Guides for truck owners and fleet operators

Plain explanations of the numbers that decide whether a truck makes money. Each guide works through an example in rupees, so you can follow every step and then repeat it with your own figures.

• How to calculate the break-even freight rate for a truck tripThe lowest freight that covers every cost, including the empty return and commission, and why a 20% margin means dividing by 0.8.
• Truck EMI vs profit: why a profitable truck can still run short of cashInterest, principal and depreciation explained with a ₹30 lakh loan, and how many trips it takes to carry the EMI.
• How many trips can a truck really do in a month?Count trips from cycle time, not the calendar, and check whether the month covers fixed costs, the EMI and the owner.
• Truck running cost per km in India: what to includeVariable, operating, full and per-loaded-km cost for one truck, and which figure to use for which decision.
• How to calculate diesel cost for a truck trip, including the empty returnLoaded and empty mileage, real vs brochure figures, and what a ₹5 price change does to each trip.
• New vs used truck: which pays back faster?EMI, mileage, maintenance and downtime compared, and why the used truck's condition matters more than its price.
• How to compare two truck loan offersEMI, total cost, fees and tenure on a ₹30 lakh loan, and why a 6% flat rate is really about 10.8%.
• Is a fixed monthly truck contract profitable?Test a dedicated-truck contract against real kilometres, and the clauses that stop it turning into a loss.
• What waiting and detention really cost a truckA rupee value for an hour of waiting, and how to use it to set detention charges.
• Truck tyre cost per km, and how to set a tyre reserveTyre cost per kilometre with and without retreading, what lost tyre life costs, and a monthly reserve.
• Owner-driver vs hired driver: should you drive or run another truck?One owner-driven truck vs two with hired drivers, in a normal month and a bad one.
• Truck depreciation explained for ownersWhy depreciation cuts profit but not cash, and three ways to estimate it for a ₹36 lakh truck.
• How to price a return load for your truckThe lowest rate worth accepting for the journey home, and why it must not become your normal price.
• Is a GPS tracker worth it for your truck?Check the payback with your own numbers: waiting time, extra trips, idling and detention.
• A monthly profit and loss statement for your truckOne page that shows profit and cash side by side, filled in for an example truck.