Free tool
Freight margin calculator
Enter what a job costs you and what you sell it for. See gross profit, gross margin and markup side by side.
Calculate job margin
Runs in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent.
- Gross profit
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- Gross margin
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- Markup
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Gross margin = (sell − buy) ÷ sell × 100. Markup = (sell − buy) ÷ buy × 100. Margin shows "—" when sell is 0.
Why forwarders track margin, not markup
A forwarding job has many lines — freight, origin and destination charges, trucking, customs and agent fees. Gross margin tells you how much of every dollar you invoice you actually keep, which is what pays for your team and overhead.
Quoting on markup while reporting on margin is a common source of confusion: a 25% markup is only a 20% margin. In DESTIN, rates and jobs show buy, sell and gross margin % together so the whole team uses the same number.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is gross margin on a freight job?
Gross margin is profit as a share of the sell price: (sell − buy) ÷ sell × 100. A job sold at $1,000 that cost $800 has a 20% gross margin.
What's the difference between margin and markup?
Markup is profit as a share of cost: (sell − buy) ÷ buy × 100. The same $800 → $1,000 job is a 25% markup but a 20% margin. Mixing them up is a common cause of under-priced quotes.
What should I include in buy cost?
Every cost you pay to move the job: ocean or air freight, origin and destination charges, trucking, customs fees you absorb and agent charges. Leave out costs you pass through at cost.
Is my data saved?
No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser and nothing is stored or sent.
What's a healthy freight forwarding margin?
It varies widely by mode, lane, customer and market conditions. Track margin per job and per customer over time rather than relying on a single benchmark.
See margin on every job automatically.
DESTIN shows buy, sell and gross margin on every rate and shipment.