Calculating Your Cost Per Mile on Amazon Relay

That high "all-in price" on the Amazon Relay board looks great, but is it profitable? 

Without knowing your Cost-Per-Mile (CPM), you're driving blind and could be losing money on that load. 

This guide, with an included CPM calculator, provides a simple process to find your number, the foundation for making confident, profitable decisions on every load.  

How to Calculate to Find Your CPM

To find your CPM, you need two things: your total monthly expenses and your total monthly miles. The formula is simple:

Total Monthly Expenses ÷ Total Monthly Mile = Your Cost-Per-Mile (CPM)   

This resulting figure is your Cost-Per-Mile (CPM), the essential break-even point that shows the minimum revenue you must earn on every mile to cover all operating costs. 

Total Monthly  Expenses

Add up every single cost for the month. Group them into two categories:

Fixed Costs: What you pay even if the truck is parked. This includes your truck payment, insurance, permits, ELD subscriptions, and your own salary.   

Variable Costs: Expenses that change with mileage. This is mainly fuel, but also includes maintenance, tires, and tolls.   

Add your total fixed costs and total variable costs together to get your total monthly expenses.

Total Fixed Costs + Total Variable Costs = Total Monthly Expenses

Total Monthly Mile

This is the most critical step, you must include ALL miles driven. This means not just the paid "loaded" miles but also the unpaid "deadhead" miles you drive to a pickup location. 

Forgetting deadhead miles will give you a false, dangerously low CPM and can lead you to take unprofitable loads.   

Calculate this by subtracting your odometer reading at the start of the month from the reading at the end of the month.

End Odometer - Start Odometer = Total Monthly Miles

The 60-Second CPM Profit Test on Amazon Relay Portal

The goal is to calculate the load's True Rate-Per-Mile (True RPM) and compare it against your fictional $1.75 CPM to determine the profit margin.

Calculate the Load's Rate-Per-Mile (RPM)

We must include every mile that costs you money, both the loaded miles and the deadhead miles driven to the pickup location.

• Total Miles: Loaded Miles + Deadhead Miles

$2,906.9 mi + 9.75 mi = $2,916.65 total miles

• True RPM: Total Payout ÷ Total Miles

  
  

$4,018.18 (Payout) / 2,916.65 (Total Miles) = $1.377 per mile

The Profitability Verdict

Now, we compare the revenue generated per mile with your fictional operational cost per mile.

Metric	Value
Load's True RPM	$1.377
Your Business CPM	$1.75
Profit (Loss) Per Mile	$1.377 - $1.75 = -$0.373

Based on your cost of operation ($1.75 CPM), this load is costing your business 37.3 cents for every mile the truck moves . 

Even though the payout looks large at $4,018.18, the long distance means the True RPM of $1.377 is insufficient to cover your $1.75 operational baseline.

Why RPH Matters Here 

This $2,900-mile cross-country trip requires multiple days of driving and mandatory HOS resets.

Because the load is already unprofitable (negative CPM), the immense time investment only compounds the loss, proving that CPM ensures survival, while RPH is the essential check for true efficiency.

Use Our Calculator

This calculator provides a simple process to find your number, the foundation for making confident, profitable decisions on every load.

Stop Guessing, Start Profiting

Knowing your CPM is the difference between simply driving a truck and running a CEO-level operation. 

This number ensures every load booked on Amazon Relay is profitable and financially sound. Use the CPM Calculator included here to find your true figure.

By taking the time to understand your costs, you empower yourself to make smarter, faster decisions on the load board. 

Know your number, know your profit.

FAQs

What is the Cost-Per-Mile (CPM), and why is it essential? 

CPM is your total monthly operating expenses (fixed + variable) divided by your total miles driven, establishing the bare minimum revenue needed just to break even on every mile..  

What is the biggest mistake people make when calculating CPM? 

The most common and costly error is failing to include all unpaid deadhead miles (miles driven empty to a pickup) in the total mileage count, which artificially deflates your true operational cost..  

Why do I need Revenue-Per-Hour (RPH) if I already know my CPM? 

RPH measures time efficiency by dividing the load payout by the total hours spent (including waiting), ensuring you prioritize loads that generate the maximum revenue from your limited hours of service..  

What is the standard "free time" for detention at a shipping facility? 

The industry standard is typically two hours for loading or unloading; any time spent waiting beyond that window is considered detention, for which you should document and seek compensation..  

What is a reasonable True Rate-Per-Mile (RPM) to target for a box truck? 

While rates fluctuate, many box truck owner-operators aim to book loads paying at least $1.60 to $2.00 per mile or higher on all-in (loaded plus deadhead) mileage to ensure a healthy profit margin above their CPM.