Definition
Lane yield is margin or revenue per unit of capacity — trip, kilometer, or kilogram — on a specific lane. It tells you which freight to accept, which spot/contract mix to sustain, and where a “low price” is a trap.
If you only watch outbound $/km, you are buying blind the margin that detention and empties destroy.
Related: rate card · spot vs contract · empty miles.
What it means in practice
It is not the published rate: it is rate (or revenue) minus variable costs attributable to the trip (indexed diesel, tolls, empties, paid detention, commissions) divided by the capacity unit you use to compare lanes.
Without the same unit (trip vs km) you compare apples to oranges and “win” in the spreadsheet while losing in cash.
Why it matters by role
| Role | How they use yield | If they do not measure |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing / procurement | Prioritize lanes and renegotiate | Cheap spot that erodes margin |
| Traffic | Choose freight / backhaul | Invisible empty km |
| Finance | Margin by corridor | Opaque freight P&L |
| Accounts payable | Audit extras vs yield | Pays detention that kills margin |
Minimum fields to calculate it
| Field | Includes | Typical exclusion |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | Base rate + billed extras | Unbilled promises |
| Variable cost | Diesel, toll, empty, paid detention | Fixed office rent |
| Unit | Agreed trip / km / kg | Mixing units |
| Lane | Stable OD or cluster | Nationwide blend |
| Period | Comparable month / quarter | One odd week alone |
Mexico: diesel, empties, and the border
The motor-carrier cost squeeze and an aging fleet (SICT / TyT 2025) make outbound-only yield lie if you omit FSC, return empties, and DC delays.
On IMMEX/nearshoring corridors volume rises (IMMEX, INEGI): without lane yield you mis-prioritize quota and fill the yard with trips that do not pay real cost.
How to govern yield in 5 steps
Fix formula
Same unit
Capture extras
On the trip
Compute monthly
By lane
Compare mix
Spot vs contract
Act
Price or refuse
Expensive mistakes
1.Watching outbound rate only
You ignore empties and detention.
2.Averaging the whole country
You hide toxic lanes.
3.Not binding extras to the ID
AP cannot defend the margin.
4.Optimizing yield while breaking OTIF
You win pesos and lose the customer.
OCL and the trip file
OCL binds rate, GPS, and extras to the trip file so yield is calculated with evidence. It can stamp invoices and Carta Porte; it does not replace your pricing policy.
Sources and further reading
Key takeaways5 points
- Lane yield = margin or revenue per unit of capacity (trip, km, kg) on a lane, used to decide spot/contract mix and prioritize freight.
- Chasing “cheap” spot without yield after accessorials and empty miles destroys the rate card.
- In Mexico, diesel, detention, and empty km change real yield more than the outbound rate.
- Minimum fields: revenue, variable cost, capacity unit, lane, period, and exclusions.
- OCL helps see rate vs trip evidence before mix decisions; it can stamp invoices and Carta Porte.
Does your yield see the outbound… or the full trip?
Frequently asked questions
Margin or revenue per unit of capacity (trip, km, kg) on a lane, used to decide spot/contract mix and prioritize freight.
No. The rate is price; yield subtracts variable costs and normalizes by capacity.
Yes — at least recurring ones you pay or bill (detention, empties, FSC).
Whatever is comparable on your network: many fleets use margin per trip; dense networks use per km.
Quota on a bad-yield lane destroys margin at scale. See capacity quota.
It joins trip evidence and extras so the math does not live only in a parallel spreadsheet.