Free tool
Truck trip cost calculator
Rates verified · By TruePermit · Free, no signup
Every load quote hides a second price: what the government charges you to run it. Fuel tax owed in every state you cross, per-mile taxes in five of them, trip permits if you're not apportioned — scattered across a dozen agency rate sheets. Enter the run and the truck; a truck-legal route splits the miles by state, and the same deterministic engines behind the TruePermit dashboard price the whole thing as one number.
Where the numbers come from
The route is computed with a truck profile on truck-legal roads, and per-state miles come from the provider's state-line splits — the same method IFTA returns are built on. Fuel tax uses the official IFTA quarterly matrix per state (surcharge states included); weight-distance lines use each state's published rate table, the same versioned schedule the paid product files with; per-trip permit fees come from each state agency's posted price with a verification date. Nothing on this page is a guess — where a state prices by formula instead of a flat amount, the tool says so instead of inventing a number.
The question this answers before you accept a load
Rate-per-mile math usually stops at fuel and driver pay, but the government cost of a run varies by route far more than most carriers expect — the same freight from Texas to the Northeast can carry a very different tax bill depending on whether it crosses New York, Kentucky or New Mexico. Compare two candidate routes here before you commit, and if you run states like these regularly, the route permit checker shows the break-even between per-trip permits and apportioning.
Frequently asked questions
What does this trip cost estimate include?
Three government obligations, each from an official schedule: IFTA fuel tax (your per-state miles ÷ MPG × each state's published per-gallon rate, surcharges included), the five state weight-distance taxes where the route crosses them (NY HUT, KY KYU, NM WDT, Oregon Weight-Mile, CT HUF), and — if you don't hold IRP or IFTA — each state's official per-trip permit and fuel permit fees. It excludes the fuel itself, tolls (shown separately as context), oversize/overweight formula permits, and local fees.
How are the miles per state calculated?
A truck-profile route (weight, axles, standard dry-van dimensions) is computed on truck-legal roads, and the per-state mileage comes from the routing provider's own state-line splits — the same jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction method IFTA returns are built on, not a straight line on a map.
Is the IFTA fuel tax paid per trip?
No — you pay fuel tax at the pump and settle the balance on your quarterly IFTA return. The figure here is the trip's total fuel-tax burden across the states it touches: what this run adds to your quarter, wherever you buy the fuel.
Why do weight-distance taxes show even though I have IRP and IFTA?
Because they're separate programs. New York HUT, Kentucky KYU, New Mexico WDT, Oregon Weight-Mile and Connecticut HUF are per-mile taxes with their own accounts and returns — IRP registration and the IFTA license don't cover them. If the route crosses one of those states above its weight threshold, the tax is owed on those miles.
What does entering my USDOT number add?
A live Legal-to-Run check against FMCSA records: operating status (allowed to operate or not), safety rating, whether your MCS-150 biennial update is current, and whether your recorded authority scope matches an interstate run — combined with the route's requirements into one READY / ACTION NEEDED / NOT READY verdict. State-side accounts FMCSA can't see (UCR, weight-distance) are listed as a verify-yourself checklist, never guessed. The number is used for the lookup only.
How many calculations are free?
Three routed calculations a day without signing up. A free account lifts that to 10 a day — no card, no trial clock — and adds saved trucks and deadline alerts. Paid plans run up to 100 a day for dispatch-desk volume, alongside what they're really for: the computed quarterly IFTA and weight-distance returns, the filing calendar, and alerts across a fleet.
Can I compare two weights without spending another calculation?
Yes — after a result, the what-if panel re-prices the same route at any other gross weight instantly, in your browser, without using a free run. It shows the new government total, what changed (weight-distance taxes, permit fees, newly-triggered requirements like IRP/IFTA at 26,001 lbs), and flags weights that fall off a state's modeled rate table. The route itself is held fixed — a much heavier or oversize setup can change which roads are truck-legal, so re-run the full calculation before committing.
Are these amounts official?
The rates are: IFTA rates come from the official quarterly matrix, weight-distance rates from each state's published schedule, and permit fees from state agency sources tracked with a verification date. The trip total is still an estimate — routes vary, rates change quarterly, and formula-priced items are flagged rather than guessed. Verify with each state before dispatch.
Related
Priced the trip? TruePermit runs the whole quarter
The same engines resolve your actual fleet against every state you operate in, keep each deadline on one calendar with email alerts, and compute the IFTA and weight-distance returns those miles feed into. Free for one truck.
Start freeRoute, mileage and tax figures are estimates for planning, not filings. Rates change quarterly and fees change without notice; oversize/overweight and hazmat routing are not verified here. Confirm with each state before dispatch.