Freight Margin Calculator

Calculate brokerage gross profit and margin on any freight load. Optionally break down FSC and accessorial spreads, and add lane ZIPs for per-mile profitability.

Load Rates Customer Rate ($): The total line-haul rate billed to the shipper.

Carrier Rate ($): The line-haul rate paid to the carrier.

Fuel Surcharges (Optional) Customer FSC ($): (Optional) Fuel surcharge billed to customer.

Carrier FSC ($): (Optional) Fuel surcharge paid to carrier.

Accessorials (Optional) Customer Accessorials ($): (Optional) Total accessorial charges billed to customer (lumper, liftgate, etc.).

Carrier Accessorials ($): (Optional) Total accessorial costs paid to carrier.

Lane (Optional — Per-Mile Analysis) Origin ZIP Code: (Optional) Shows margin per mile using exact Google Maps road miles.

Destination ZIP Code:

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Understanding Freight Brokerage Margins

Gross Profit is the difference between what a shipper pays the brokerage (revenue) and what the brokerage pays the carrier (cost). This is the core metric brokerages use to evaluate load profitability before overhead.

Margin Percentage represents gross profit as a fraction of total customer revenue: (Gross Profit ÷ Customer All-In) × 100. Most freight brokerages target 10–18% on standard loads. Margins below 5% typically result in net losses after accounting for insurance, software, and back-office costs.

FSC Spread: Many brokerages charge the shipper a higher FSC than they pass through to the carrier. This creates additional margin beyond the line-haul spread. Some operations keep a flat FSC spread per load; others use a percentage markup.

Accessorial Margin: Accessorial charges (lumper fees, liftgate, detention, etc.) are another source of brokerage profit. The spread between what you bill the customer and what you reimburse the carrier directly impacts gross profit.

Tip: Use the Lane Rate Analyzer to evaluate individual carrier rates before booking. Pair this tool with the Deadhead Calculator to factor repositioning costs into your margin decisions.

This tool was created by Ben Crittenden, an IT professional with experience in web development, systems administration, and project management.