Thinking About Starting a Trucking Business?

How Much Does It Really Cost to Run a Truck?

Thinking about starting a trucking company or becoming an owner-operator? Here’s a realistic breakdown of costs you’ll face — and a calculator to see what you must gross per week and the RPM you’ll need to hit.

Dry Van example
Own Authority
Brokered Load Board Freight

Example: John, New Owner-Operator

Weekdays driving, home on weekends. 100% brokered freight.

Truck Payment
$1,500/mo
Trailer Payment
$600/mo
Maintenance
$2,000/mo
Insurance
$1,200/mo
Fuel
$5,000/mo
Driver Salary (if applicable)
$6,000/mo
Plates, IFTA, Misc
$1,000/mo
Total Monthly Costs
$17,300

Owner compensation goal: $1,000/week → target gross about $22,000/month (~$5,500/week).

Note: If the owner is the driver, “Driver Salary” may represent personal pay; adjust in the calculator.

Additional Fees & Common Surprises

  • Factoring: ~3% typical (improves cash flow)
  • Dispatcher: ~5–10% (only pay on booked loads)
  • DEF system repairs: $6,000+ possible
  • Towing: $1,000+ depending on distance
  • Engine rebuilds: up to $40,000
  • Downtime: time off = lost revenue

What It Really Takes to Succeed

  • Make 50+ broker calls/day when needed to secure loads
  • Manage cash flow and expenses tightly
  • Handle tough brokers, negotiate accessorials, push for fair RPM
  • Stay on top of preventive maintenance to avoid big hits
Freight Girlz leadership
Jay Schmidlapp
President, Freight Girlz & We Got This Trucking LLC (asset-based)

Plan Like a Pro

Pair smart cost control with smarter dispatch:

  • Build repeat lanes with reliable brokers
  • Use live rate tools (e.g., DAT RateView®) to pick winning lanes
  • Keep documents tight (W-9, COI, MC Letter) and invoice same-day
  • Track HOS well — use our HOS Toolkit to avoid violations and delays

Need a sanity check on your numbers?

We’ll review your costs, set a weekly revenue target, and help you choose lanes that match your goals.

📞 Talk to a U.S.-Based Dispatcher