When you buy a DSD route — whether it's bread, snacks, or beverages — the listing will show you gross revenue. But between product costs, fuel, vehicle expenses, insurance, stale product, and self-employment taxes, that number shrinks fast.
If you're financing the purchase, debt service takes another bite. And most listings don't mention the 50–60 hour weeks.
This calculator breaks it all down so you can see what you'll actually take home — monthly, annually, and per hour.
Bread routes can lose 3–5% of revenue to unsold product. Snack routes are lower but it adds up over 52 weeks.
You're paying both sides of FICA — that's 15.3% on your net earnings. Most listings don't factor this in.
Route trucks take a beating. Budget $400–800/month for maintenance, tires, and unexpected repairs.
If you're spending 8+ hours per week on paper invoices and manual orders, that's profit you're leaving on the table.
The numbers above assume you're running your route efficiently. But most new owners start with paper invoices, manual order-taking, and phone calls back and forth with customers — all of which eat into your effective hourly rate.
The Full Truck was built specifically for independent route drivers. It digitizes your supplier invoices with AI, lets customers order via a text link (no app or login needed), and gives you a clear P&L every week — so you can focus on growing accounts instead of shuffling paper.
Try The Full Truck Free for 14 Days →