Freight brokers can reduce empty miles freight carriers rack up every day. The numbers prove why this matters. Up to 35% of regional trucking miles are empty according to industry estimates. This represents billions in lost revenue and wasted resources annually. Empty mileage costs carriers money in fuel, time and lost opportunities. Freight brokers solve this problem by connecting carriers with backhaul loads and profitable freight lanes through their extensive shipper networks. They use technology and relationships to match trucks with freight and turn empty trips into revenue-generating hauls. This piece explains how brokers tackle empty miles reduction and the benefits for everyone involved in freight operations and see details of What Is Backhaul in Freight.
Key Takeaways
Empty miles represent a massive profit drain in trucking, but freight brokers offer proven solutions to turn deadhead trips into revenue-generating hauls.
• Empty miles cost carriers billions annually — up to 35% of regional trucking miles are empty, burning fuel and accumulating wear without generating a single dollar of freight revenue.
• Freight brokers leverage nationwide networks — with access to 120,000+ vetted carriers and thousands of shippers, brokers match trucks with backhaul loads that reduce empty mileage by 10-30%.
• Technology drives efficiency gains — digital freight matching platforms, real-time load boards, and AI-powered route optimization achieve 94% acceptance rates and cut tender times from six hours to 15 minutes.
• Working with brokers lowers operating costs — eliminating empty miles reduces fuel consumption (25-40% of operating expenses), extends equipment life, and improves driver utilization without requiring rate increases.
• Backhaul planning protects margins — one call to a broker before delivery can secure return loads that turn unprofitable empty trips into paying hauls, especially critical when freight markets tighten.
The bottom line: Freight brokers transform empty miles from a necessary evil into an opportunity for increased profitability through strategic load matching, advanced technology, and extensive shipper-carrier networks.
Understanding Empty Miles and Deadhead Miles Explained
“The American Trucking Associations estimates that roughly 35% of all truck miles driven in the United States are empty miles, meaning the truck is burning fuel, accumulating wear, and costing the driver time without generating a single dollar of freight revenue.” — Herman Armstrong, Founder, FleetCollect • Former fleet compliance manager
What are empty miles in trucking
Empty miles are the distance a truck travels without carrying any paying freight. The terms empty miles and deadhead miles mean the same thing. Both describe when a carrier completes a delivery and drives to the next pickup location or back to home base with an empty trailer.
Recent data shows empty miles rose to an average of 16.7 percent in the industry. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports empty miles account for about 15-20% of total truck miles driven each year in the United States. Some carrier segments face higher rates. Private fleets and owner-operators report empty mileage between 20% and 35% of their total miles.
The cost of empty mileage on carriers
Every empty mile carries the full weight of operating expenses without generating revenue to offset those costs. Fuel remains one of the biggest expenses. Diesel prices fluctuate weekly around the country, with many areas above four dollars per gallon. Each empty mile burns that same fuel while earning nothing.
Driver wages continue during empty miles. Maintenance and wear accumulate mile after mile, loaded or empty. Equipment depreciation happens whether the trailer holds cargo or not. A truck deadheading is 2.5 times more likely to crash than one carrying freight. Empty trailers weigh about half what loaded ones do, which changes how the truck handles in wind, rain, or ice.
Empty miles represent lost opportunities beyond direct costs. Time spent driving empty could be used to haul profitable loads. Operating costs are rising while freight rates remain volatile. Empty mileage inefficiencies take a heavier toll than ever before for carriers operating on tight margins.
Why empty miles happen in freight operations
Freight imbalance drives much of the empty miles problem. Some regions have more load deliveries than pickups, while industrial areas experience higher pickups than deliveries. Drivers delivering to these areas face longer repositioning stretches with fewer available options.
Market fragmentation compounds the issue. Of the 708,000 active interstate freight carriers, 91% operate 10 or fewer trucks. Small carriers often lack visibility into available loads and tools to optimize their routes. Matching supply to demand becomes a manual process that cannot operate at the speed freight markets require when carriers lack live visibility of available capacity.
Scheduling constraints create additional empty miles. Narrow delivery windows force carriers to arrive at specific times and make it impossible to sequence a backhaul pickup efficiently.
How Freight Brokers Help Reduce Empty Miles
How Freight Brokers Help Reduce Empty MilesAccess to nationwide carrier and shipper networks
Brokers maintain relationships with thousands of carriers and shippers in regions of all types. Ryder’s network has more than 120,000 vetted carriers. This broad access gives truckers immediate visibility into available freight without building their own shipper contacts. US1 Network connects shippers with experienced carriers and logistics professionals nationwide and eliminates the burden of creating a carrier network from scratch.
The expansiveness of broker networks works in your favor as a carrier. Brokers know where shippers need to move goods from and to, plus when those shipments must happen. You get access to freight lanes you might never find on your own with this information.
Load matching for backhaul opportunities
Carriers call freight brokers to secure backhaul loads, which helps reduce empty mileage while saving time and money. Brokers negotiate rates that are 10-30% lower than standard freight rates in exchange for filling your empty return trip. A lower-paying backhaul almost always beats driving empty, provided the rate clears your cost per mile.
Brokers often have insight into full shipper supply chains. To name just one example, a shipper might move raw materials to a manufacturer, then finished products to final destinations. One call to a broker can arrange your truck with multiple shipping opportunities across these connected movements.
Flexible load selection without obligations
Brokers give you flexible access to capacity without contractual commitments. You can select loads that fit your route and schedule. This flexibility proves valuable when freight demand fluctuates or market conditions move.
How truckers find backhaul loads through brokers
Ask brokers if they have return loads available before accepting any outbound shipment. Brokers move freight in both directions and often offer backhauls to secure the outbound booking. One call to a freight broker shows if current shipper loads arrange with where your trucks will be. Planning backhauls before delivery protects your margins when markets tighten.
Technology and Tools Brokers Use for Empty Miles Reduction
“frequent for-hire users of Loadboards (61%+ Loadboard use) had about 8% empty loads in 2011, while occasional and moderate users had 10.2-10.5%.” — DAT, Loadboard leader
Digital freight matching platforms
Brokers use digital freight matching platforms that connect shippers with carriers through real-time algorithms. Platforms analyze capacity, route, pricing and performance history to match trucks with loads instantly. Machine learning algorithms improve matching accuracy while dynamic pricing engines adjust rates based on market conditions.
The digital freight matching platforms market is estimated at USD 39.62 billion in 2026 and expected to reach USD 136.61 billion by 2031. Reinforcement-learning agents award tenders in under 15 minutes now and achieve 94% acceptance rates compared with the six-hour norm for human brokerage. Spot rates refresh every 30 minutes based on live load-to-truck ratios, diesel prices and weather events.
Immediate load boards and capacity visibility
Load boards give carriers instant access to available freight. DAT One mobile combines 15 apps into one set of tools to find and book loads, plan trips and identify loads eligible for factoring. The platform has Load Recommendations that learns how you run and puts your best-fit freight at the top of your list. C.H. Robinson’s Navisphere Carrier platform offers immediate load booking, negotiating and tracking with a GPS-enabled mobile app for carriers.
Route optimization and predictive analytics
Route planning software analyzes millions of route options and uses cloud-based computation to streamline routes based on business priorities. Predictive analytics help brokers anticipate rate shifts. With empty miles at 16.7% and operating costs at USD 2.26 per mile, forecasting freight helps position strategically and reduce deadhead miles.
Informed carrier-shipper pairing
AI-powered visibility delivers immediate insights for optimal fleet performance. Trimble Freight Visibility provides automated alerts of delays, deviations and confirmations. Sub-hourly GPS pings have become standard. 72% of shippers in a 2024 survey insisted on location updates for high-value loads.
Business Benefits of Working with Freight Brokers
Lower operating costs per mile
Brokers cut your cost per mile. They eliminate empty miles that generate zero revenue. Fuel makes up 25-40% of all operating expenses for most carriers. Each empty mile you remove drops your total gallons burned. You don’t need rate increases or additional trucks.
Equipment lasts longer due to reduced wear and tear. This means fewer maintenance events and lower replacement costs. Driver utilization improves when fewer idle hours and empty returns keep drivers productive. Drivers get steadier pay and less downtime.
Improved fuel efficiency and sustainability
Lower empty mileage cuts fuel consumption and emissions. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics traced 87 million tons of CO2e to non-revenue miles. Fewer empty trips reduce your carbon footprint and improve your brand reputation with shippers seeking eco-friendly carrier partners.
Access to profitable freight lanes
Brokers connect you with freight lanes that pay above your cost per mile with steady availability. Lane selection through broker networks gives you repeat routes with low deadhead and consistent freight week after week.
Stronger supply chain efficiency
Freight consolidation through brokers reduces transportation costs. Brokers combine smaller shipments into optimized loads. This approach maximizes payload capacity and cuts the number of partially loaded vehicles on the road. Coordinated pickup and delivery scheduling minimizes stockouts and improves order fulfillment across the supply chain.
Conclusion
Empty miles cost you money on fuel, time, and lost revenue. Brokers solve this problem by connecting you with backhaul loads through their nationwide networks and matching technology. They turn your empty return trips into paying hauls and cut your operating costs per mile. Freight brokers give you flexible access to profitable lanes without long-term commitments. Your next empty mile could be earning revenue instead.
FAQs
Q1. What are empty miles and why do they matter in trucking?
Empty miles, also called deadhead miles, refer to the distance a truck travels without carrying any paying freight. They matter because carriers still pay for fuel, driver wages, maintenance, and equipment wear during these miles without generating any revenue to offset those costs.
Q2. How do freight brokers help carriers find backhaul loads?
Freight brokers maintain relationships with thousands of shippers and carriers nationwide, giving them visibility into available freight across multiple regions. Carriers can call brokers to secure backhaul loads that align with their return routes, turning empty trips into revenue-generating hauls at negotiated rates.
Q3. Do truck drivers receive payment for empty miles?
Drivers sometimes receive pay for deadhead mileage, particularly if they prefer not to travel outside specific areas for pickups. However, many carriers don’t get paid for empty miles, which is why it’s important to work with freight brokers who can help minimize these unprofitable stretches between loads.
Q4. What technology do freight brokers use to reduce empty miles?
Brokers use digital freight matching platforms with real-time algorithms, load boards like DAT One, route optimization software, and predictive analytics. These tools analyze capacity, routes, and market conditions to instantly match available trucks with freight, helping carriers find backhaul opportunities quickly.
Q5. What are the main benefits of working with freight brokers to reduce empty miles?
Working with freight brokers lowers operating costs per mile by eliminating unprofitable empty trips, improves fuel efficiency and sustainability by reducing emissions, provides access to profitable freight lanes with steady availability, and strengthens overall supply chain efficiency through better load coordination.
