Financial research concept

Freight Broker Truckload Carrier Linehaul Cost per Mile

Truckload carrier linehaul cost per mile measures what a freight broker pays contracted carriers per mile before fuel surcharges, providing the buy-side leg of brokerage spread economics.

By Lee BaileyPublished Sep 25, 2026

Research context

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Research date: Sep 25, 2026Use the dated article and cited sources for the definition, examples, and stated limitations.
Operating-model context: 19 connected conceptsPart of the reviewed Freight Brokerage & Forwarding Economics; issuer definitions remain distinct where disclosed.
Company examples: 1 reviewed companyRelationships reflect supported examples, not a normalized cross-company KPI ranking.

C.H. Robinson example
Spread interpretation
Investor use
Source
Part of the Freight Brokerage & Forwarding Economics
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Truckload carrier linehaul cost per mile measures the average linehaul cost a freight broker pays contracted motor carriers per mile, commonly excluding fuel surcharges.

It is the buy-side leg of truckload brokerage economics.

C.H. Robinson example

C.H. Robinson reported that its truckload linehaul cost per mile, excluding fuel surcharges, increased approximately 2.0% in 2025.

Its average customer linehaul rate per mile rose approximately 2.5% over the same period.

Spread interpretation

When customer pricing rises faster than carrier procurement cost, the broker may have an opportunity to expand gross profit per transaction.

That relationship is not a complete margin calculation because lane mix, length of haul, shipment characteristics, accessorials, and other costs can also change.

Investor use

Analyze carrier cost per mile with customer linehaul rate, truckload volume, and truckload adjusted gross profit.

Do not confuse this with a truckload carrier's own cost per mile, which reflects an owned or leased fleet cost structure.

Source

C.H. Robinson 2025 Form 10-K

Part of the Freight Brokerage & Forwarding Economics

Connect customer freight activity, purchased transportation, brokerage spread, surface-transport pricing, capacity signals, and forwarding volume and profit to understand asset-light logistics economics.

Browse the full operating model in Company Analysis →

Where this concept fits

North American surface pricing, volume, and capacityCurrent relationship
Truckload and LTL volume show transaction activity, service-line adjusted gross profit shows retained economics, and customer-versus-carrier linehaul changes frame the truckload pricing spread. Routing-guide depth adds a capacity signal by showing how far a managed load moves through preferred carrier options before acceptance.
LTL Adjusted Gross Profit Broker LTL Volume Growth Routing Guide Depth Truckload Adjusted Gross ProfitCarrier Linehaul Cost per MileCurrent conceptCustomer Linehaul Rate per Mile Broker Truckload Volume Growth
Network activity, purchased capacity, and retained spread
Shipments managed, freight under management, and contract-carrier scale describe the activity and sourcing network. Purchased transportation is the principal direct capacity cost, while adjusted gross profit and adjusted gross profit margin show the spread retained after buying transportation.
Freight Broker Adjusted Gross Profit Adjusted Gross Profit Margin Contract Carrier Network Freight Under Management Purchased Transportation Cost Shipments Managed
Global forwarding volume and adjusted gross profit
Ocean, air, and customs volume changes show forwarding activity, while the matching adjusted gross profit measures show whether retained economics move with or diverge from volume as carrier rates, trade conditions, and service mix change.
Air Adjusted Gross Profit Air Volume Growth Customs Adjusted Gross Profit Customs Volume Growth Ocean Adjusted Gross Profit Ocean Volume Growth

See It in Company Research

These companies are examples of how the concept is reported or discussed in public filings. Definitions can differ by issuer; these links open company research rather than a normalized metric comparison.

CHRWOpen operating-model research →19 of 19 reviewed concepts in Freight Brokerage & Forwarding EconomicsNorth American surface pricing, volume, and capacity7 of 7 bridge concepts supportedContinue through this bridge:Broker LTL Volume Growth Broker Truckload Volume Growth Customer Linehaul Rate per Mile LTL Adjusted Gross Profit Routing Guide Depth Truckload Adjusted Gross Profit

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