Trip Fuel Cost Calculator for Semi Trucks

Trip fuel cost calculator for semi trucks

Enter the trip miles, your fuel economy and the diesel price. Get gallons, the trip's fuel bill, fuel cost per mile, what a full fill-up costs and how many stops to plan, with reefer burn if you need it.

By Milo / Updated October 2026

Trip miles

Include deadhead

Fuel economy

mpg

Diesel price

$/gal

U.S. avg $6.382, September 28, 2026

Tank capacity, all tanks

gal

Running a reefer?

TRIP FUELRESULT

Tractor gallons: 200 gal
Tractor fuel: $1,276
Fuel per mile: $0.98
Full fill-up, 200 gal: $1,276
Fuel stops (refuel at about 20% left): 2

Trip fuel cost$1,276

This trip burns $1,276 in fuel, $0.98 a mile. Make sure the rate and fuel surcharge cover it; our dispatchers price fuel into every load before it reaches you to sign or turn down.

Apply for dispatch

Fuel is the biggest bill a truck runs up on any trip, and the first one you pay. Before you accept a load, know what it will burn. This semi truck fuel calculator works out gallons, the trip fuel cost and the cost per mile, with reefer burn added if you run one.

How it is calculated

Tractor gallons = trip miles ÷ miles per gallon
Tractor fuel cost = gallons × diesel price
Reefer fuel = reefer run hours × gallons per hour × reefer fuel price
Trip fuel cost = tractor fuel + reefer fuel
Fuel per mile = trip fuel cost ÷ trip miles
Fill-up = tank capacity × diesel price
Fuel stops = gallons ÷ 80% of tank capacity, rounded up, assuming you refuel with about a fifth of the tank left

The diesel price starts at the latest U.S. weekly average from the Energy Information Administration. Prices differ a lot by region and by truck stop, so type in what you'll actually pay.

A worked example

EXAMPLE / 1,300 MI DRY VAN RUNEXAMPLE

1,300 mi ÷ 6.5 mpg: 200 gal
200 gal × $6.38: $1,276
Fuel per mile: $0.98
Full fill-up, 200 gal tanks: $1,276
Fuel stops: 2

Trip fuel cost$1,276

Add a reefer running 26 hours at 0.8 gallons an hour and the trip burns another 20.8 gallons. Buying that fuel at the pump price adds about $133.

Semi truck fuel calculator: what moves the number

Change	Effect at $6.38 diesel
1 mpg better (6.5 to 7.5)	About 13 cents a mile less
100 miles of deadhead	About $98 more
50 cents a gallon cheaper	About 8 cents a mile less
Reefer on continuous run	More gallons per hour than cycle mode

Speed, idling, tire pressure and aerodynamics all show up in miles per gallon. So does the trailer: a loaded van at highway speed burns more than an empty one.

Using the result

Compare the fuel cost with what the load pays for fuel. If the rate is all-in, fuel comes out of it; if there's a fuel surcharge, check it covers the trip with the fuel surcharge calculator. Your full cost per mile, fuel included, is in the trucking cost per mile calculator.

Power only and intermodal moves have their own fuel math: shorter runs, more idling at yards and ports. See power only rates per mile and intermodal freight rates, and what dispatch costs on top on dispatch cost.

Results are estimates from the numbers you enter.

SOURCES

U.S. Energy Information Administration: Weekly U.S. retail on-highway diesel: $6.382/gal for the week of Sept 28, 2026 (year ago $2.628 lower) (checked 2026-10)

Questions about this tool

01How much does it cost to fill up a semi truck?

Tank capacity times the diesel price. Two 100-gallon tanks at the U.S. average of $6.382 a gallon for the week of September 28, 2026 is about $1,276. Most trucks don't run the tanks dry, so a typical fill-up is a bit less than the full capacity.

02What is the fuel cost per mile for a semi truck?

Diesel price divided by miles per gallon. At $6.38 a gallon and 6.5 mpg, fuel is about 98 cents a mile. Every extra mile per gallon cuts that by around 13 to 15 cents at these prices.

03How much fuel does a reefer use?

It depends on the unit, the setpoint, the outside temperature and how often it cycles. Many units burn somewhere under a gallon an hour on a steady load, more when pulling temperature down. Check your unit's spec sheet or your own fuel logs and enter that figure.

04Should deadhead miles be included?

Yes. The truck burns the same fuel loaded or empty, a little less when empty. Include the drive to the pickup so the trip fuel cost matches what you'll actually pay.