What are Empty Miles?

Empty miles are the distances a truck drives with an empty trailer, carrying no load and earning no revenue. They are also called empty runs, deadhead miles or non-revenue miles. Because they still burn fuel, add mileage and emit carbon, empty miles are the most common form of waste in road freight and something carriers work to minimise.

Why empty miles happen

Empty miles usually occur when there is no suitable load near the drop-off point heading in the same direction, so the truck returns or repositions empty. Carriers factor an expected share of empty miles into their rates, which means everyone from shippers to end customers ultimately pays for them.

How to reduce empty miles

Tracking empty miles helps operators find backhaul loads for the return leg and plan routes so trucks stay loaded. Better tour and route planning, combined with matching return loads, is the most effective way to cut deadhead kilometres and improve cost per trip.