Owner-Operator Tools
Owner Operator Cost Calculator
See what you actually take home in 2026 — modeled side-by-side for leased and own authority, with the real numbers most calculators skip: tax reserve, per diem, compliance fees, factoring, and FSC pass-through.
Where are you in your trucking business right now?
Pick one — we'll tailor the numbers and the comparison to your actual situation.
Your Inputs
Defaults reflect the latest national averages — diesel refreshes weekly from EIA, rates from DAT, benchmarks from ATBS & ATRI. Override any field with your own number.
What if conditions change?
Stack any combination — your inputs above stay clean. Tap a chip again to remove it.
Sensitivity grid — weeks × rate
Each cell shows annual take-home for that week-and-rate combination, holding your other inputs fixed. The cell labeled Default is your current scenario. Click any cell to apply that combo.
How we calculate your take-home
The calculator models take-home in four steps: gross revenue, operating costs, compliance costs, and after-tax net. Gross revenue is loaded miles × working weeks × your rate per mile, plus the fuel surcharge. For leased operators, the carrier split percentage is deducted first, then the FSC pass-through percentage is applied to the surcharge. Own-authority operators keep the full gross, minus factoring fees if factoring is enabled.
Operating costs include fuel (your MPG × current EIA national average diesel price), maintenance at $0.20/mile (ATRI & ATBS 2025 benchmark), tires ($6,000/yr), cell phone ($1,200/yr), and bookkeeping. Authority-specific compliance costs include IRP plates ($1,750), UCR registration ($176), load boards ($2,750), third-party compliance ($1,200), and ELD fees ($480). Truck loan amortization uses your entered purchase price, APR, and loan term.
Tax reserve accounts for self-employment (SE) tax — 15.3% on net income up to $176,100 — applied before your federal marginal rate. Per diem deductions reduce taxable income: at $80/day × your OTR days × 80% IRS deductibility, 280 OTR days generates approximately $17,920 in deductions annually. The calculator stacks SE tax and your marginal rate to produce the total reserve percentage, then applies it to net operating income to estimate your after-tax take-home.
Using April 2026 national averages — 2,022 miles/week (ATBS 2025), 47 working weeks, $2.50/mile loaded (DAT spot van), $5.40/gal diesel (EIA) — the model produces a leased take-home of approximately $30,900/year ($2,577/month) and an own-authority take-home of approximately $50,700/year ($4,222/month). The authority premium of roughly $19,700/year reflects higher gross revenue and no carrier split, offset by $10,000+ more in insurance and compliance costs. Results vary by freight lane, equipment type, and insurance rate. This is a planning tool, not a binding quote or financial advice.
What's not in these numbers
These are personal expenses outside the trucking business P&L. The take-home above doesn't subtract them — plan for them separately.
No carrier subsidy on either path. ACA marketplace premiums vary by state, age, and family size.
Of your net take-home, ATBS-recommended. SEP-IRA or solo 401(k) also reduces taxable income.
Per-claim out-of-pocket on cargo and physical damage. Keep this set aside so a single claim doesn't park you.
Minimum buffer for breakdowns, slow weeks, or claim deductibles. Three months of fixed costs is the planning floor.
Email me my full report
We'll send a printable summary of these numbers to your inbox — and your OOIHub specialist gets a copy so they can quote insurance built around your scenario, not a generic template.
Ready for an insurance quote built around these numbers?
Same-day certificates. Specialists who understand your full operation, not just your rate. Trucking Insurance Services since 2011.