What does deadhead mean in trucking?

Driving a truck with no freight — to the first pickup, between a delivery and the next load, or home. The miles earn nothing but still cost fuel, driver pay and wear.

Are deadhead miles paid?

Not directly by the shipper; carriers recover them in their loaded rates. Between a carrier and a leased owner-operator, US rules require the lease to state who bears the cost of empty mileage.

What is the average deadhead percentage?

In the US, ATRI found empty miles averaged 16.7% in 2024. In the EU, Eurostat found 21.8% of road freight vehicle-kilometres were driven empty in 2025, from 7.6% in Denmark to 43.1% in Cyprus.

Term

Deadhead

Deadhead is a truck running empty — driving without freight to reach its next load or to get home. Those miles still cost fuel, wages and wear, so carriers build them into their loaded rates. ATRI found empty miles averaged 16.7% of US truck miles in 2024; Eurostat put empty running at 21.8% of EU road freight distance in 2025.

Also called deadhead miles, empty miles, empty runningUpdated 12 October 2026

What deadhead is

The US Federal Highway Administration's freight glossary describes deadhead as the return of an empty transportation container to a facility — "commonly-used description of an empty backhaul". In practice drivers and dispatchers use it for any empty leg: to the first pickup of the day, between a delivery and the next load, or home at the end of a run.

How much runs empty

United States: empty miles rose to an average of 16.7% in 2024, according to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI).
European Union: 21.8% of the distance driven by road freight vehicles in 2025 was driven empty, ranging from 7.6% in Denmark to 43.1% in Cyprus (Eurostat).
The two measure different things — ATRI surveys carriers' operations, Eurostat counts vehicle-kilometres — so set them side by side with care.

Worked example: what deadhead adds to a rate

ATRI put the average cost of running a truck in the US at USD 2.336 a mile in 2025. Suppose a carrier hauls a 600-mile load and then drives 120 miles empty to its next pickup.

Cost to cover = (600 + 120) × 2.336 = USD 1,681.92 → break-even per loaded mile = 1,681.92 ÷ 600 = USD 2.80

120 empty miles out of 720 is 16.7% — the 2024 US average. Without them, break-even would be the USD 2.336 cost itself.

Who pays for empty miles

The shipper pays indirectly, through the loaded rate. Between a carrier and the owner-operators it leases, US rules require the lease to say who bears the cost of empty mileage, along with other operating costs.

The mistake people make

Comparing per-mile quotes without asking where the truck comes from. A lane that leaves a truck far from its next load carries that deadhead in its price; a load offered on a carrier's way home can cost far less than the same miles in the other direction.

FAQ

Deadhead: common questions

What does deadhead mean in trucking?: Driving a truck with no freight — to the first pickup, between a delivery and the next load, or home. The miles earn nothing but still cost fuel, driver pay and wear.
Are deadhead miles paid?: Not directly by the shipper; carriers recover them in their loaded rates. Between a carrier and a leased owner-operator, US rules require the lease to state who bears the cost of empty mileage.
What is the average deadhead percentage?: In the US, ATRI found empty miles averaged 16.7% in 2024. In the EU, Eurostat found 21.8% of road freight vehicle-kilometres were driven empty in 2025, from 7.6% in Denmark to 43.1% in Cyprus.