truck running costs

[mitchno1]

just wont your views on costs for running class 5 trk i think you call them , how you charge out per mile ,per fuel tyres mantinence wages .i am from New Zealand i no tonnage and other prices differ but just percentages would be appreciated .cmon g man or mates

[mitchno1]

class 5 to us is 44 tonne allowances to 45.5 tonne that metric

[RostyC]

Between 90 cents to a dollar a mile to run the truck down the road.

[rank]

Between 90 cents to a dollar a mile to run the truck down the road.

Plus driver pay. Plus trailer. I am currently using $1.56/mile as an average.

[GMAN]

just wont your views on costs for running class 5 trk i think you call them , how you charge out per mile ,per fuel tires maintenance wages .i am from New Zealand i no tonnage and other prices differ but just percentages would be appreciated .cmon g man or mates

I think you are referring to class 8 trucks. These are trucks that pull a trailer and are capable of grossing up to 80,000 pounds or 40 tons including the weight of the truck and trailer. Operating costs will vary with each of us. Much of the difference will be due to equipment payments and fuel economy. When I calculate operating costs I prefer to break them down by the mile. I use a base average of 10,000 miles/month. The reason is that it is a good annual average and is also easy to calculate expenses. For instance, if fuel costs are $3/gallon and your truck gets 5 mpg, then your fuel costs will run $0.60/mile. If your trucks gets 6 mpg, then your fuel costs are $0.50/mile.

If you have a truck payment of $500/month then your expenses for equipment is $0.05/mile. If your payments are $2,500/month, then your equipment costs are $0.25/mile. If you own a trailer then those expenses will also need to be factored into your equipment costs. Again, I am using a base average of 10,000 miles per month. In addition to fuel and payments you will also have other expenses such as tires, oil changes, maintenance and driver expenses. Some owners exclude the cost of a driver, if they do the driving themselves. I prefer to include a cost for drivers since you still need to earn a living from the truck and if you can't or don't want to drive, you will need to hire someone to drive the truck for you. I would set aside at least $0.30/mile. Oil changes in the U.S. seem to range from about $200-350. We all change our oil at different intervals. I try to change mine every 15,000 miles. That averages about every 6 weeks if you are driving 2,500 miles per week. I actually use $0.025/mile for calculating my oil change costs.

Tires can blow at any time. It is a rarity to find any manufacturer who will honor a warranty on their tires. Most tires run from $300-500 each. I calculate a figure of $0.05/mile for tires. Depending on the age of the vehicle you really should set aside money for major repairs. I usually suggest anywhere from $0.08-0.15/mile for maintenance. If you don't use all the money in your maintenance account you can use it to purchase your next truck. If you are dilligent you could save enough to pay cash. Next, you will have insurance costs. In the U.S. we need to have either workers comp or an occupational accident policy if we lease to a carrier. This type of insurance pays in case we are unable to work due to a work related accident. Neither pay the full salary, but will pay for medical costs and supplement our income up to the insured amount. Policies run about $140-150/month. Workers comp can be more expensive. That comes out to about $0.015/mile.

Most people insure their trucks in case they are involved in an accident. It is called collision or comprehensive insurance. This cost can vary according to your MVR, length of time in the business, credit rating, where you reside and other factors. The cost can range from about 2.5-4.5% of the "STATED" value of the equipment. The stated value of the equipment will determine the monthly premium. If your stated value is $25,000 then that is what your premium is based. The insurance company will use that figure and multiply the stated value by their rate. There are some other expenses, but this should cover most of them. When you factor in the driver costs, your actual break even should likely be around $1.20-1.35/mile.

[rank]

....... if fuel costs are $3/gallon and your truck gets 5 mpg, then your fuel costs will run $0.60/mile. If your trucks gets 6 mpg, then your fuel costs are $0.50/mile.

......or, if you drive and fuel in ON where fuel is over $4.00 US dollars per US gallon, your fuel costs are $.80 per mile. Only have to add the driver to get to $1.20.

[mitchno1]

that good thanks gman and friends,our tyre costs bout same diesel 1.25 at pump be bout $1 litre on contract .our log cartage 18cents per ton kilometer 29 ton payload makes us 45ton all up b 60% loaded ks

[Roadhog]

There is a little info on this link >>> Figuring Cost Per Mile - Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association

[mitchno1]

i will study that thanks

[tracer]

......or, if you drive and fuel in ON where fuel is over $4.00 US dollars per US gallon, your fuel costs are $.80 per mile.

that's not quite true ... ontario owner-operators get refunded for hst tax paid for fuel and that's 13% of the cost. plus our fuel tax is much higher than in usa (I think it's close to 50 cents per gallon). if you take all this into account, our fuel is not that expensive.

[tracer]

Base cost: $0.15. Equipment payments: $0.15. Insurance: $0.02. Maintenance: $0.05. Fuel: $0.05; Living/bills/debts: $0.56. Total cost: $1.43 per mile. I'm on a 73% percentage pay, so the gross pay required is roughly $2/mile ($1.43 / 0.73 = $2/mile). That's doing 10,000 miles a month, which is not very realistic. The required gross becomes $2.22/mi at $9,000 miles a month; and $2.50/mi at 8,000 miles a month. I pull a 48 ft stepdeck.

[GMAN]

that good thanks gman and friends,our tyre costs bout same diesel 1.25 at pump be bout $1 liter on contract .our log cartage 18cents per ton kilometer 29 ton payload makes us 45ton all up b 60% loaded ks

I did not include costs for permits, cab card, etc., since they would likely be different in your country compared to the U.S. Most of us will pay about $1,600-2,200 per year. That would add about another $0.02/mile to your operating costs providing they are comparable to those charged in the U.S. When I calculated fuel costs it was based upon gallons (rather than liters) and U.S. dollars. I believe our dollars are comparable.

[mitchno1]

our dollar fluctuating between 75 and 80 cents of yours,also have to run more axles cheapest is 4axle truck and 4axle trailer for 45 tonne can have 1 unit 3 axle but cost more road user charges paid in advance on hubometer close to 2gand 5000 truck 3000ks trailer we piggyback trailer when empty

[rank]

GMAN >>>> if fuel costs are $3/gallon and your truck gets 5 mpg, then your fuel costs will run $0.60/mile. If your trucks gets 6 mpg, then your fuel costs are $0.50/mile.

RANK >>>or, if you drive and fuel in ON where fuel is over $4.00 US dollars per US gallon, your fuel costs are $.80 per mile. Only have to add the driver to get to $1.20.

TRACER >>that's not quite true ... ontario owner-operators get refunded for hst tax paid for fuel and that's 13% of the cost.....plus our fuel tax is much higher than in usa (I think it's close to 50 cents per gallon). if you take all this into account, our fuel is not that expensive.

Yes, we get the 13% back, but if Gman or other US based carrier drives and fuels in ON he doesn`t get these rebates, and if they drive in ON they will owe that portion of the fuel tax.

So, if a US truck comes into ON and buys only the fuel that he needs while he is here, he will be paying $.80 with no rebates....agreed? That's if he buys the fuel in southern ON. It's $4.20 per US gallon in the Soo and Sudbury.