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Haul Math

Know your numbers

Truck Maintenance Cost Per Mile

How much to set aside for every mile so the next brake job, clutch, or overhaul is already paid for.

How to figure it
How do you want to figure it?
Planned maintenance

The items, costs, and intervals below are examples to show how it works, not typical numbers. Put in your shop's quotes and the intervals from your engine and parts makers. Clear a row's cost to leave it out.

Extra per mile for breakdowns, tows, and parts you can't schedule. Base it on your own repair history.

Your result

Example items are filled in. Replace them with your own and tap "Calculate maintenance reserve".

How this calculator works

Reserve per mile = Σ (item cost ÷ miles between services) + unplanned allowance per mile. A $2,500 brake job every 250,000 miles costs you one cent a mile, whether you pay it this month or in two years. Add every item up and you have what each mile really costs in upkeep.

Monthly reserve = reserve per mile × miles per month. Move that much into a separate account every month, and big repairs stop being emergencies.

From last year's spend: maintenance per mile = last 12 months of repair bills ÷ miles in the same 12 months. It's quick and it's your real number, but it only knows about the past. A truck that just had its overhaul will look cheap until the next big job comes due.

The item list is editable. Rename items, change costs and intervals, add your own (APU, reefer unit, trailer), or remove ones that don't apply. The example costs and intervals are placeholders to show how it works. They aren't typical numbers for any truck. Use your shop's quotes and the service intervals in your engine and component manuals.