Use realistic cycle times and rates for best accuracy.
Formula Used
The calculator models cost from trips, cycle time, and hourly rates.
- Trips = ceil(Quantity ÷ Payload)
- RoundTripDistance = 2 × OneWayDistance
- TravelTime(h) = RoundTripDistance ÷ Speed
- CycleTime(h) = TravelTime + (Load + Dump + Standby)/60
- TotalTruckHours = Trips × CycleTime
- FuelPerTrip(L) = RoundTripDistance ÷ FuelEfficiency(km/L)
- FuelTotal = Trips × FuelPerTrip × FuelCost
- LaborTotal = TotalTruckHours × DriverRate
- EquipmentTotal = TotalTruckHours × EquipmentRate
- DirectCost = Fuel + Labor + Equipment + Tolls + Fixed
- Overhead = DirectCost × Overhead%
- Profit = (DirectCost + Overhead) × Profit%
- Tax = (DirectCost + Overhead + Profit) × Tax%
- TotalCost = DirectCost + Overhead + Profit + Tax
- UnitCost = TotalCost ÷ Quantity
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter quantity and payload using the same unit type.
- Set one-way distance and realistic average speed.
- Add load, dump, and standby minutes to reflect site delays.
- Provide fuel cost and average efficiency for the route.
- Enter driver and truck hourly rates used in your estimate.
- Include tolls, fixed costs, overhead, profit, and tax if needed.
- Press Calculate to see totals, unit cost, and duration.
- Use the export buttons to download the last result.
Example Data Table
| Scenario | Quantity | Payload | One-Way | Speed | Cycle (min) | Trips | Total Cost | Unit Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | 1200 t | 20 t | 25 km | 45 km/h | ≈ 81.7 | 60 | $8,400 | $7.0000/t |
| Longer route | 1200 t | 20 t | 35 km | 45 km/h | ≈ 108.3 | 60 | $9,750 | $8.1250/t |
| Higher delays | 1200 t | 20 t | 25 km | 45 km/h | ≈ 96.7 | 60 | $9,050 | $7.5417/t |
Example values are illustrative and will vary by region and fleet.
Hauling Cost Estimating Guide
1) Why hauling costs swing so widely
Hauling is sensitive to distance, delays, payload, and fuel. A small change in one-way distance or queue time can add multiple minutes per trip, multiplying across dozens of trips. Because costs are driven by truck-hours, the same quantity can produce very different totals depending on route conditions and site organization.
2) Key production variables you should measure
Start with defensible field inputs: quantity to move, average legal payload, and real operating hours. Convert survey volumes to mass if needed using material density, and adjust payload for moisture or heaping limits. When quantity and payload are aligned, required trips become a reliable planning metric. Document assumptions in the estimate narrative for review and future reconciliation.
3) Cycle time: the hidden multiplier
Cycle time equals travel time plus load, dump, and standby. Travel time uses round-trip distance divided by average speed, then converted to minutes. If standby increases from 5 to 15 minutes, every trip absorbs 10 more minutes, raising truck-hours and often forcing extra shifts or more trucks.
4) Fuel cost and efficiency assumptions
Fuel is modeled from distance and efficiency: liters per trip = (round-trip km) ÷ (km per liter). Multiply by fuel price to get fuel per trip, then scale by trips. Use conservative efficiency for grades, traffic, and idling. If you track telematics, update efficiency periodically for accuracy.
5) Labor and equipment rates in real bids
Labor and equipment are computed from total truck-hours. Driver hourly rate should reflect wages, burden, and paid breaks. Equipment hourly rate can include lease, maintenance, tires, and insurance. Separating labor and equipment totals helps you validate estimates against fleet invoices and identify whether labor or ownership is driving variance.
6) Fleet sizing and schedule risk
The calculator estimates project duration from total truck-hours, number of trucks, and working hours per day. Adding trucks can reduce duration, but it may increase standby if loading or dumping becomes the bottleneck. Use the duration output to test scenarios and select a fleet size that matches site capacity.
7) Overhead, profit, and tax as separate levers
Overhead and profit are applied as percentages so you can model company policy and risk level without distorting direct costs. Keep overhead and profit distinct for transparency, then apply tax if required. This structure also makes it easier to explain bid pricing and negotiate scope changes with clear deltas.
8) Reporting, exports, and audit trail
A good hauling estimate should be repeatable. Save the final inputs and outputs to share with the project team, and export CSV or PDF for submittals. When actuals differ, update load time, standby, fuel, and speeds to calibrate the model and improve the next estimate. Even a simple spreadsheet history can support claims and change orders.
FAQs
1) What unit should I use for quantity?
Use the same unit type for quantity and payload, such as tons with tons. If you start from volume, convert using density so trips and unit cost stay consistent.
2) How do I estimate average speed?
Use a realistic on-route average, not the posted limit. Include slow segments, intersections, and site access roads. If available, use GPS or driver logs from similar hauls.
3) Should I enter one-way or round-trip distance?
Enter one-way distance. The calculator automatically converts to round-trip travel for cycle time and fuel calculations.
4) How is fuel cost per trip calculated?
Fuel per trip is computed from round-trip distance divided by efficiency, then multiplied by fuel price. The total fuel cost is fuel per trip times the number of trips.
5) What if payload changes due to moisture or compaction?
Lower the payload to a conservative average and rerun scenarios. Moisture and compaction can reduce legal payload and increase trips, which typically raises truck-hours and unit cost.
6) How do I include return loads or backhaul revenue?
Enter direct costs normally, then subtract expected backhaul credit from fixed costs or adjust profit accordingly. Keep the assumption documented so the pricing remains auditable.
7) Why doesn’t adding more trucks always reduce total cost?
More trucks can reduce duration, but if loading or dumping is the constraint, extra trucks wait in queues. That standby increases truck-hours, sometimes raising total cost even when the schedule improves.
Plan smarter, haul efficiently, and protect your project budget.