Trip Charge Calculator

Plan trip costs before trucks leave site. Adjust distance, trips, fuel use, and rates fast. Get total, per‑trip, and per‑kilometer charges instantly for bidding.

Enter trip and cost inputs

One-way or round-trip, as priced.
Total runs for this job or day.
Include loading, travel, and waiting time.
Use your vehicle’s average for this route.
Current pump price or contracted rate.
Tyres, wear, and capital recovery per km.
Include benefits and allowances if needed.
Set to zero if not applicable.
Applies per helper.
Lease, maintenance, insurance allocation per trip.
Bridges, highway tolls, permits, or entry fees.
Site crew, equipment, or handling charges.
Cleaning, queueing, minor consumables, etc.
Admin, dispatch, supervision, and shop overhead.
Applied after overhead for quoted pricing.
Optional. Enter zero if not required.
Results will appear above after you submit.

Example data table

Scenario Distance (km) Trips Fuel (L/100km) Fuel price Overhead % Profit % Grand total Per trip
Standard haul3562832081255,273.889,212.31
Longer route52430320101551,065.5212,766.38
Numbers are illustrative. Use your actual rates and route data.

Formula used

This calculator separates direct costs, overhead, profit, and optional tax.

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter distance per trip and number of trips.
  2. Add fuel consumption and current fuel price.
  3. Provide trip time and labor rates for the crew.
  4. Include fixed per‑trip costs, tolls, and handling fees.
  5. Set overhead and profit percentages for your quote.
  6. Press Calculate Trip Charge to view results above.
  7. Use the download buttons to export CSV or PDF.

Key cost drivers in a trip rate

Trip pricing is most accurate when you separate distance based costs from time based costs. Distance affects fuel, depreciation, and wear, while time drives payroll, waiting, and utilization. This calculator sums both, then adds per trip fees such as tolls, loading, permits, and miscellaneous site charges. Enter a vehicle fixed cost per trip to represent insurance and routine maintenance regardless of distance.

Turning route data into fuel cost

Start with a realistic distance per trip, matching how your carrier is paid. Multiply by the number of trips to get total kilometers. Fuel used equals total kilometers times fuel consumption per 100 kilometers. Multiply liters by the current fuel price to produce fuel cost for the full scope. If routes vary, run multiple scenarios and compare per kilometer rates to select a fair average.

Labor, time windows, and productivity

Trip time should include queueing, loading, travel, dumping, and return, because labor is paid for the whole cycle. Driver cost equals total hours times the hourly rate. If helpers are assigned, their cost scales with the same hours and the helper count. Clear time assumptions prevent disputes later.

Overhead and profit for consistent pricing

Direct cost covers the trip itself, but most operations carry dispatch, supervision, compliance, and workshop overhead. Apply an overhead percentage to direct cost to allocate those shared expenses. Profit is then applied to direct cost plus overhead, giving a quote that remains stable across changing inputs. Keeping overhead and profit explicit also helps justify pricing when clients request open book breakdowns.

Using outputs for bids and invoices

The results provide a grand total, a per trip charge, and a per kilometer charge. Use the per trip figure for lumped delivery pricing, and per kilometer for variable haul routes. Exported CSV supports audits and tender backups, while the PDF summary is useful for client signoff. Store exported files with delivery tickets so estimates can be calibrated against historical performance and fuel movements.

FAQs

1) What distance should I enter for a trip?

Enter the distance that your pricing uses, either one‑way or round‑trip. Stay consistent with your fuel and depreciation assumptions, and document the basis for quotes and invoices.

2) How do I choose fuel consumption for heavy vehicles?

Use an average from recent logs for the same load and route type. If conditions vary, calculate a conservative average and rerun scenarios for traffic, gradients, and idling time.

3) What does depreciation per kilometer represent?

It captures wear items and capital recovery, such as tyres, servicing, and vehicle value loss. If you already include these in a fixed per‑trip allowance, reduce the per‑kilometer value to avoid double counting.

4) Why include vehicle fixed cost per trip?

Some costs occur regardless of distance, including insurance allocation, dispatch, and planned maintenance. A per‑trip fixed value keeps pricing stable when trip distances are short or when the vehicle waits on site.

5) How should overhead and profit be applied?

Apply overhead to direct cost to cover shared business expenses. Apply profit to direct cost plus overhead so your margin remains consistent and transparent across different routes and trip volumes.

6) Can I include tax in the calculation?

Yes. Enter the applicable percentage and the calculator adds it after overhead and profit. If tax is handled separately on invoices, set the tax field to zero and export the breakdown.

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Important Note: All the Calculators listed in this site are for educational purpose only and we do not guarentee the accuracy of results. Please do consult with other sources as well.