Deadhead miles are the empty, unpaid miles a truck drives between loads. Tracking them as a percentage of total miles exposes wasted fuel and time.
Lower is better. Most fleets aim to keep deadhead under 10–15%.
The example
A truck drove 1,200 total miles last week, of which 180 were empty.
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Miles |
| 2 | Total miles | 1,200 |
| 3 | Empty miles | 180 |
| 4 | Deadhead % | 15.0% |
The formula
Deadhead percentage is empty miles divided by total miles driven:
How it works
How to use it:
- Record total miles driven for the period (1,200) and how many of those were empty between loads (180).
- Divide empty by total: 180 ÷ 1,200 = 0.15, or 15% deadhead.
- Loaded miles are the remainder, 1,020, which are the miles that actually earned revenue.
- Format as Percentage and track the trend; rising deadhead means more empty repositioning.
Multiply deadhead miles by your cost per mile to put a dollar figure on the waste.
Try it: interactive demo
Enter total and empty miles; deadhead and loaded percentages update.
Variations
Loaded ratio instead
The complement — share of miles that paid.
Cost of deadhead in dollars
Empty miles times cost per mile.
Pitfalls & errors
Be consistent about what counts as deadhead — bobtail and repositioning miles should be included, or comparisons across weeks break down.
Pair deadhead % with revenue per loaded mile to see whether cutting empty miles is actually improving the bottom line.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
What is an acceptable deadhead percentage?
Are deadhead miles ever paid?
How do I reduce deadhead?
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