Free calculator
Free Flatbed Load Calculator
Flatbed rates reward the extra work — securing, tarping, and the deadhead to reach specialized freight. The question is whether a given load pays enough for that work after every cost. This free calculator shows the full picture on any flatbed load so you can decide with numbers, not gut feel.
- Securement and tarping risk is scored in automatically — no extra inputs needed.
- See loaded and effective RPM, gross profit, and a risk score.
- Get a Book / Negotiate / Pass call with a suggested counteroffer.
Run a flatbed load now
Free, no account needed. The flatbed equipment type is preselected — just enter the rate, miles, and deadhead.
Want the math behind it? Read how to calculate rate per mile and how to know if a load is worth it, or browse the full resource library.
Running a different trailer? Try the dry van load calculator or the reefer load calculator.
How the math works
A $1,120 flatbed load, worked end to end
Offer: $1,120 · 340 loaded miles · 30 deadhead miles
Loaded RPM: $1,120 ÷ 340 mi = $3.29/mi
Effective RPM: $1,120 ÷ 370 total mi = $3.03/mi
Example cost floor: $2.00/mi × 370 mi = $740 all-in
Gross margin: $1,120 − $740 = $380
Read: the rate clears the floor. If tarping adds two unpaid hours, the day, not the math, becomes the question.
Common questions
- Does tarping pay extra?
- Often, but only if you ask before you book. Tarp pay is an accessorial, which means it is negotiated, not automatic. Get it on the rate con in writing; a verbal yes on the phone is hard to collect on later. If a load clearly needs tarps and the broker will not pay for them, price that work into the rate you are willing to accept.
- Does the calculator have a tarping or accessorial input?
- No. You enter the rate, miles, and deadhead, and flatbed securement risk is scored automatically as part of the risk score. Tarp pay, tarp time, and other accessorials stay where they belong: in your negotiation with the broker before you sign the rate con.
- How should tarp time figure into whether a load is worth it?
- Treat it as time, not as a line in the rate math. In the example above, $1,120 over 370 total miles clears a $2.00 floor with $380 of margin. If tarping and untarping add two unpaid hours, that margin has to cover a longer day, and you may miss the window for a reload. Per-mile math says yes or no on the rate; the clock says yes or no on the day.
LoadMerit provides educational content, simulations, calculators, and decision-support tools for freight load analysis. Content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be treated as legal, financial, tax, regulatory, insurance, brokerage, carrier, or dispatching advice.