The short version
- Percentage pay moves with the freight. When rates are strong it pays more; when rates are soft it pays less.
- Per-mile pay is steady, but you only learn what it is worth once you know which miles count and who keeps the fuel surcharge.
- The fastest way to compare any two offers: divide what each one pays you on a load by the miles you will actually drive.
The rates and loads below are examples built to show how the math works, not quotes for any lane. Diesel in these examples is $6.276 a gallon, the U.S. average on-highway price the EIA published for the week of October 19, 2026. The current week is on our News page.
The two offers
- Percentage offer: you keep 88% of the gross, which is linehaul plus fuel surcharge. That is the low end of the 88% to 90% range on our Owner Operators page.
- Per-mile offer: an example of $2.25 per loaded mile, with the carrier keeping the fuel surcharge. That is a common way per-mile offers are written, and exactly the kind of detail to confirm before you sign.
In both cases you buy your own fuel, so fuel cost is the same on either side and we can compare the pay before fuel.
The fuel surcharge on this load
Many fuel surcharge schedules start from a base diesel price and add one cent per mile for every few cents diesel sits above it. An example schedule with a $1.25 base and one cent for every 6 cents above it gives (6.276 - 1.25) / 0.06, or about 84 cents a mile. On a 1,200 mile load that is $1,008. Ask any carrier for their actual schedule.
Load A: strong freight
| Linehaul | $3,600.00 |
| Fuel surcharge | $1,008.00 |
| Gross | $4,608.00 |
| Percentage, 88% of $4,608 | $4,055.04 |
| Per mile, 1,200 miles at $2.25 | $2,700.00 |
| Difference in favor of percentage | $1,355.04 |
When the freight pays well, a percentage passes that through to you. The per-mile driver hauled the same load and was paid as if it were average freight.
Load B: soft freight
| Linehaul | $2,400.00 |
| Fuel surcharge | $1,008.00 |
| Gross | $3,408.00 |
| Percentage, 88% of $3,408 | $2,999.04 |
| Per mile, loaded miles only: 1,200 at $2.25 | $2,700.00 |
| Per mile, if deadhead is paid too: 1,350 at $2.25 | $3,037.50 |
On soft freight the gap closes, and if the per-mile offer pays deadhead it can come out ahead. That is the honest answer: neither model always wins. What decides it is the freight you will actually haul and the fine print on the miles.
The break-even rate
To compare any per-mile offer with a percentage on a given load, work out what the percentage pays per mile you drive:
| Load A: $4,055.04 divided by 1,200 miles | $3.38 a mile |
| Load B: $2,999.04 divided by 1,350 miles driven | $2.22 a mile |
A per-mile offer has to beat that number to pay you more on that load. Run it on a few of the loads you hauled last month and you will see which way your freight leans.
Questions that expose a bad deal
- Percentage of what? Is the percentage taken on the full gross, including fuel surcharge and accessorials such as detention and stop pay, or only on linehaul?
- Which miles are paid? Loaded only, or deadhead too? Practical miles or shortest-route miles? Shortest-route miles run lower than what you actually drive.
- Who keeps the fuel surcharge? With diesel above $6, the surcharge is a large part of every load.
- Who keeps the fuel card discount? At Cold Spring Trucking, 100% of it is passed through to you.
- Can I see the rate confirmation? On percentage pay you should be able to check the gross your share is figured from.
- What comes out of each settlement? Fees, insurance, escrow, and anything else. Get the list in writing before the first load.
This article is education, not legal or financial advice. Read any lease agreement in full before you sign it.
Want to run your own numbers with us? Our lease-on terms are on one page in plain numbers, or call and we will work through your week with you.
See the Owner Operator Offer Call (206) 735-6016