Road Freight Rate Calculator – Cost per km (UK & EU)

Quoting a job or checking an invoice? Get an indicative road-freight rate for any lane in seconds – low, average and spot – so shippers stop overpaying and brokers stop guessing.

✓ UK & EU benchmark ranges ✓ Per-km & per-load ✓ No email required
Your lane

Indicative average rate

£0

Range £0 – £0 (spot)

Per km £0 Distance 0 km Spot premium +25%
Stop guessing rates with TrucksOnTheMap
  • PriceIndex: 90-day low, average and spot rate history before every negotiation
  • Book at contracted rates from a vetted network – avoid the +30–50% spot premium
  • Brokers process up to 70% more jobs per planner with live pricing & tracking
Book a demo to see live rates

90-day rate history · EU-wide network · live in ~7 weeks

Indicative benchmark only, based on public UK (RHA-range) and European market rates for full loads. Actual rates depend on fuel, lane balance, season, waiting time, ADR/temperature and contract vs spot. Figures shown in £ convert to € at an approximate rate for guidance.

How road freight rates are built

A haulage rate is fundamentally a cost-per-kilometre business. Carriers price from fuel, driver wages, vehicle costs, tolls and an allowance for empty repositioning, then add margin. The bigger the vehicle and the more balanced the lane, the lower the rate per km tends to be.

In 2026, UK articulated spot rates typically sit above £1.60 per mile, with long-term contracts nearer £1.20–£1.50; cross-border lanes carry a premium for customs and imbalance. This tool turns those ranges into a quick per-lane estimate.

How to use this calculator

1

Set the distance

The lane length in kilometres, door to door.

2

Pick vehicle & lane

Vehicle size and whether it is domestic, cross-border or intra-EU.

3

Calculate

See the low, average and spot rate, plus the per-km figure.

Get real rates, not estimates, with TrucksOnTheMap

Frequently asked questions

How are road haulage rates calculated?
Rates are built from cost per kilometre – fuel, driver wages, vehicle depreciation and maintenance, tolls and empty-running allowance – plus margin. Larger vehicles and balanced lanes lower the per-km rate.
What is the average UK haulage cost per mile in 2026?
As a guide, UK articulated spot rates are generally above £1.60 per mile in 2026, while long-term contract rates often fall between £1.20 and £1.50 per mile, depending on lane and vehicle.
What is the difference between spot and contract rates?
Contract rates are agreed for a period and volume and are usually lower and more stable. Spot rates are one-off market prices that rise when capacity is tight – often 30 to 50 percent above contract when you are caught short.
Why are cross-border rates higher?
Cross-border lanes carry extra cost and risk: customs and paperwork, longer transit, cabotage limits on return legs and greater chance of empty repositioning, all of which lift the rate per km.
How accurate is this calculator?
It gives an indicative benchmark from public market ranges, useful for a sanity check or opening position. For live, lane-specific pricing you need primary market data, which is what TrucksOnTheMap PriceIndex provides.
How does TrucksOnTheMap PriceIndex work?
PriceIndex shows the average, low and spot rates for your lanes over the last 90 days, so shippers and brokers negotiate from real data instead of memory or guesswork.

← Back to all free freight tools