01 · Calculator
Operating Assumptions In.
Cost Tradeoff Out.
The right trailer model depends on more than detention alone. This tool combines the main cost drivers so teams can compare the weekly economics of live and drop under a single assumption set.
Inputs
Compare expected cost per load
Use expected live dwell, detention terms, driver time value, and drop-handling cost assumptions to compare the operating economics of live versus drop trailers.
Results
Expected live versus drop cost
The point is not to prove one answer universally. The point is to see which model wins under your current dwell, detention, labor, and trailer assumptions.
Live cost per load
$270
Driver time value plus detention exposure
Drop cost per load
$40
Handling labor plus trailer pool cost
Break-even live dwell
0.88 hr
Above this, drop starts to look cheaper
Weekly live cost
$6,480
Includes about $158 of driver time value and $113 of detention per live load.
Weekly drop cost
$952
Includes about $12 of handling labor and $28 of trailer pool cost per dropped load.
Weekly difference
Live is cheaper by about $5,528 per week under these assumptions.
Detention exposure
About 1.5 live dwell hours sit beyond free time, creating roughly $113 of detention per live load.
Decision lens
If average live dwell consistently stays below about 0.88 hours, the live model can still be economical. If it drifts above that point, drop economics usually improve fast.
Important note
This estimate does not capture missed reloads, customer service penalties, trailer availability constraints, or wider network effects. Those can materially change the right answer even when the per-load cost math looks close.
02 · Method
The Model Separates
Live Delay Cost from Drop Cost
Live cost is driven by dwell time, detention, and driver time value. Drop cost is driven by handling labor and trailer pool economics. Comparing those directly makes the break-even dwell point much easier to see.
Live Cost Starts with Dwell
Long live dwell burns driver time even before detention starts. Once free time is exceeded, detention pushes the live model more expensive very quickly.
Drop Cost Is Not Free Either
Dropped trailers still consume labor, trailer pool capacity, and yard handling. The tool keeps those costs explicit instead of treating drop as a zero-cost fix.
Break-Even Matters
The break-even live dwell helps teams see how much delay the building can absorb before a drop strategy starts making more economic sense.
03 · Use Cases
Useful for
Facility and Carrier Strategy
This tool is built for recurring facility decisions where live and drop models are both available and the question is which one makes more operational and economic sense.
Customer Operating Models
Compare whether a customer should stay live-unload or move into a drop program as volume and dwell change.
Weekly Network Review
See how a different dwell assumption changes weekly economics across a repeating volume profile.
Detention Pressure Checks
Estimate whether current detention exposure is already large enough to justify a different trailer-handling strategy.
Need Another
Economics Tool?
The tools library is expanding around real dock, freight, and facility planning questions. If there is another cost calculator your team needs, send it over.