How to Avoid Deadhead Miles Using DAT’s TriHaul Tool

Mar 12
3 min read

Deadhead miles are one of the biggest profit killers in trucking. Every empty mile burns fuel, wastes driver hours, and drags down your weekly revenue. Thankfully, DAT’s TriHaul™ tool gives carriers and owner‑operators a strategic way to eliminate empty miles and replace them with higher‑paying triangular routes—often adding 25–50% more profit compared to running a simple roundtrip.

In this guide, you’ll learn how the TriHaul tool works, why it reduces deadhead miles so effectively, and how you can use DAT One to maximize your route profitability.

What Is DAT’s TriHaul Tool?

The TriHaul tool identifies profitable triangular routing options based on your origin and destination search. Instead of returning empty or accepting a weak backhaul, TriHaul suggests alternative city‑to‑city routes that earn more per mile.

When you run a load search in DAT One, the platform shows:

15‑day average lane rates
Up to five suggested TriHaul routes
Average rate per loaded mile compared to your original A‑to‑B roundtrip
Revenue projections for each leg of the triangular route

This tool is included with many subscription levels of DAT One.

How TriHaul Helps You Avoid Deadhead Miles

1. Automatically Finds Profitable Alternative Routes

TriHaul uses real rate data to suggest cities to route through—cities where freight pays better than your default return lane. For example, in one DAT example, a Columbus → Buffalo → Columbus trip could be rerouted through Pittsburgh to increase total revenue by 40%.

2. Reduces Low‑Paying Backhauls

Backhaul markets often pay significantly less, but TriHaul transforms the traditional low‑rate return trip into a multi‑leg route with better-paying freight.

3. Helps Carriers Avoid Running Empty

DAT emphasizes that TriHaul creates opportunities for carriers to avoid empty miles by suggesting profitable backhauls and triangular routes.

4. Increases Rate‑Per‑Mile

The TriHaul feature regularly shows options to increase rate‑per‑mile by adding one strategic stop between origin and destination.

How to Use the TriHaul Tool (Step‑By‑Step)

Run a standard origin‑to‑destination load search in DAT One.
Click the TriHaul link on your search results.
Review several suggested routing cities and compare average lane rates.
Select the combination of loads that yields the most revenue.
Book the loads and plan your route accordingly.

This feature is especially valuable for single‑truck owner‑operators who must maximize every mile to stay profitable. DAT One users consistently use TriHaul to limit empty travel and boost earnings.

Other Strategies to Reduce Deadhead Miles

While TriHaul is one of the most powerful tools available, integrating it with smart freight planning will further reduce empty miles:

Use AI‑driven freight matching tools
Pre‑plan backhauls
Monitor regional freight market trends
Use predictive analytics for routing

Combining these strategies with DAT’s TriHaul tool dramatically improves efficiency and revenue.

Ready to Reduce Deadhead Miles? Sign Up for DAT One

To access TriHaul and other powerful profitability tools—like rate analytics, load filters, and backhaul suggestions—you’ll need a DAT One subscription.

DAT One gives access to the largest freight network, most accurate rate data, and the TriHaul tool for planning profitable routes with minimal empty mile

Need Trucking Insurance? Get a Quote from Wexford Insurance

Whether you’re an owner‑operator or running a small fleet, reliable trucking insurance protects your business from risk on every load.

👉 Get a trucking insurance quote from Wexford Insurance

Wexford regularly publishes trucking‑industry insights and supports owner‑operators with helpful tools and guidance.

Final Thoughts

Reducing deadhead miles is one of the easiest ways to boost profit, and DAT’s TriHaul tool gives carriers a strategic edge by turning weak return lanes into high‑earning multi‑leg routes. With smarter routing, accurate rate data, and better planning, you can keep your truck loaded more often and increase total revenue on every trip. Stay proactive, use data to your advantage, and let TriHaul reshape your weekly earnings.

👉 Start finding higher‑paying loads on DAT One