Earnings & costs
Know your real take-home
Profit is the only metric that matters. A $1,050/week route can leave $500–$750 after expenses. Use conservative numbers and judge work by net hourly profit.
What you might actually keep
A cargo-van route paying $1,050 per week may look attractive, but estimate costs like this:
| Weekly cost | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | $200–$350 | Depends on miles and MPG |
| Commercial insurance | $250–$600/mo | Cargo van insurance often $2,400–$7,500/yr |
| Maintenance and tires | $100–$250 | Brakes, oil, tires, washing |
| Repairs and depreciation | $100–$250 | Reserve for the unexpected |
| Tolls, parking, car washes | $50–$150 | DC parking tickets add up fast |
| Taxes and bookkeeping | Additional | Set aside 25–30% of net profit |
That could leave approximately $500–$750 per week before income taxes, depending on mileage and whether the van is financed.
Net vs. gross: the real hourly rate
Judge work by net hourly profit, not the advertised gross rate. A $250 medical route that takes 8 total hours is $31.25 gross per hour. If it uses 180 miles and costs $70 in fuel, maintenance, insurance allocation, and depreciation, your effective earnings may be closer to $22.50 per hour before taxes.
Live earnings calculator
Example month (cargo van)
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross revenue (5 days/wk × 140 mi × $1.75/mi × 4.33) | $5,305 |
| Fuel (700 mi/wk ÷ 16 mpg × $3.50 × 4.33) | −$665 |
| Insurance | −$450 |
| Maintenance reserve | −$300 |
| Tolls, parking, misc. | −$150 |
| Estimated monthly net | $3,740 |
Revenue ranges by work type
Use these as rough benchmarks. See the Jobs page for a full ranked list of delivery work in the DMV.
| Work type | Typical rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon DSP / last-mile | $1.10–$1.60/stop or per-mile bundle | Steady volume; tight performance standards |
| Medical/pharmaceutical courier | $1.80–$3.00/mi | Higher pay, earlier hours, sometimes temp control |
| Local freight / LTL pickups | $1.40–$2.20/mi | Box truck territory; pallet jack helpful |
| Hot-shot / expedited | $2.00–$4.00/mi | Unpredictable but premium when you’re available |
| Moving / junk removal style | $80–$150/hr or flat job | Labor-intensive; often cash-heavy |