Key Takeaways
- ATRI’s 2026 operating-cost report puts the 2025 industry average at $2.336 per mile, including $1.854 per mile in nonfuel costs. Those figures are useful planning benchmarks, not a substitute for a fleet’s own cost data.
- Fleet management costs should be separated into variable costs, fixed costs, and event-driven risks so that one favorable month does not hide a weak annual budget.
- Insurance, repair and maintenance, driver benefits, and toll costs are among the categories that deserve fresh quotes or fleet-specific measurements rather than old rules of thumb.
- Compliance costs include more than an ELD subscription. Budget for staff time, recordkeeping, training, inspections, device replacement, and disruption when a vehicle or driver is placed out of service.
- FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System is an enforcement-prioritization tool. It is not a federal safety rating and should not be treated as a published formula for insurance pricing.
Introduction
Fleet management costs are difficult to control when fuel, labor, insurance, maintenance, technology, and compliance are tracked in separate systems. The practical goal is not to find one universal cost-per-mile number. It is to build a repeatable model that shows what each truck costs, which expenses move with mileage, and which risks can disrupt cash flow.
The American Transportation Research Institute’s 2026 operating-cost report found that the average cost of operating a truck in 2025 reached $2.336 per mile. Nonfuel costs rose to $1.854 per mile. Use those figures as an industry reference, then replace them with your own data from accounting, fuel cards, maintenance records, payroll, insurance, tolls, and compliance systems.
What Does It Cost to Operate a Truck Per Mile in 2026?
The latest national benchmark available in 2026 is based on 2025 operating data. ATRI reported an average total cost of $2.336 per mile, up 3.4% year over year, while nonfuel costs increased 4.2% to $1.854 per mile. At 100,000 annual miles, the national total-cost benchmark equals about $233,600 before considering whether a particular fleet runs a different duty cycle, region, equipment class, or insurance program.
A useful internal cost-per-mile model divides annual fleet costs by practical miles and keeps three groups visible:
- Variable costs: fuel, tires, maintenance, tolls, and mileage-based compensation.
- Fixed or semi-fixed costs: equipment payments, insurance, permits, software, facilities, and salaried staff.
- Event-driven costs: breakdowns, towing, cargo claims, compliance events, unplanned rentals, and lost utilization.
Track each truck separately when possible. A fleetwide average can hide an aging unit, an inefficient route, or an equipment type that no longer fits the work.
How Much Does Fuel Cost a Fleet Per Mile and Per Year?
Fuel remains one of the largest variable expenses, but a national average cannot predict an individual fleet’s result. ATRI’s detailed 2024 data placed fuel at $0.481 per mile; the newer 2026 report should be used for the current total-cost benchmark, while the older category figure provides historical context.
Build the fuel budget from expected miles, fleet-specific miles per gallon, and a documented fuel-price assumption:
Annual fuel cost = annual miles ÷ miles per gallon × expected price per gallon
Run at least three scenarios: a working forecast, a higher-price case, and a lower-efficiency case. If customers pay a fuel surcharge, model the contract formula separately because recovery timing and covered mileage can differ from actual fuel spending.
Useful operational measures include idle percentage, route-level MPG, out-of-route miles, fuel-tax reconciliation, and the gap between purchased gallons and expected consumption. A fuel and operating-cost calculator can help test scenarios, but accounting data should remain the source of truth.
What Does It Cost to Employ a Driver Beyond Base Pay?
Driver labor includes wages plus payroll taxes, benefits, recruiting, orientation, training, safety administration, paid non-driving time, and the cost of an uncovered truck. ATRI’s 2024 detailed benchmark reported $0.779 per mile for driver wages and $0.197 per mile for driver benefits. Treat those as historical comparison points, not automatic 2026 budget inputs.
Use payroll and human-resources records to calculate the fully loaded cost for each driver group. For turnover, record the actual recruiting, onboarding, screening, travel, training, and lost-utilization costs from recent hires. That produces a defensible fleet-specific number without relying on a generic industry range.
Why Are Fleet Insurance Premiums Rising?
Insurance costs reflect more than fleet size. Vehicle class, operating radius, cargo, loss history, driver profile, coverage limits, deductibles, state exposure, and market conditions can all affect a quote.
ATRI’s 2026 motor-carrier insurance research found that average per-mile liability premiums rose 18.6% from 2021 through 2024, reaching 10.2 cents per mile, while respondents’ per-mile liability losses rose 33.1%. The study also found greater use of excess-liability layers. Those are aggregated research findings; they do not predict any one carrier’s renewal.
Review coverage and renewal assumptions with a qualified broker or insurance professional. Keep claim documentation, driver qualification records, maintenance records, and safety processes organized so the underwriter receives an accurate picture of the operation.
FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System uses inspection, violation, and crash information to prioritize carriers for interventions. FMCSA states that an SMS result is not a federal safety rating. Insurers may evaluate safety information in their own underwriting, but the federal SMS is not a published premium-setting formula.
What Does Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Cost?
Maintenance budgets should combine scheduled work, unscheduled repairs, tires, roadside service, towing, substitute equipment, and downtime. ATRI’s 2026 report found repair and maintenance costs increased 8.6% in 2025, one of the largest category increases reported that year.
Track cost by vehicle, system, and practical mile. Separate predictable preventive work from failures so recurring problems are visible. Equipment age alone is not enough; utilization, duty cycle, environment, parts availability, technician access, and maintenance discipline all matter.
Drivers must inspect equipment as required and report defects that could affect safe operation. For property-carrying vehicles, 49 CFR § 396.11 generally requires a post-trip driver vehicle inspection report when a defect or deficiency is discovered or reported, subject to the rule’s scope and exceptions. That is different from claiming every property carrier must create the same written pre-trip and post-trip report every day. Fleets should align their forms and retention process with the rules that apply to their operation.
For a closer look at maintenance-related records, see Geosavi’s guide to ELD violation records, safety, and maintenance.
What Does ELD Compliance Cost?
An ELD budget may include hardware, connectivity, subscriptions, installation, training, support, replacement units, record-review time, and integration work. Prices and contract terms vary, so use written vendor quotes for the exact devices, features, and support level the fleet needs.
Before buying or continuing to use a device, confirm the exact model on FMCSA’s registered ELD list and monitor the revoked-device list. Device registration can change. For example, FMCSA announced the removal of five devices on August 6, 2026 and instructed affected carriers to replace them by October 6, 2026. The applicable deadline comes from the specific FMCSA removal notice, so fleets should not assume every device change follows the same calendar.
Do not budget a single fixed dollar amount for an Hours of Service violation. Consequences depend on the facts and may include citations or civil penalties, corrective work, delay, an out-of-service period, or a broader compliance response. Current requirements and enforcement information should be checked with FMCSA and the applicable regulations.
Geosavi’s electronic logging device platform supports driver logs and fleet workflows. Buyers should still verify that the exact device model is currently registered and that its data-transfer methods, installation requirements, and features fit the operation.
What Does Back-Office Compliance Work Cost?
Compliance work often appears as payroll rather than as a separate fleet-management line item. Track the time spent reviewing logs, resolving unidentified driving, maintaining driver qualification files, monitoring inspections, reconciling fuel-tax records, handling permit renewals, responding to document requests, and coaching drivers.
For CDL or CLP holders, FMCSA’s National Registry II guidance explains that motor carriers obtain the CDLIS motor vehicle record containing medical-certification information and retain it in the driver qualification file. Recordkeeping duties differ by record and circumstance, so retention periods should be mapped to the controlling citation instead of using one blanket period for every document.
Measure the monthly hours spent on each recurring process, multiply by the fully loaded labor rate, and add vendor or filing costs. Automating a workflow can be worthwhile, but the savings should be measured against the fleet’s own baseline.
Which Hidden Costs Commonly Disrupt a Fleet Budget?
Some expenses are easy to overlook because they are intermittent or recorded outside the transportation budget:
- downtime, towing, hotels, and substitute equipment after a breakdown;
- uncovered miles or lost revenue while recruiting or training a driver;
- deductibles, cargo claims, and uncovered losses;
- tolls, permits, parking, storage, and seasonal equipment needs;
- device replacement, installation, data migration, and retraining;
- manual corrections, document retrieval, and management time after a compliance issue;
- interest-rate changes, lease-end costs, and unexpectedly low resale value.
Create a contingency reserve based on the fleet’s own recent events. Review both the cost and the utilization loss. A repair invoice may be modest while the lost work is material.
Fleet Management Cost Comparison Table
| Cost category | Planning reference | Best fleet-specific input |
|---|---|---|
| Total operating cost | $2.336 per mile, 2025 ATRI average | Accounting costs ÷ practical miles |
| Nonfuel operating cost | $1.854 per mile, 2025 ATRI average | Fleet costs excluding fuel ÷ practical miles |
| Fuel | $0.481 per mile, ATRI 2024 detailed benchmark | Miles ÷ fleet MPG × expected price |
| Driver wages | $0.779 per mile, ATRI 2024 detailed benchmark | Payroll and paid-time data |
| Driver benefits | $0.197 per mile, ATRI 2024 detailed benchmark | Employer benefit and payroll records |
| Insurance | 10.2 cents per mile for liability premiums in ATRI’s 2021–2024 respondent data | Current quotes, coverage, deductibles, and loss history |
| Maintenance | Repair and maintenance costs rose 8.6% in ATRI’s 2025 data | Work orders, tires, roadside service, towing, and downtime by unit |
| ELD and compliance | No reliable universal amount | Vendor quotes plus internal labor, training, and replacement costs |
Benchmarks come from different reporting periods and samples. Label the year beside every comparison so a historical category figure is not mistaken for a current fleet budget.
Questions to Ask Before Building a Fleet Budget
- What is our actual cost per practical mile, by truck and by category?
- Which costs change with miles, and which continue when a truck is idle?
- What fuel price and MPG assumptions are built into the forecast?
- What did recent driver vacancies and new hires actually cost?
- When were insurance limits, exclusions, deductibles, and renewal assumptions last reviewed?
- Which units have rising repair cost or downtime?
- Is every installed ELD model currently on FMCSA’s registered list?
- How much staff time is spent on logs, qualification files, inspections, permits, and document retrieval?
- What breakdown, claim, or compliance event can the reserve absorb without disrupting payroll or debt service?
Frequently Asked Questions About Fleet Operating Expenses
What is the average cost to operate a truck per mile in 2026?
ATRI’s 2026 report, based on 2025 data, calculated an industry average of $2.336 per mile. A fleet’s actual result can differ materially based on duty cycle, equipment, region, utilization, insurance, and accounting method.
Is fuel still the biggest single fleet cost?
Fuel is a major variable cost, but driver compensation and other nonfuel costs can be larger in some operations. Compare categories using the same mileage period and accounting method.
How much does it cost to add a truck to a small fleet?
Build the answer from the truck payment or purchase cost, registration, insurance, driver labor, maintenance reserve, tires, fuel, tolls, permits, ELD and communications, taxes, and working capital. Current written quotes are more reliable than a universal estimate.
Why are trucking margins tight?
ATRI’s 2026 report found truckload and refrigerated average operating margins improved in 2025 but remained below 1%, while tank operations averaged 4%. Rising nonfuel costs can pressure margins even when fuel spending falls.
Does equipment age affect operating costs?
It can, but age is only one factor. Track repair frequency, downtime, parts availability, warranty status, fuel efficiency, resale value, and the unit’s actual work before deciding whether replacement is economical.
Why can small fleets face different cost pressure?
Small fleets may have less purchasing leverage, fewer spare units, and less staff redundancy. Their best defense is detailed unit-level cost data, realistic reserves, and vendor terms suited to their operation.
Frequently Asked Questions About ELD, Compliance, and Insurance Costs
How much does an ELD subscription cost per truck?
Pricing varies by hardware, connectivity, contract length, support, and included fleet-management features. Compare written quotes for the exact registered device model and calculate installation, training, replacement, and staff time separately.
What are the financial consequences of an HOS violation?
They vary with the violation and circumstances. Possible effects include delay, an out-of-service period, a citation or civil penalty, administrative work, and lost utilization. Use current FMCSA information and the applicable regulations for a specific situation.
Can an SMS result affect insurance?
An insurer may consider safety information as part of its own underwriting. FMCSA uses SMS to prioritize carriers for interventions, and an SMS result is not a federal safety rating or a published insurance-pricing formula.
How should a fleet prepare records for a compliance review?
Maintain the records required for the operation, keep them retrievable, and map each record type to its controlling rule and retention period. Driver qualification, Hours of Service, inspection, maintenance, drug and alcohol, and other records can have different requirements.
Where can I learn more about ELD requirements for my vehicle?
Start with FMCSA’s ELD website and the applicable Hours of Service rules. Geosavi also explains common operating questions, including whether a box truck needs an ELD.
How do I check whether an ELD is still registered?
Search the exact device name and model on FMCSA’s registered ELD list, then check the revoked-device list and recent removal notices. Recheck periodically because registration status can change.
Conclusion
A useful fleet budget starts with current benchmarks and ends with fleet-specific evidence. The 2026 ATRI report shows an average 2025 operating cost of $2.336 per mile and record nonfuel cost of $1.854 per mile, but the most important numbers are the ones tied to your own trucks, drivers, routes, contracts, insurance, and compliance workload.
Review cost per mile monthly, keep benchmark years visible, test adverse scenarios, and assign ownership for data quality. That turns fleet management costs from a collection of invoices into a planning system that supports pricing, equipment, staffing, and risk decisions.