Counter-offer calculator: the rate to ask the broker for

How the calculator works

A good counter-offer starts with your own numbers, not the broker's. The calculator builds two rates from them.

1. Walk-away minimum = your cost per mile x (loaded miles + empty miles). Below this, the load costs you money. Never go under it unless the load gets you out of a dead area.
2. Target rate = (cost per mile + profit you want per mile) x all miles, rounded up to a clean number. This is what you quote.
3. Per loaded mile figures convert both your target and the broker's offer into the way brokers talk, so you can say your number in their terms.
4. Gap is how far the offer sits below your target.

It also writes a short call script with your miles and your target, so you have the words ready before you dial.

A worked example

A carrier's cost is $1.75 a mile and they want 45 cents a mile in profit. The load is 650 loaded miles, with 80 empty miles to reach the shipper. The broker offers $1,450.

All miles (650 + 80)

730

Walk-away minimum (730 x $1.75)

$1,278

Target (730 x $2.20, rounded)

$1,625

Broker's offer per loaded mile

$2.23

Target per loaded mile

$2.50

Gap to target

$175

The offer covers cost but falls short of the target, so a counter makes sense.

The call can go something like this: "Thanks for the offer. With 80 empty miles to the pickup, this one runs 730 miles for my truck. I can do it at $1,625, that's $2.50 a loaded mile. Can you get there?" If the broker comes back at $1,550, that's still well above the walk-away minimum, and many carriers would take it.

What your result means

• The offer meets your target. Take it if the timing and the destination suit you. No counter needed.
• The offer covers cost but not your target. Counter. If the broker can't move, decide whether the load is worth it for where it leaves you.
• The offer is below your cost. Counter at your target or pass. Hauling below cost only makes sense as a deliberate move out of a weak area.

Don't know your cost per mile yet? Work it out first with the trucking cost per mile calculator. It's the number every counter-offer rests on.

Negotiating tips that hold up

• Know the real miles. Your empty run to the pickup is a real cost. Saying how far away you are explains your rate without arguing.
• Name one number. A clear rate is easier to approve than a range.
• Ask about extras before you agree. Stop pay, detention terms and lumper reimbursement belong on the rate con. The detention pay calculator shows what waiting time should pay.
• Stay polite and quick. Brokers have many calls. A short, friendly counter gets more yeses than a long argument.
• Get it in writing. The agreed rate and every extra should be on the rate confirmation before you roll. Our guide to truck drivers' rights covers what to do when pay doesn't match what was agreed.

Comparing it with a paycheck

Wondering whether all this is worth it against driving for a company? The truck driver salary calculator shows what common pay models add up to in a year.

When someone else negotiates for you

Negotiating every load takes time you could spend driving or resting. On our desk, the counter is our job: we push back using your cost and the target you set, and the broker's final number comes to you to take or turn down. Our dispatch process shows where that call fits, and a new authority should also read how fast a dispatcher can get your first load.