Transport calculator

Trip Cost & Profit Calculator

Enter the distance, fuel and the other costs of a trip to see what it costs. Add the freight you will be paid to see what the trip contributes, and, if you enter this trip's share of fixed costs, the profit after them. The figures pre-filled are examples. Your entered values stay out of analytics.

Formula and assumptions

Fuel = distance ÷ mileage × fuel price. Total trip cost = fuel + toll + driver pay + loading and unloading + tyres and maintenance (per km × distance) + other costs. Cost per km = total ÷ all kilometres travelled (loaded + empty). With an empty return, cost per loaded km = total ÷ loaded distance is shown too. Empty return cost = empty km × (fuel per km + tyres and maintenance per km), plus any other empty-return costs you enter. With freight: contribution = freight − total cost, share of freight = contribution ÷ freight. Profit after fixed costs = contribution − this trip's fixed costs.

Fuel cost is the distance divided by the mileage, times the fuel price per litre. The price is what you pay, taxes included.
Freight earned is entered before GST. The tool adds no GST of its own.
Contribution is the freight minus the trip's running costs. It is before the vehicle's fixed costs (EMI, insurance, permits, depreciation). Enter this trip's share of those to see the profit after them.
The margin on freight is contribution as a percentage of the freight, not a markup on cost.
The empty return is the distance run back without a load. It is costed at the same mileage, tyre cost per km and maintenance cost per km as the outward trip, but it earns no freight. Actual fuel use when running empty may differ. Other empty-return costs, such as toll, driver allowance, parking or detention, are entered separately.
Cost per km is the total trip cost divided by every kilometre travelled, loaded and empty. When there is an empty return, the cost per loaded km (total cost divided by the loaded kilometres only) is shown beside it.
The figures are the amounts you enter; the tool knows no market rates, and any pre-filled figures are examples.
Money is rounded to 2 decimal places (half up), each from the exact figure. Totals are calculated from unrounded values and may differ slightly from the sum of the displayed rounded figures. Shares and the margin are rounded to 1 decimal place.

Formula version 1.0, last reviewed Reviewed by an external transport reviewer, 7 October 2026; released by the owner.

How it works

Fuel is the distance divided by the mileage, times the fuel price. Adding the toll, driver pay, loading and unloading, tyres and maintenance, and any other costs gives the total trip cost, and dividing by every kilometre travelled, loaded and empty, gives the cost per kilometre. If you enter the freight you will be paid, before GST, the contribution is the freight less the trip's running costs. It is before the vehicle's fixed costs, such as EMI, insurance, permits and depreciation. Enter this trip's share of those to see the profit after them. The share of freight is the contribution as a percentage of the freight.

The empty return is the distance run back without a load. It is costed at the same mileage and the same tyre and maintenance rate as the outward trip, and it earns no freight. Actual fuel use when running empty may differ. Other costs of the way back, such as toll, driver bata, parking or detention, go in the other empty-return costs. With an empty return the page shows the cost per kilometre travelled and the cost per loaded kilometre. Totals are calculated from unrounded values and may differ slightly from the sum of the displayed figures.

Example

A 650 km trip at 4 km per litre with diesel at ₹90 uses ₹14,625 of fuel. With ₹3,200 toll, ₹2,500 driver pay, ₹1,500 loading and ₹500 other costs, the trip costs ₹22,325, which is ₹34.35 per km. If the freight is ₹25,000, the contribution before fixed costs is ₹2,675, a share of 10.7% of the freight.

Frequently asked questions

Should freight include GST?

Enter the freight before GST. This tool does not work out GST.

What is the share of freight?

The contribution as a percentage of the freight. A contribution of ₹2,675 on ₹25,000 of freight is 10.7% of the freight. It is not a markup on cost.

What if the freight does not cover the running costs?

The result is shown as a loss before fixed costs, with a negative share of freight, so you can see how much you would lose on the trip.

Does it include the vehicle's EMI, insurance or permits?

Not unless you enter them. The contribution is before fixed costs. To see what is left after them, enter this trip's share of the fixed costs. For the monthly fixed costs spread over the kilometres, use the Cost per Kilometre Calculator.

Are the pre-filled numbers real rates?

No. They are examples so you can see how the tool works. Replace every figure with your own.

Trip Cost & Profit Calculator

Frequently asked questions

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