How to Price a Hotshot Return Trip

Start with the complete trip

Record the pickup deadhead, outbound loaded miles, likely repositioning and expected miles to your next committed load or home base. A route ending at delivery may understate the miles you actually pay to drive.

If you do not have a booked return load, treat backhaul revenue as uncertain. Build a no-backhaul scenario rather than assuming freight will appear.

Worked example: the return-mile problem

Suppose an outbound load pays $1,800 for 600 loaded miles, with 70 pickup deadhead. The delivery leaves 330 additional miles of unpaid repositioning to your next workable market. Total evaluated miles are 1,000 and gross all-mile RPM is $1.80.

At a hypothetical $1.31 operating cost per mile, 1,000 miles imply $1,310 in operating costs, leaving $490 before dispatch fees, owner compensation, taxes and other charges. This is not a profit guarantee.

Evaluate a real backhaul offer

Assume a return load adds $700 in revenue and 250 loaded miles, but requires 40 extra miles to pick up. The incremental all-mile RPM is $700 ÷ 290 ≈ $2.41.

If those 290 miles replace miles you otherwise would have driven empty, compare the full revised route—not just the incremental rate. The right comparison is total trip revenue minus total trip costs under each feasible scenario.

Set a floor without guessing

Calculate your trip-level operating costs, add owner compensation and a target business margin, then account for dispatch or broker-related charges as applicable. Use an explicit quote floor for the scenario with no return load.

A cheap backhaul may reduce a loss relative to driving empty, but that does not make every low-paying load acceptable. Consider delivery time, equipment wear, safety and whether the backhaul blocks better freight.

Questions to ask before accepting

Where is the next viable pickup? Is the return freight booked or merely hoped for? What is the additional deadhead? Are there time windows, accessorial charges or restrictions? Does the complete trip meet your required earnings?