Dump Truck Hourly Rate Calculator

Work out what to charge per hour to cover every cost, pay yourself and make a profit.

Truck type

Starting numbers are examples. Enter your own.

How to set your profit
In percent.

Added on top of your cost per hour.

In dollars per hour.

See if an offer meets your target.

In dollars per month.

Loan or lease payment. Enter 0 if the truck is paid off.

In dollars per month.
In hours per month.

Hours you get paid for in a working month.

In months per year.

Fixed costs keep running in months the truck doesn't work.

More options
In dollars per year.

Registration, IRP, HVUT (Form 2290) and permits: yearly total.

In dollars per month.

Phone, ELD, accounting, parking, software.

In gallons per hour.

Typical for this truck, varies. Enter your own.

In dollars per gallon.

Example diesel price: $5.35/gal (August 2026). Enter today's price. This price is more than 3 weeks old.

In dollars per hour.

Typical for this truck, varies. Enter your own.

In dollars per hour.

Typical for this truck, varies. Enter your own.

In dollars per hour.

Your own pay if you drive.

In percent.

Payroll taxes and workers' comp, as a % of driver pay.

Charge at least

$119.70/hr

  • Your cost per hour (break-even)$99.75/hr
  • Profit per hour$19.95/hr
  • Profit margin16.7%
  • Yearly revenue$229,824
  • Yearly costs$191,520
  • Yearly profit$38,304
  • Billable hours a year1,920 billable hours

Driver pay is already in your costs, so profit is on top of your own wage. Turn this rate into per-ton and per-load prices

How this is calculated

First the calculator works out your cost per hour, the same way as the cost per hour calculator. Then:

  • Markup: rate = cost per hour × (1 + markup %).
  • Yearly profit target: rate = cost per hour + target ÷ billable hours a year.
  • Profit per hour = rate − cost per hour. Margin = profit per hour ÷ rate.

Worked example (tri-axle): a $99.75 cost per hour with a 20% markup gives $119.70 per hour. That's $19.95 profit an hour (a 16.7% margin). Over 1,920 hours a year: $229,824 revenue, $191,520 costs and $38,304 profit, on top of the $57,600 driver wage already inside the costs.

With a $30,000 yearly profit target instead, the rate is $115.38 per hour. An offer of $125 meets the 20% target, $105 covers costs but is below target, and $95 is below break-even.

Questions

How much do dump trucks charge per hour?

One industry source puts average dump truck hourly service rates at $85–$130 per hour, varying by region, and advises reviewing rates against rising costs (Dump Truck Dispatcher). Your own rate should start from your own costs, which is what this calculator does.

What is the difference between markup and margin?

Markup is added on top of your cost. Margin is profit as a share of the price. A 20% markup on a $99.75 cost gives $119.70 an hour, which is a 16.7% margin.

Should I use a markup or a yearly profit target?

Use whichever you think in. A yearly target spreads the profit you want over your billable hours: with the example costs, a $30,000 target gives $115.38 an hour. The 20% markup this calculator starts with is an example, not a recommendation.

What do the results for an offered rate mean?

Meets your target: the offer is at or above your rate. Covers costs, below your target: you won't lose money, but you earn less profit than you planned. Below your break-even: every hour at that rate loses money.

Is this the same as dump truck driver pay?

No. Driver pay is what an employee earns: Indeed puts average dump truck driver pay at $24.63 an hour (updated July 2026) and Glassdoor at $34 an hour. An owner-operator's rate has to cover the truck, insurance and fuel as well as the driver's pay.

Sources

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