The plain math for owner-operators, small fleets and drivers: diesel per mile, your break-even rate, fuel surcharges, empty miles, IFTA and what every 10 cents at the pump costs you.
A pump price means little until it's turned into a cost per mile, and a rate means little until it's held against your own break-even. This book does both, with tables that work at any diesel price from $3 to $8.
The example truck's break-even per paid mile at $5.00 diesel. The book shows you how to build your own in about 15 minutes.
What the most common fuel surcharge leaves uncovered on every paid mile in the book's example. The base rate has to carry it.
The diesel in 100 empty miles at $5.00 and 7.0 mpg, before tires, repairs and your time.
Figures are from the book's worked examples, which use one made-up example truck to show the method.
A 1,000-mile van load from Chapter 3, paid two ways. On a flat rate, every move at the pump comes out of your pocket. On linehaul plus a fuel surcharge, it mostly doesn't.
| Left after diesel | $4 diesel | $7 diesel | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat $3.00 a mile, all-in | $2,327.73 | $1,823.53 | -$504.20 |
| $2.25 linehaul + fuel surcharge | $2,037.73 | $2,033.53 | -$4.20 |
Example from the book: 1,000 loaded miles plus 176.5 empty miles, 7.0 mpg, surcharge figured the common way, (price - $1.25) ÷ 6.0.
57-page PDF. 10 chapters, 5 printable worksheets, quick tables and a plain-English glossary. Prints cleanly in black and white on letter paper.
Excel file that also opens in Google Sheets. Your cost per mile, a load check, three loads side by side, a surcharge check, a fuel log and diesel tables. Type in yellow cells, the rest figures itself.
One page per month for every fill-up, plus a month summary and a miles-and-gallons-by-state page for your IFTA records.
Half-page cards in big type: diesel per mile, surcharge per mile, empty-mile cost, break-even, the load check, what mileage is worth, the weekly numbers and fuel tax.
The Gallon Report is an independent YouTube channel about diesel prices and what they do to the cost of a load. This book puts the math from our videos in one place, so you can run it on your own truck every week.
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No. It's a PDF you download right after you pay. It's set on U.S. letter paper and prints cleanly in black and white at home, and you can print the worksheets as often as you like.
No. The book doesn't print this week's prices. Every table runs from $3 to $8 a gallon and comes with the formula, so you read off the row for this week's price. Chapter 9 shows where to find this week's numbers in five minutes.
Microsoft Excel, or free Google Sheets: upload the file to Google Drive and open it with Sheets. It's easiest on a computer.
It's written for owner-operators and small fleets. If you're thinking about leasing on or buying a truck, it shows the math you'll be living with.
Gumroad shows the download page right after checkout and emails you a link. You can download the files again any time from that email.
No. It explains the arithmetic and quotes the federal rules on leases, brokers, IFTA and fuel tax. Talk to a tax professional about your own return.
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