Farm Delivery Fee Calculator
Find the true cost of a delivery route and a per-stop fee from mileage, vehicle costs, route time, labor, and your target margin.
Free · no account · works on mobile · embeddable
Best for farms offering local delivery, subscriptions, produce boxes, or meat delivery. Updated .
Route assumptions
Delivery fee check
Break-even fee = total route cost ÷ customer stops. Target fee = break-even fee ÷ (1 − target margin). This is a business-planning estimate, not a tax mileage calculation.
About the farm delivery fee calculator
Home delivery wins customers and quietly loses money when the fee is a guess. This calculator prices a route from the numbers that actually drive cost: round-trip miles, a per-mile vehicle rate, hours on the road, labor, stops, and extras like cold packs or tolls. The result is a break-even fee per stop and a suggested fee at your target margin.
How to calculate a farm delivery fee
Treat delivery as its own route-level activity. Add vehicle cost, the value of every hour spent loading and delivering, and route-specific expenses such as tolls, parking, cold packs, or software. Dividing that total by customer stops gives the break-even fee per stop.
Vehicle cost is more than fuel
A useful planning rate can include fuel, maintenance, tires, depreciation, registration, and insurance. Enter a rate based on your own vehicle and records. The calculator is for pricing decisions—not mileage deductions or tax reporting.
Route density changes the answer
A 40-mile route serving ten nearby customers spreads its cost much more efficiently than the same route serving three. Compare the suggested fee with a minimum order, delivery zone, subscription schedule, or pickup option so customers can choose a workable channel.
Worked example
A 42-mile round trip at $0.75 per mile costs $31.50 in vehicle expense. Three hours at $22 adds $66, plus $12 in cold packs, for a $109.50 route. Across eight stops that is $13.69 break-even per stop; at a 20% margin the suggested fee is about $17.11.
Source
- Penn State Extension, The economics of a transport and/or delivery business. Covers fixed and variable vehicle costs, labor, cost per mile, cost per unit, and break-even planning. Accessed Aug 26, 2026.
This calculator gives planning estimates from the numbers you enter. It is not accounting, tax, veterinary, or legal advice. Replace the defaults with your own farm records whenever you have them.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a farm charge for delivery?
Enough to cover the route's vehicle cost, labor, and extras divided by the number of stops, plus a margin. For many local routes that lands between $5 and $20 per stop, but your own miles, hours, and stop count decide it.
What vehicle cost per mile should I use?
Total what your vehicle costs you per year (fuel, maintenance, tires, insurance, registration, and depreciation) and divide by miles driven. If you have no records, start with a conservative estimate and refine it.
Is it better to raise the fee or add a minimum order?
Often both. A minimum order raises revenue per stop so the fee can stay reasonable; a delivery zone limits miles. Test the suggested fee against both before publishing.
Can this be used for mileage tax deductions?
No. It is a pricing tool. Tax mileage rules and rates are separate; use IRS guidance or a tax professional for those.
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