Methodology
How the engine turns a load into Book, Pass, or Negotiate
LoadMerit runs one deterministic decision engine — the same math behind the simulator, the free calculator, and Copilot. No black box: every recommendation shows the numbers it came from, and the figures on this page are pulled straight from the live engine configuration.
Engine version 1.0.0
Step 1 · The math
What it calculates
Every load you enter is reduced to the same set of numbers, so any two loads compare on equal footing.
Loaded RPM
Offered rate ÷ loaded miles — your first per-mile filter.
Effective RPM
Offered rate ÷ total miles (loaded + deadhead) — the truest comparison number.
Deadhead %
Empty miles as a share of total miles.
Fuel estimate
Total miles ÷ MPG × fuel price.
Operating cost
Your all-in cost per mile across every mile run.
Gross profit
Offered rate minus operating cost — an estimate from your inputs.
Minimum acceptable rate
The floor that clears your cost and target profit.
Suggested counteroffer
Your minimum plus a small risk premium, rounded to a clean increment.
Step 2 · The risk score
Seven weighted factors, out of 100
Risk is a transparent 0–100 score. Each factor contributes up to a fixed number of points — profitability carries the most weight, because a load that doesn't pay is the biggest risk of all.
| Factor | Max pts |
|---|---|
Deadhead risk Unpaid miles to reach the pickup lower your effective RPM. Higher deadhead as a share of total miles adds risk. | 20 |
Profitability risk When effective RPM is below your target or estimated profit is under your threshold, the load carries more financial risk. | 25 |
Time-window risk Tight or missing pickup/delivery windows, plus detention and layover exposure, raise the chance of delays and lost time. | 15 |
Broker / note risk Concern signals in broker or load notes — vague details, slow pay, strict windows — warrant verification. | 15 |
Accessorial uncertainty Unconfirmed or unpaid accessorials (lumper, tarping, detention) can quietly erode the margin you calculated. | 10 |
Multi-stop complexity Each additional stop adds handling, appointment, and timing complexity. | 10 |
Equipment-specific risk Reefer temperature control and flatbed securement/tarping require extra attention and add operational risk. | 5 |
Low
0–29
Medium
30–59
High
60–79
Critical
80–100
A genuinely profitable load can't score as critical — profitability is 25% of the score, so strong economics cap the total. The risk score is a tool-generated estimate, not verified market or broker data.
Step 3 · The call
How Book, Pass, or Negotiate is chosen
The recommendation combines the economics (offer vs. your minimum acceptable rate) with the risk score. Your risk tolerance can shift the Book/Negotiate ceiling.
Book
The offer clears your minimum acceptable rate and the risk score is below 60.
Negotiate
The offer is within 15% below your minimum (a counteroffer can bridge it), or it clears your minimum but risk is elevated (60+) and worth compensating.
Pass
The offer is more than 15% below your minimum, or the risk score reaches 80+ — no reasonable counter fixes it.
What AI does — and doesn't
AI rewrites words, never numbers
When AI is enabled, it only drafts the wording of a negotiation message or rephrases an explanation. Every figure — RPM, profit, risk, counteroffer — comes from the deterministic engine. Turn AI off and the numbers and decision are identical.
What the engine does not do
- Invent market rates or external data
- Book loads or contact brokers
- Guarantee income or outcomes
- Override its own math with AI
Market data is context, not input
Weekly diesel prices (EIA), the truckload PPI trend (BLS), and USDA produce rates appear as banners and trend chips only — they never change a score. Benchmarks are index-adjusted lane ranges, not spot rates.
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.
LoadMerit does not guarantee income, employment, carrier clients, broker relationships, freight availability, load acceptance, business success, or profitable outcomes. Any examples, scenarios, or calculations are illustrative and depend on user-entered assumptions and changing real-world conditions.