Truck Profit Calculator: Is This Trip or Lane Making Money?

A trucking trip is profitable when the rate covers fuel for both the loaded and empty legs, tolls, driver costs, tyres and maintenance, and a fair share of monthly fixed costs such as finance and insurance. The Truck Profit Calculator works out your cost per trip, cost per kilometre, break-even rate and monthly profit.

How the calculation works

• Fuel = (loaded km + empty km) x litres per 100 km / 100 x diesel price.
• Variable costs = fuel + tolls + driver cost + (total km x tyres and maintenance per km).
• Fixed cost share = monthly fixed costs / trips per month.
• Profit per trip = rate – variable costs – fixed cost share.
• Break-even rate per loaded km = total cost per trip / loaded km.

The default figures are illustrative only. Replace them with your own rates, fuel use and costs.

How to improve trip profit

• Find backloads to reduce empty kilometres.
• Review rates on lanes that do not cover their costs.
• Charge consistently for waiting time and extra drops.
• Improve utilisation so fixed costs are spread over more trips.

Read how to get trucking contracts, how to grow a transport business and our trucking business growth hub.

Questions about truck profit

What costs should I include per trip?

Fuel for both legs, tolls, driver wages and allowances, tyres and maintenance per kilometre, plus a share of fixed costs such as finance, insurance, licences and tracking.

Why include the empty return leg?

Because the truck still uses fuel, tyres and driver time on the way back. Ignoring it is one of the most common reasons lanes look profitable on paper but lose money.

How do I find my fuel consumption?

Use fuel records and odometer readings over several trips, or your telematics system, to calculate average litres per 100 km for each vehicle.

Your next step

Use the Fleet Utilisation Tracker in the Business Growth Toolkit, or see the Trucking and Logistics Growth Blueprint.