Spot vs Contract Breakeven
Lock in a contract, or buy every load on the spot market? Enter the contract rate (and any fixed commitment), the spot rate, and your yearly volume — and see which wins, by how much, and the breakeven volume where they cross.
Difference
The spot vs contract tradeoff
A contract buys stability — a fixed rate and secured capacity — often in exchange for a volume commitment. The spot market flexes with supply and demand: cheaper when trucks are plentiful, painful when they’re scarce. The right call depends on your volume and how much rate certainty is worth to you.
Contract total = fixed + contract rate × volume · Spot total = spot rate × volume
What the breakeven volume means
The breakeven volume is where the two totals meet: run more than that and the lower-per-shipment option wins outright; run less and a fixed commitment isn’t yet spread over enough loads to pay off. A negative or unavailable breakeven means one option is cheaper at every volume — there’s no crossover, so the winner at these rates always wins.