Logistics & Shipping
Last-Mile Cost per Stop Calculator
Calculate total attempted stops, success rate, route fuel, non-fuel vehicle cost, loaded driver cost, modeled route cost, cost per completed stop, and cost per attempted stop. The two unit costs reveal whether failed attempts are distorting delivered-order economics.
Total attempted stops-
Stop success rate-
Estimated route fuel (gal)-
Estimated fuel cost-
Non-fuel vehicle cost-
Loaded driver cost-
Modeled all-in route cost-
Cost per completed stop-
Cost per attempted stop-
Failed attempts as share of attempts-
Decision view
Completed-stop economics and route cost composition
Completed-stop economics and route cost compositionFuel, non-fuel vehicle expense, loaded driver time, and fixed overhead reconcile to the same route total used for completed- and attempted-stop costs.
Exact scenario comparisonCompleted delivery stops changes while all other entered assumptions remain constant.
| Completed delivery stops | Total attempted stops | Stop success rate | Estimated route fuel (gal) | Estimated fuel cost | Non-fuel vehicle cost | Loaded driver cost | Modeled all-in route cost | Cost per completed stop | Cost per attempted stop | Failed attempts as share of attempts |
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How to use Last-Mile Cost per Stop Calculator
- Use total route distance and paid time that already include failed delivery attempts.
- Enter a non-fuel vehicle rate that covers only the costs intended for this analysis, avoiding overlap with fuel or fixed overhead.
- Compare cost per completed stop with cost per attempt and success rate before changing route density, customer communication, or delivery policy.
Calculator guide
Understanding Last-Mile Cost per Stop Calculator
Use this page after a route is completed or credibly forecast to measure the operating cost of a successful delivery stop. It keeps completed and failed attempts separate and builds route cost from fuel, non-fuel vehicle expense, loaded driver time, and fixed dispatch overhead.
Calculation method
How the calculation works
Measure one completed route's unit economics by combining fuel, non-fuel vehicle expense, loaded driver time, and fixed route overhead, then divide the same cost by completed stops and all attempted stops. Calculate fuel from total route miles and observed MPG, add non-fuel mileage cost, loaded driver time, and fixed route overhead, then divide the same route cost by completed stops and by all attempts.
Detailed calculation process
Convert one route into completed-stop economics
Build cost once, then use two denominators to avoid hiding failed delivery work.
General formula: Route cost = fuel + non-fuel mileage + loaded driver time + fixed overhead Cost per completed stop uses successful outcomes; cost per attempted stop uses completed plus failed visits. Route miles and hours must already include both.
What each symbol means
Worked substitution with the default inputs
Use the result to compare like-for-like routes and investigate failure causes; do not present it as a full network or customer price.
Stop economics
Separate delivered value from attempted work
The decision view compares the cost denominator that operations performed with the denominator that customers actually received.
Worked situations
Practical examples
- Fifty-four completed stops and three failures produce 57 attempts and a 94.74% success rate.
- The default route uses 9.6 gallons at 10 MPG; fuel, non-fuel mileage, driver time, and fixed overhead are then combined once.
- A failed stop stays in route miles and paid time but not in the completed-stop denominator, so it raises cost per successful delivery.
Better inputs
Useful tips
- Use loaded labor cost including payroll burden when the decision concerns true operating economics.
- Define the non-fuel per-mile rate consistently across routes and avoid adding depreciation twice.
- Track failure causes separately; reducing address, access, or customer-availability failures can improve unit cost without increasing route speed.
Before relying on the result
Limitations and common mistakes
- The calculator evaluates one route and does not optimize stop sequence, predict failures, or allocate costs among different parcel sizes and service levels.
- Warehouse handling, parcel sorting, customer service, taxes, profit margin, and network overhead remain outside the result unless included in entered rates.
- An exceptional redelivery with separate miles or labor should be modeled as another route or included in the entered route totals.
Reference
Key terms
- Completed stop
- A stop that achieved the delivery outcome used for the unit-cost denominator.
- Attempted stop
- Every completed or failed delivery visit included in route distance and time.
- Loaded driver cost
- Hourly labor cost including the employer burdens selected for the analysis.
- Cost per completed stop
- Modeled route cost divided only by successful delivery stops.
Important note
Calculated from the entered shipment values and stated rate rules. Carrier tariffs, quotes, service rules, customs treatment, and claims terms control actual charges.
Frequently asked questions
Should failed stops be included in route distance and hours?
Yes. Enter totals that include the work actually performed, then record failed attempts separately so they remain outside the completed-stop denominator.
Does the non-fuel mileage rate include depreciation?
It can, if that is how your organization defines the rate. Document the components and do not also add them to fixed overhead.
Why show cost per attempt?
It provides an operational denominator and makes the additional burden of failed delivery work visible.
Can this set a delivery price?
Not by itself. Pricing also requires warehouse, network, service, tax, margin, and market considerations.