An open truck still has to be paid for
A seated tractor earns contribution. An unseated one earns nothing while the payment, insurance and permits keep coming. Move the open-truck ratio to see how much of the fleet's contribution goes missing.
Contribution lost, annual
Dead-weight carrying cost
Fixed cost per seated truck
Left after carrying cost
Inputs
Left after carrying cost by open ratio
Detail: fully seated versus now
How the numbers are wired
- Revenue per seated truck = annual miles × (1 − deadhead %) × revenue per loaded mile.
- Contribution per seated truck = revenue × contribution margin. The margin is what is left after fuel, driver pay, maintenance and other variable costs. Carrying cost is not in it.
- Carrying cost per truck = (equipment cost + insurance, permits and other) × 12. It is paid on every tractor on the roster, seated or not.
- Contribution lost = open trucks × contribution per seated truck. Dead-weight carrying cost = open trucks × carrying cost per truck. These are the same idle truck seen two ways, so do not add them.
- Left after carrying cost = seated trucks × contribution per truck − all tractors × carrying cost per truck. Fixed cost per seated truck = total carrying cost ÷ seated trucks.
- Breakeven open ratio = 1 − carrying cost per truck ÷ contribution per seated truck.
- Recruiting cost = trucks × driver turnover × recruiting cost per hire. It follows turnover only, so it is shown on its own and left out of the open-truck totals.
Illustrative model, not a client result. Rate, miles, deadhead, margin and costs are placeholders to replace with a client's actuals. The 10% reference is the ATRI 2025 average for unseated tractors.