The short answer
Cost per truck is the fully loaded monthly cost of putting one service truck on the road, including the payment, fuel, insurance, maintenance, stocked inventory, and the technician who drives it. Once you know that number, you compare it to the revenue that truck produces. If a truck does not generate well above what it costs to run, it is dragging down the whole company. Most contractors have never run this number, which is why a quiet money-loser can hide in the fleet for years.
The mistake is thinking a truck costs the payment plus gas. The real number is bigger.
| Cost | Notes |
|---|---|
| Truck payment or lease | Fixed monthly |
| Fuel | Varies with route and season |
| Insurance | Commercial auto |
| Maintenance and repairs | Tires, oil, breakdowns |
| Stocked inventory | Parts riding on the truck |
| Technician labor (burdened) | Often the largest piece |
| Tools and equipment | Spread over time |
Add those up and a single truck can cost several thousand dollars a month before it does a dollar of work. That is the number that has to be earned back, and then some.
Once you know cost per truck, the question is simple. What does that truck bring in? Revenue per truck is the total billed work tied to that truck and tech over the month. Set side by side, cost per truck and revenue per truck tell you whether each unit is pulling its weight.
A truck that costs five thousand a month and produces eighteen thousand in revenue is a strong performer. A truck that costs five thousand and produces seven thousand is bleeding you, and unless you measure it, you will never know which truck is which.
A losing truck is not always a truck you cut. First find out why. Is the tech getting handed only small jobs? Is the truck idle half the week? Is it racking up repair costs that signal it is time to replace it? Cost per truck does not make the decision for you. It points you at the truck that needs a decision. Sometimes the fix is better scheduling. Sometimes it is pricing. Sometimes it really is time to park it.
| $5K |
| $18K |
What is cost per truck in HVAC?
The total monthly cost of operating one service truck, including the payment, fuel, insurance, maintenance, stocked inventory, and the burdened cost of the technician who drives it.
How do I know if a truck is profitable?
Compare cost per truck to the revenue that truck and tech produce in the same month. The revenue should clear the cost with margin left over.
Why track costs per truck instead of company-wide?
Company-wide numbers hide individual performance. Tracking per truck shows you exactly which units make money and which ones lose it.
Jeremy Brewer is the founder of 911 Bookkeepers LLC in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He came up through the HVAC trade and works as a licensed paramedic in EMS. He is a Xero Certified Advisor. 911 Bookkeepers is built for the trades.
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