Question 1

Is there a free trucking calculator?

Accepted Answer

Yes. OverTheRoad.ai publishes a suite of free trucking calculators — cost per mile (CPM), IFTA fuel tax, lane rates, live diesel by PADD region, broker authority check, real margin per mile, mileage and fuel cost, and contract review. No signup is required for any of them; each runs once per IP per day for free.

Question 2

How do I calculate cost per mile for trucking?

Accepted Answer

Cost per mile (CPM) equals total operating expenses divided by total miles driven. Fixed costs (truck payment, insurance, permits) plus variable costs (fuel, maintenance, tolls) over the miles you actually drove. Our free CPM calculator at /performance reads it directly from a settlement, rate confirmation, or fuel receipt — no spreadsheet entry.

Question 3

How do I check market rate for a trucking lane?

Accepted Answer

Enter the origin and destination in our free lane rate lookup. The tool returns the current per-mile spot rate, a 12-week trend chart, and the load-to-truck ratio for that lane. The data refreshes weekly from spot-market sources so you can quote off real numbers rather than rate-board guesses.

Question 4

What is the average diesel price in the US right now?

Accepted Answer

Our live diesel price tool shows the current national average plus a breakdown by five regions (East Coast, Midwest, Gulf Coast, Rocky Mountain, West Coast), updated weekly. The West Coast typically runs $0.40–$0.60 above the Gulf Coast — the largest regional swing in the country.

Question 5

How do I check if a freight broker is legitimate?

Accepted Answer

Enter the broker's MC or DOT number in our free broker check tool. The tool returns live authority status, surety bond information, insurance verification, and safety rating — all pulled from federal records. Active authority means the broker is currently authorized to arrange freight; Inactive or Revoked means it isn't. The result shows the record so you can decide.

Question 6

What is a healthy revenue per mile for owner-operators in 2026?

Accepted Answer

Most owner-operators target $2.50/mi on dry van and $2.80+/mi on reefer or flatbed in 2026. Below $2.00/mi usually means the load doesn't clear fuel + deadhead + wear. Your break-even depends on your specific cost per mile — which our free CPM calculator computes from a single settlement upload.

Question 7

Do I need to sign up to use the free trucking tools?

Accepted Answer

No. Every tool runs free with no signup and no email. We rate-limit to one full run per IP per day to keep the tools fast for everyone. For continuous tracking across every load, the paid app starts at $79/month — about $2.63/day, and one caught shortpay can cover it — with a 30-day free trial.

Question 8

Is there a free tool that shows me the market rate for a trucking lane before I call a broker to negotiate?

Accepted Answer

Yes. OverTheRoad.ai's free lane rate lookup shows the current market per-mile rate for any origin-destination lane, a 12-week trend, and a confidence score — before you pick up the phone. No signup. Enter equipment type, origin, and destination; the number and trend come straight back so you negotiate off data instead of a guess.

Question 9

How do I run an MC check on a freight broker?

Accepted Answer

Type the broker's MC number into our free MC check tool. It returns live federal records: operating authority status, insurance on file, safety rating, and inspection history. An MC check takes about ten seconds and doesn't require an account — run it before you haul for a broker you haven't worked with.

Question 10

Is there a free deadhead calculator for trucking?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our free real-margin calculator includes deadhead: enter the rate per mile, your truck's MPG, current diesel, and your deadhead percentage, and it shows what the load really pays per all-in mile after fuel and empty miles. Deadhead dilution is usually the difference between a load that looks good and one that actually is.

Question 11

Where can I get a free owner operator invoice template?

Accepted Answer

Use our free trucking invoice generator — fill in the load, the broker, and your rate, and download a clean professional invoice as a PDF. No signup, nothing stored. There's also a free owner-operator expense spreadsheet template you can download and open in Excel or Google Sheets.

Question 12

What do I need to get my own trucking authority?

Accepted Answer

The core steps: a USDOT number and operating authority through FMCSA's registration system, a BOC-3 process agent filing, primary liability insurance on file, UCR registration, an IFTA license and IRP plates from your base state, and a drug & alcohol consortium enrollment. Our free trucking authority checklist walks every step with typical costs and timelines.

The same numbers brokers use. Free for any driver.

Cost Per Mile Calculator

Full analyzers — deep dive, ready-to-file output

Check-A-Load

Contract Review

Cost Per Mile Calculator

Quick lookups — 30-second answers

Real Margin Calculator

Broker / Carrier Check

Live Diesel Prices

Mileage + Fuel Cost

Lane Rate Check

Invoice Generator

Free tools catch one load.
The app catches every load you book.

The same numbers brokers use. Free for any driver.

Cost Per Mile Calculator

The same numbers brokers use. Free for any driver.

Cost Per Mile Calculator

Full analyzers — deep dive, ready-to-file output

Check-A-Load

Contract Review

Cost Per Mile Calculator

Quick lookups — 30-second answers

Real Margin Calculator

Broker / Carrier Check

Live Diesel Prices

Mileage + Fuel Cost

Lane Rate Check

Invoice Generator

Free tools catch one load.The app catches every load you book.

The same numbers brokers use. Free for any driver.

Cost Per Mile Calculator

Free tools catch one load.
The app catches every load you book.