An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking 

The Problem 

In response to mounting infrastructure improvement 

needs and dwindling state budgets, policy makers – led 

by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), 

have begun embracing creative financing strategies. In 

attempting to justify certain new truck fees such as 

congestion pricing, the time/distance value of operating 

a truck is often overstated. Alternatively, certain 

programs underestimate truck costs when the industry 

seeks increased program funding. 

There is a lack of accurate and publicly available 

information on the operational costs of trucking; that is, 

the full marginal cost of operating a truck one mile 

or one hour in standard operating conditions. 

Accurate cost figures are needed as inputs to 

transportation planning models to ensure that benefits 

to users are not over-inflated or that critical investment 

needs are not downplayed. 

Research Goal 

The research objective focused on the identification of 

current, accurate motor carrier costs that derive from 

transportation system operations. With a growing 

emphasis on the use of transportation planning models 

by decision-makers, ATRI’s Research Advisory 

Committee (RAC) identified as a priority the quantifying 

of key marginal cost centers and how these costs 

fluctuate by fleet size, sector and regions of the country. 

This research may also be used by motor carriers as a 

high-level benchmarking tool. 

Methodology 

ATRI developed, beta-tested and distributed a survey to 

a cross-section of for-hire motor carriers, representing 

the predominant sectors of the industry. Carriers of 

different sizes and regions of operation were included. 

Survey responses were aggregated and analyzed. 

When necessary, costs per mile (CPM) were converted 

to costs per hour (CPH) using an industry accepted 

average operating speed. 

Findings 

Total marginal costs for the industry were $1.73 per 

mile and $83.68 per hour. Marginal costs were divided 

into vehicle- and driver-based. Top costs for carriers 

were diesel fuel/oil, driver wages and truck/trailer lease 

or purchase payments. Additional cost centers were 

captured beyond those presented here, including data 

sets for private fleets. 

Across most key cost centers, significant cost 

fluctuations by industry sector were found. The 

Specialized sector had the highest total marginal CPM, 

followed by the Less-than-Truckload (LTL) and 

Truckload (TL) sectors. 

Motor Carrier Marginal 

Expenses 

Costs Per 

Mile 

Costs Per 

Hour 

Vehicle-based 

Fuel-Oil Costs .634 $33.00 

Truck/Trailer Lease or 

Purchase Payments .206 $10.72 

Repair and Maintenance .092 $4.79 

Fuel Taxes .062 $3.23 

Truck Insurance Premiums .06 $3.12 

Tires .03 $1.56 

Licensing and OverweightOversize Permits .024 $1.25 

Tolls .019 $.99 

Driver-based 

Driver Pay* .441 $16.59 

Driver Benefits .126 $6.56

Driver Bonus Payments .036 $1.87

Total Marginal Costs $1.73 $83.68 

*CPH figures are based on respondents’ actual driver hourly 

pay rates 

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studies, please visit: WWW.ATRI-ONLINE.ORG

 

ATRI’s primary mission is to conduct and support research in the 

transportation field, with an emphasis on the trucking industry’s 

essential role in the U.S. and international marketplace.