Margin rates on logistics contracts: pricing round-trip loads
Contract-lane broker margin runs tighter than spot, and round-trip or backhaul-paired contracts change the math again because they remove the carrier's empty return miles.
Directional broker margin by contract type
- Spot loads: 12–20%.
- Standard contract lanes: 8–12%.
- Round-trip or backhaul-paired contracts: 8–12%, off a lower carrier-cost base, so dollar margin and negotiating room improve.
Industry-wide truckload deadhead runs roughly 15–20%. Price a round trip as one unit rather than two one-way spot quotes, and re-check lane balance on renewal.
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