Rates bump since September -- what's it worth with fuel's run-up?

Using Overdrive's Load Profit Analyzer tool, this example uses a bellwether 950-mile Dallas-to-Chicago two-day dry van run to illustrate potential profit difference for an average owner-operator. Numbers used for the calculation account for increasing dry van spot rates strength between the September low of $1.89/mile and the last week of February 2026, with rates at an all-in average $2.31. Costs, too: With the Iran war and fuel's fast run-up this week, costs are rising fast, reflected here with an extra 11 cents/mile worth of cost liability compared to December prices.