How much to charge per mile for delivery as an independent courier

Short answer: if you deliver in a car, charge about $1.90 a mile and at least $16 per job, and charge for the drive back if you return empty. That covers what the car really costs you, pays you about $25 an hour, and leaves room for self-employment tax. Couriers who publish their prices in US cities charge $1 to $3 a mile on top of a base fee of $12 to $30, so you’re in the normal range.

Step 1: what a mile costs you

Every mile costs you more than gas. Count tires, oil, repairs, insurance and the value your car loses, and it comes to about 76 cents a mile — the rate the IRS uses for business driving since July 1, 2026. Gas is only about 19 cents of that.

Bigger vehicles cost more to run:

Price on the full cost, not just gas — otherwise the wear on your car comes out of your pay, you just notice it later.

Step 2: add your time

Decide what an hour of your work is worth and divide it by your average speed. In town, with lights and traffic, 25 mph is a fair average. At $25 an hour, your time costs $1.00 a mile.

For comparison, delivery apps advertise roughly $18 to $30 an hour, before your car costs. If your rate pays you less than that after the car, it’s too low.

Step 3: don’t forget taxes and insurance

• Self-employment tax: as an independent contractor, set aside about 14% of your profit for Social Security and Medicare, before income tax. To keep $1.00 a mile for your time, charge about $1.16.
• Insurance: most personal car policies don’t cover paid deliveries. A delivery add-on to your policy typically costs about $15 to $30 a month; a commercial policy costs more, around $200 a month. Get quotes — prices vary a lot by state.

Put it together

Then add three rules that protect it:

1. A minimum per job. Every job has fixed minutes: parking, the pickup, the handover. Fifteen minutes of handling ($6.25) plus the first 5 miles ($9.60) makes a minimum of about $16.
2. Charge for the way back. Twenty miles out and twenty back empty is 40 miles for a 20-mile job. Charge both directions, or roughly double the one-way rate.
3. Charge for waiting. After the first 10 to 15 minutes, waiting is your time too. One Dallas courier charges $30 an hour for it.

Example: a 12-mile same-day delivery across town, coming back empty. 24 miles × $1.92 = $46, plus $6.25 for handling — quote about $52. If you can pick up a return job near the drop-off, the empty miles disappear and you can quote less and still earn more.

What other US couriers charge

A few courier companies publish their prices. These are examples from their own websites, not market averages:

Rush jobs, after-hours work, bigger vehicles and dense cities all cost more. Below about $1.50 a mile in a car, you’re probably paying for the job out of your own time or your car.

Per mile, per delivery or per stop?

• Per mile suits one-off jobs of different lengths: documents, parts, medical samples.
• A flat price per delivery or per zone is easier for customers and suits regular jobs in a known area. Work it out from your per-mile rate for a typical trip in that zone.
• Per stop suits multi-stop routes, like a florist’s or a pharmacy’s daily deliveries. Here the order of stops decides your profit, because every mile you save between stops stays in your pocket. Here’s what one stop really costs.

For routes with many stops, a route planner finds the order with the fewest miles before you leave. MyWay Route Planner does it for up to 15 stops for free and up to 200 stops on Pro at $9.99 a month.

FAQ

How much should I charge per mile for delivery in 2026?

In a car, about $1.90 a mile, if you want $25 an hour for your time after self-employment tax and the full cost of the car. Couriers in US cities publish $1 to $3 a mile on top of a base fee.

Should I charge for the return trip?

Yes, if you come back empty. Charge both directions or roughly double the one-way rate. Skip it only when you have a return job nearby.

What is the IRS mileage rate in 2026?

72.5 cents a mile from January 1 to June 30, 2026, and 76 cents a mile from July 1, 2026.

Do I need commercial insurance to do deliveries?

Often, yes. Personal car policies commonly exclude paid delivery. Ask your insurer about a delivery add-on or a commercial policy before you take paid jobs.

How we calculated

This is a pricing guide, not tax advice; check taxes with an accountant or the IRS.

• Car: the IRS standard mileage rate for business use, 76 cents a mile from July 1, 2026 (Announcement 2026-11), and 72.5 cents from January to June (Notice 2026-10). Cost per mile by vehicle type: AAA, Your Driving Costs 2026 (September 2026), at 15,000 miles a year. Gas: $4.465 a gallon, US average for regular in the week of September 28, 2026 (EIA), at 23.5 mpg; maintenance, repairs and tires 11.7 cents a mile (AAA).
• Self-employment tax: 15.3% on 92.35% of net earnings (IRS), which is about 14.1% of profit; $1.00 ÷ (1 − 0.141) ≈ $1.16.
• Insurance: MoneyGeek (updated October 1, 2026) for delivery add-ons; Progressive Commercial’s 2025 data for business auto (median $207 a month).
• Driver earnings: the platforms’ own pages — Amazon Flex (“$18–25 an hour”), Frayt (“$20–$30 per hour”), GoShare (“up to $46 an hour” in a car or SUV).
• Published prices: myzipdelivery.com, xentratransport.com and dropoff.com, checked 2 October 2026.
• The rate: $0.76 + $1.00 + $0.16 = $1.92 a mile. Minimum: 15 minutes at $25 an hour ($6.25) plus 5 miles × $1.92 ($9.60) ≈ $16.