Question 1

How much revenue does an owner-operator need to earn per week?

Accepted Answer

Weekly revenue target depends on weekly operating costs and the owner-operator's net income goal. Example: weekly fixed costs of $900 (truck payment prorated, insurance, ELD) + variable costs of $700 (fuel, maintenance reserve) = $1,600 in weekly expenses. To net $1,500 after expenses (before taxes), the weekly gross revenue target is $1,600 + $1,500 = $3,100. At 2,000 loaded miles per week, the required rate per loaded mile is $3,100 ÷ 2,000 = $1.55/mile. At 1,500 miles, it rises to $3,100 ÷ 1,500 = $2.07/mile. The weekly revenue target calculator works backward from your income and cost inputs to show exactly what rate per mile or number of loads is required.

Question 2

How many loads does an owner-operator run per week?

Accepted Answer

Most OTR owner-operators complete 1–3 loads per week, depending on load distance. A long-haul driver running loads of 1,500–2,500 miles might do 1–2 loads per week. A regional driver running shorter loads of 300–600 miles might complete 3–5 loads per week. Local or dedicated routes can involve daily deliveries. Total miles per week for an OTR driver typically range from 1,500 to 2,800 miles, constrained by HOS limits (maximum 11 hours/day driving, 14 hours on duty, 70 hours/8-day cycle) and loading/unloading time. At 55 mph average speed over 10 effective driving hours per day for 5 days = approximately 2,750 miles/week theoretical maximum; realistic figures are lower due to detention, loading delays, and traffic.

Question 3

How do you set a weekly income goal as an owner-operator?

Accepted Answer

Set a weekly income goal by working backward from your annual personal income target. Add self-employment tax (roughly 15% of net profit) and set aside for quarterly payments. Then add annual operating expenses divided by 52 weeks. That sum is your weekly gross revenue target. Example: target personal income $65,000/year → add SE tax buffer $9,750 → total net needed $74,750 → divide by 52 weeks → $1,437/week net needed. Add weekly operating costs ($2,500 at $1.65 CPM × 1,500 miles) to get weekly gross target: $1,437 + $2,475 = $3,912/week gross. At 1,500 loaded miles, the minimum RPM needed is $3,912 ÷ 1,500 = $2.61/loaded mile — before accounting for deadhead adjustment.

Weekly revenue target calculator

Your numbers

Income goal

Weekly fixed costs

Variable costs

Load details (optional — for per-load breakdown)

Revenue target

How the weekly revenue target is calculated

What this calculator does not include