Quote:
Originally Posted by mitchno1
(Post 488998)
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
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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. |
