What is the difference between gross and net RPM?

Gross uses the posted rate over loaded miles. Net subtracts fuel, tolls and fees, and includes deadhead in the mileage. Net is the meaningful figure.

Any figure that clears your cost per mile with margin. Common dry van benchmarks run around $2.00 to $2.50 all-in, but your own CPM decides it.

Should deadhead be in the RPM calculation?

Yes. Excluding it overstates every load, consistently.

RPM (Revenue Per Mile)

Last updated: 5 October 2026

Definition

RPM is revenue divided by miles driven.

Gross RPM uses the posted rate over loaded miles. Net RPM subtracts costs and includes deadhead, and it is the only version that tells you whether a load is worth running.

The two versions, and why the difference matters

Gross RPM = Gross Revenue ÷ Loaded Miles

Net RPM = (Gross − Tolls − Fees − Fuel) ÷ (Loaded Miles + Deadhead Miles)

Brokers and load boards quote gross RPM, because it is the larger number. It also ignores every cost between the rate and your bank account.

A $2,600 load over 1,000 loaded miles is $2.60 gross RPM. With 200 miles of origin deadhead, $660 of fuel and $40 of tolls, it is $1.58 net: a 39% gap, entirely predictable, and always in the same direction.

RPM only means something against CPM

Revenue per mile is half an equation. The other half is your cost per mile: fuel, driver pay, maintenance, insurance, truck payment and permits, divided by the miles you actually run.

A $1.90 net RPM load is profitable at $1.60 CPM and a loss at $2.10. There is no universal good rate, only a rate relative to your cost base. More on rate benchmarks.