How Much Does It Cost to Run a Semi Per Mile in 2026?
Short answer from the latest published industry research: the average cost of operating a truck was $2.336 per mile in 2025 — per the American Transportation Research Institute's (ATRI) Operational Costs of Trucking: 2026 Update. Your truck is not average, though — use the figure as context, then calculate from your own records.
The headline number — and what it includes
ATRI's 2026 update (published July 15, 2026) found that the industry's average cost of operating a truck in 2025 reached $2.336 per mile, up 3.4% and the highest per-mile cost in the report's history. Excluding fuel, costs rose 4.2% to $1.854 per mile.
| Cost line | 2025, $/mile | Change vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| All-in operating cost | $2.336 | up 3.4% |
| Operating cost excluding fuel | $1.854 | up 4.2% |
| Tolls | Not stated in release | up 13.2% |
| Repair & maintenance | Not stated in release | up 8.6% |
| Driver benefits | Not stated in release | up 6.6% |
| Tires | Not stated in release | up 6.4% |
Source: ATRI's July 15, 2026 release. It publishes the headline dollar figures and percentage changes above. The full report is available through ATRI's report request page; we do not invent dollar line items not present in the public release.
Two findings from ATRI's prior 2025 edition remain useful as clearly dated context, not current-year benchmarks:
- Empty miles averaged 16.7% across carriers in 2024 — miles you pay for but don't invoice. That's why a break-even rate per loaded mile is higher than your raw cost per mile. Try the prior-year 16.7% context as an editable starting point.
- Truckload operating margin averaged −2.3% in 2024. That is prior-year context from the 2025 edition; use your own current rate and cost records for decisions.
Why your number is not ATRI's number
ATRI's averages are fleet-weighted — they lean toward larger carriers with employed drivers, negotiated fuel discounts, and fleet insurance rates. As an owner-operator you may run older equipment (lower payments, higher maintenance), pay retail at the pump, carry your own insurance, and pay yourself rather than a payroll line. The structure of the math is identical; the inputs are yours. That's exactly what the cost per mile calculator is for — it takes five minutes with your last three months of statements.
What OOIDA's research adds for owner-operators
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) publishes a free cost-per-mile spreadsheet and worksheet aimed squarely at single-truck businesses. Three takeaways from their published material:
- Miles dilute fixed costs. OOIDA's own worked example shows vehicle costs of $1.06 per mile at 50,000 miles a year falling to $0.69 per mile at 130,000 miles — same kind of equipment, very different cost per mile, purely because fixed costs are spread over more miles.
- Small MPG gains are real money. Per OOIDA's example, improving fuel economy by just 0.2 MPG (5.7 instead of 5.5) can save more than $2,000 a year.
- Knowing your costs pays — literally. The OOIDA Foundation's 2022 Freight Rate Survey, reported by Land Line, found owner-operators who knew their cost of operations earned $1.15 more per mile and about $1,500 more per trip than those who didn't.
Get your own cost per mile in five minutes
Published averages set context; loads get booked on your numbers. The calculator is free, runs on your phone, needs no signup, and saves your inputs on your device:
- Open the calculator with 16.7% deadheadATRI's prior-edition 2024 empty-mile share, clearly dated and fully editable.
- Open it with maintenance & tire money pre-setRound-number editable starting points near ATRI's prior-edition 2024 line items — not current benchmarks.
- Go straight to the break-even rate viewThe minimum rate per loaded mile to accept.
- Walk the full expenses checklist firstSo nothing is missing from your math.
Sources
- ATRI — "New ATRI Report Details Accelerating Costs and Low Profitability Despite Cuts" (July 15, 2026): $2.336/mile total; $1.854/mile excluding fuel; largest percentage increases by line item. Accessed August 10, 2026.
- ATRI — Operational Costs of Trucking research page (2026 update and report request). Accessed August 10, 2026.
- Prior-edition detail retained only as dated context: ATRI's 2025 update (2024 data) and Fleet Maintenance's breakdown. Accessed June 10, 2026.
- OOIDA — Cost Per Mile tool & spreadsheet: mileage-dilution and MPG examples. Accessed June 10, 2026.
- Land Line (OOIDA's publication) — 2022 Freight Rate Survey coverage: $1.15/mile and $1,500/trip difference. Accessed June 10, 2026.
Estimates only — not financial advice. Figures above are published research about past years; markets move. Use them as context, then calculate with your own current costs.