expert.