Trucking Rates Per Mile: national spot rates including fuel

National truckload rates as of October 15, 2026

• Dry van: $3.09/mi all-in including fuel ($2.26 linehaul + $0.83 fuel surcharge), DAT week ending Oct 10.
• Reefer: $3.66/mi all-in including fuel ($2.75 linehaul + $0.91 fuel surcharge), DAT week ending Oct 10.
• Flatbed: $3.65/mi all-in including fuel ($2.65 linehaul + $1.00 fuel surcharge), DAT week ending Oct 10.
• FreightFA live-quote index, dry van: $3.56/mi all-in, the average of today's bookable shipper quotes on 25 benchmark lanes. It runs above DAT because it is the shipper side of the market.
• Diesel: $6.20/gal, EIA U.S. average retail, week of Oct 5.

These figures were current when this page was published. DAT and EIA publish weekly and FreightFA checks them daily; the live numbers are at https://freightfa.com/tools/trucking-rates-per-mile.

What drives $/mile

• Length of haul: short hauls (under 250 miles) carry a higher $/mile because deadhead and load/unload time aren't spread over many miles.
• Lane balance: backhaul-heavy lanes price lower than headhaul lanes.
• Capacity cycle: when capacity tightens, spot rates lead contract rates higher within weeks.
• Diesel: every $0.10 change in the DOE national diesel average moves the fuel surcharge by roughly $0.015–$0.025 per mile.
• Equipment scarcity: reefer in produce season, flatbed during construction starts.

Frequently asked questions

Do trucking rates include fuel?

Linehaul $/mile excludes fuel. The fuel surcharge is calculated separately from the DOE national diesel average as a per-mile add-on. The all-in spot rates on this page include it.

How do I calculate cost per mile for my lane?

Take the lane benchmark $/mile times loaded miles, add the fuel surcharge, then add accessorials such as detention, lumper, and layover. The FreightFA Rate Estimator does this for any U.S. ZIP-to-ZIP lane.