Deadhead trucking is something nearly every carrier deals with. This occurs when a driver has to move a the truck and an empty trailer, meaning no money-generating load on the trailer, often between a delivery and the next pickup. Those empty miles still use fuel, driver time, and equipment, which is why carriers pay close attention to those empty miles.
Understanding why deadhead miles happen, how they affect operating costs, and how carriers reduce them can help explain why efficient route planning matters so much in trucking.
What Does Deadhead Mean in Trucking?
In trucking, deadheading simply refers to any leg of a trip where an empty trailer is towed behind the tractor.
Real-World Example of Deadheading
Let’s take a truck driver who delivers a shipment to a distribution center in Denver, Colorado. The driver’s next pickup is scheduled in Colorado Springs, which is 75 miles away.
The distance between those two locations are the deadhead miles. The truck is still burning fuel, adding wear to the equipment, and using the driver’s available Hours of Service (HOS), even though there isn’t a load loaded on the back of the trailer.
Why Does Deadhead Trucking Happen?
Running without freight is sometimes unavoidable. Demand isn’t perfectly balanced between markets, and a driver’s next pickup won’t always be close to the previous delivery.
Some common reasons include:
- Traveling to the next pickup: A driver delivers one load and has to travel unloaded to reach the next shipper.
- Returning toward a terminal or home base: There may not be a practical return load available after delivery.
- Repositioning equipment: A carrier may need to relocate a trailer to a facility or market where it’s needed.
- Moving into another freight market: Sometimes a truck needs to leave a low-volume area to reach a market with more freight opportunities.
- No nearby backhaul: A suitable return load isn’t always available near the delivery location.
The goal isn’t necessarily to eliminate every unloaded trip. It’s to avoid unnecessary travel and make sure repositioning decisions make operational and financial sense.
What Are Deadhead Miles?
Deadhead miles, also called deadhead mileage, are the distance a commercial vehicle travels without revenue-generating freight.
Tracking this mileage gives carriers a better picture of what a trip actually costs. Looking only at the loaded portion can make a shipment appear more profitable than it really is if the truck has to travel a significant distance before or after hauling it.
How Is Deadhead Mileage Calculated?
Deadhead mileage is calculated by adding up the distance driven without revenue-generating freight.
For example, suppose a truck travels 500 total miles during a trip. Of that distance, 420 miles are loaded and another 80 miles are driven without freight to reach the next pickup.
500 total miles − 420 loaded miles = 80 deadhead miles
|
Mileage Category |
Distance |
Freight Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Loaded |
420 miles |
Revenue-generating freight |
|
Deadhead |
80 miles |
No revenue-generating freight |
|
Total |
500 miles |
Total distance traveled |
In this example, the unloaded portion represents 16% of the truck’s total distance.
That percentage matters because the truck still has operating costs during that part of the trip.
Headhaul vs. Backhaul vs. Deadhead
Headhaul, backhaul, and deadhead describe different movements within a freight route.
|
Term |
Meaning |
Freight Onboard? |
|---|---|---|
|
Headhaul |
The primary loaded movement from the origin to the destination. |
Yes |
|
Backhaul |
A loaded return movement back toward the original market or another planned destination. |
Yes |
|
Deadhead |
Travel between locations without revenue-generating freight. |
No |
A backhaul can be especially useful because it gives the carrier another revenue-generating load instead of repositioning the truck without freight.
Why Deadhead Miles Cost Carriers Money
Traveling without a paying load still costs money. The truck burns fuel, adds mileage, uses driver hours, and puts wear on equipment without generating freight revenue.
Some of the biggest costs include:
- Fuel
- Driver time
- Maintenance and tires
- Equipment depreciation
- Lost opportunities
- Lower revenue per total mile
This is why carriers can’t evaluate a load based only on its loaded rate. The distance required to reach the pickup—and potentially reposition after delivery—can change the economics of the trip.
Are Deadhead Miles Paid?
Whether deadhead miles are paid depends on the carrier and the driver’s compensation structure.
Some company drivers are paid for unloaded travel, while other compensation plans may treat loaded and non-revenue mileage differently. Drivers should understand how their carrier handles this type of pay rather than assuming every trip is compensated the same way.
For owner-operators, the issue works a little differently. Traveling without freight still creates fuel, maintenance, and operating costs, so that distance needs to be considered when deciding whether a load makes financial sense.
For example, a load with an attractive rate may not look nearly as strong if the truck has to travel a significant distance just to reach the pickup.
Does Deadheading Trucking Affect Safety?
An empty trailer handles differently than a loaded one, so drivers need to adjust accordingly.
Some of the biggest considerations include:
-
- With less weight, the truck and trailer may respond differently during braking and on slick road surfaces.
Traction and braking
-
- An unloaded trailer can be more vulnerable to strong crosswinds because there isn’t cargo weight helping keep it planted.
High winds
-
- Rain, snow, ice, and other conditions can affect a lightly loaded combination differently than a fully loaded one.
Changing road conditions
The important thing is recognizing that the truck may not handle the way it did while carrying freight. Drivers should adjust their speed and following distance for the conditions rather than assuming less cargo weight automatically makes the truck easier to handle.
How Trucking Companies Reduce Deadhead Miles
Some non-revenue travel is unavoidable, but good planning can keep it from becoming excessive.
Carriers, dispatchers, and drivers can reduce unnecessary travel by:
-
- Look for the next shipment before the current load delivers instead of waiting until the truck is available.
Planning the next load early
-
- Prioritize freight close to the delivery point when it makes operational and financial sense.
Looking for nearby reloads
-
- Look for freight moving back toward the driver’s next market, terminal, or planned destination.
Building backhauls into route planning
-
- These platforms can help identify available freight near the delivery location.
Using load boards and freight-matching tools
-
- Moving trucks and trailers into stronger freight markets can sometimes reduce future unloaded travel.
Positioning equipment strategically
-
- A strong loaded rate may look much less attractive once the distance required to reach the pickup is factored in.
Considering deadhead mileage before accepting a load
The goal isn’t simply to choose the load with the highest rate. Good route planning considers the full trip and how efficiently the truck can move from one revenue-generating load to the next.
Frequently Asked Questions About Deadhead Trucking
What Does Deadhead Mean in Trucking?
Deadhead in trucking means traveling without revenue-generating freight. It commonly happens when a driver pulls an empty trailer from a delivery location to the next pickup.
What Are Deadhead Miles?
Deadhead miles are the distance driven without revenue-generating freight. This can happen between a delivery and the next pickup, while repositioning equipment, or when returning toward another market without a load.
Are Deadhead Miles Paid?
It depends on the carrier and compensation structure. Some company drivers are compensated for unloaded travel, while other pay structures treat loaded and non-revenue mileage differently.
Does Deadhead Mileage Count Toward a Driver’s Hours of Service?
Driving between locations without freight is still driving time for Hours of Service purposes when the driver is operating a commercial motor vehicle. Running without a load doesn’t stop the driver’s available driving hours from being used.
Is Bobtailing the Same as Deadheading?
Not exactly. Bobtailing specifically means operating a tractor without a trailer attached. Deadheading refers more broadly to traveling without revenue-generating freight and commonly involves pulling an empty trailer.
The terms can overlap in everyday trucking conversations, but they describe different things: bobtailing describes the equipment configuration, while deadheading describes the non-revenue movement.
Managing Unloaded Miles
Running without freight can’t always be eliminated. Demand isn’t perfectly balanced between markets, and sometimes repositioning is simply part of getting a truck into place for the next load.
The goal is to manage that travel carefully. Better load planning, strong backhaul opportunities, and understanding the true cost of non-revenue mileage can help carriers keep trucks productive and make better decisions about which loads make sense.
For drivers, understanding these trips is just as useful. Unloaded travel still affects available driving time, equipment, and the overall efficiency of a route—even when there isn’t freight behind the cab.