Counter-offer calculator: know your number before the broker call

Enter your cost per mile, the profit you want, the stretch you'll try for, and the miles. The counter-offer calculator shows your floor, target and stretch rates and where the posted rate sits.

Counter-offer and target rate calculator

EXAMPLE VALUES, REPLACE WITH YOURS

Your cost per mile (all miles)

Profit you want per mile

Stretch above target, per mile

Loaded miles

Deadhead to pickup

Broker's posted or offered rate

YOUR NUMBERS FOR THIS LOAD

$1,112

what to ask for

Above your floor, below target. Counter.

Miles counted (loaded + deadhead): 490
Posted rate per mile, all miles: $2.04/mi
Floor (walk away below): $941
Target: $1,112
Stretch: $1,210

Ask for $1,112. Our dispatchers counter every load from your floor, and you still decide.

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By Edwin Horton · Updated October 2026

How the counter-offer calculator works

A good counter starts with three numbers you decide before dialing, so the broker's first number doesn't set the conversation.

Miles = loaded miles + deadhead to pickup
Floor = miles × your cost per mile
Target = miles × (cost per mile + the profit you want per mile)
Stretch = miles × (cost + profit + your stretch amount)
Where the posted rate falls = below floor, floor to target, target to stretch, or above stretch

EXAMPLE Memphis to Dallas, 452 loaded miles, with the truck 38 miles from the pickup. Cost per mile $1.92, profit wanted $0.35, stretch $0.20. Floor: $941. Target: $1,112. Stretch: $1,210. The broker posts $1,000: above the floor, below target. Counter at $1,112, settle no lower than the floor, and know that anything from $1,050 up still earns some of the profit you wanted.

The bar shows the three zones, with the posted rate as a line. Move the posted rate and the advice under it changes.

Counter, take it or pass

Posted below floor: counter at target and be ready to pass. A broker who needs the truck will move; one who won't is telling you the load isn't worth it.

Between floor and target: this is where most negotiation happens. Give a reason with your counter: truck empty nearby, on-time record, early pickup.

Above target: ask for the stretch. The worst answer is no, and you still book above target.

Your cost per mile is the base of all three numbers. If you haven't calculated it, use the rate per mile calculator for offers and the cost per mile tools for your floor. To see what a dispatcher's fee does to your counter, try the dispatcher fee calculator.

More on pricing

Pricing gets tighter as the industry consolidates; our trucking mergers and acquisitions tracker follows who's buying whom. If you're registering a business, the NAICS code for trucking guide covers the codes lenders and insurers ask about. And when you'd rather not make the calls yourself, our small fleet dispatch desk counters every load from each unit's floor.

A counter works best when you can say why the load is worth more to you: the truck is empty and close, the pickup is tomorrow at 6 a.m., the freight is heavy or awkward, or the delivery market is weak for reloads. Brokers hear numbers all day. A reason gives them something to take to their customer. Keep notes on what each broker accepted on each lane; after a few weeks, your targets will be based on your own history instead of guesses.

Your floor should move when your costs do. A fuel spike, an insurance renewal or a new truck payment changes your cost per mile, and last month's floor may now lose money. Recalculate it whenever a big cost changes, then update the target and stretch with it. A counter built on stale numbers can feel like a win on the phone and still cost you on the settlement.

Get your floor right first

Use a cost per mile from the last month
Count deadhead in the miles
Decide the stretch amount before the call

Countering a rate: quick answers

How much should I counter a broker's offer?

Counter at or above your target, based on your own cost per mile plus the profit you want, across all miles. Brokers expect a counter on most loads. If the posted rate is already above target, try for your stretch number.

What's the difference between floor and target?

Your floor is the lowest total you can accept without losing money. Your target is floor plus the profit you want. Negotiate toward target; walk away below floor unless the next load makes up for it.

Should I include deadhead in the counter?

Yes. The broker's load is what pulls your truck to the pickup. Multiply your per-mile numbers by loaded miles plus deadhead, and say so if asked: you're 60 miles out and running empty to them.

What if the broker won't move?

Thank them and pass, unless the load sets up something better. Brokers often call back when they can't cover a load. A dispatcher can keep that conversation going while you drive.

Do brokers expect a counter-offer?

Usually. A posted rate is often a starting point, especially on loads posted early or with flexible pickup. A short, specific counter with a reason gets taken more seriously than a vague request for more.

Should I counter per mile or with a total?

Brokers book loads as a total, so counter with a dollar figure. Work it out per mile first so you know the number covers every mile, including deadhead, then say the total on the call.

Every load countered from your floor

Our dispatchers negotiate each offer and bring you the final number. You approve it.

4% for 2+ trucks, 5% for one, 7% while your MC is new

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