What does a truck cost per month?

Fixed truck costs

Fixed costs are the amounts that your truck costs even if it is only parked in the yard and not moved a meter. You should always keep an eye on these costs.

• Financing costs: If you did not pay for the truck in cash, but took out a loan or took out a loan. If you have a lease you will have to pay for the car every month. You can see how much it costs in the relevant contracts.
• Labor costs: Even if these costs are not necessarily part of the operating costs of a truck, you should take them into account in the fixed costs. As a rule, you have to pay the driver at least a basic wage, even if the truck does not drive a meter for operational reasons.

You cannot usually influence these two positions in the short or medium term. You are bound by contracts.

What else the car costs

A truck costs quite a bit in taxes and insurance per month. But since you can deregister the car if you are sure that you do not need it, you have a possibility here to reduce costs in the short term.

• Insurance: Insurance for trucks is calculated according to various tariff criteria. It makes sense here to seek advice from a specialist. Particularly with a view to a longer standstill, you should inquire about tariffs that offer affordable continued insurance if you cancel.
• Taxes: The cost of the tax for trucks over 3.5 t is calculated not only according to the payload, but also according to the emission class and the noise level. So by choosing the vehicle you can determine yourself what a truck costs per month.

What a truck costs during operation

• How much the truck costs you per month for these items primarily depends on the distance traveled. But also about whether the vehicle is being driven gently or is constantly being pushed to its limits.
• As a rule, there are ongoing costs for fuel and lubricants. You can reduce these costs by buying an economical vehicle. Driver training also pays off quickly, because consumption depends heavily on the driving style.
• When the car is moved, there is always a cost maintenance and repairs. If you keep an eye on the maintenance intervals, you will know at what intervals the usual inspections are due. Certain wearing parts must also be replaced without unforeseen events. Based on the maintenance intervals, the service life of wearing parts and the monthly mileage, try to estimate what the vehicle will cost per month.
• In addition, fees such as tolls may apply. The depreciation is calculated according to the expected service life, which can be achieved either over the kilometers driven or over time.

Sample calculation of what the truck costs per month

• Assume that you are 10 tires at € 400 = € 4,000 per 100,000 km, so that's € 0.04 / km. The consumption will be 30 l / 100 km, in the long term you should expect high fuel prices, i.e. € 2, then you are on the safe side. That means 30 x € 2 = € 60 per 100 km, i.e. € 0.6 / km. Oil costs you approx. € 10 per 1,000 km, i.e. € 0.01 / km.
• For the inspection you should calculate € 1,500 / 25,000 km, which then makes € 0.06 / km. Together that's 0.71 € / km. What the car costs per month depends on the kilometers driven.
• Assume the wage costs with vacation pay and employer's contribution of € 3,000 per month. Take into account that a driver cannot drive more than 720 km per day, so this is 18,000 km on 25 working days. In that case, the truck costs you € 15,780 per month, if it only drives 9,000 km, that's € 9,390 per month. If the car is not driven, the driver's wages will still be € 3,000.

In this calculation, however, the costs for tax, insurance and financing are still missing. There is also no depreciation, which you can then calculate as acquisition costs divided by the maximum mileage. Depending on the type of truck and how you financed it, the vehicle may cost you between € 5,000 and € 10,000 a month, even if there are no orders, i.e. the vehicle is stationary.