Use this free vehicle cost calculator to find the real daily and per-job cost of your work truck. Enter purchase price, loan payment, insurance, fuel, maintenance, and jobs per week — it shows your true cost per job, so vehicle expenses don't quietly eat your margin.
Calculate Your Vehicle Costs
Total Monthly Cost$0.00
Annual Cost$0.00
Cost per Mile$0.00
Cost per Job$0.00
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If you use your vehicle exclusively for business, you can generally deduct all actual costs — loan interest (not principal), fuel, insurance, maintenance, Tires, registration fees, and depreciation. Alternatively, you can use the IRS standard mileage rate (check the current year's rate at irs.gov) and multiply it by your total business miles. You cannot use both methods for the same vehicle in the same year. Keep a mileage log to support either approach — your accountant can advise on which gives you the larger deduction based on your actual costs.
Buying typically costs more upfront but you own the asset at the end of the loan and have no mileage penalties. Leasing usually offers lower monthly payments and you can roll into a new vehicle every few years, which matters if you put heavy mileage on a van. For most Contractors who drive 20,000—40,000 miles per year and need to carry tools and equipment, buying a quality used vehicle outright or on a short loan term often gives the best total-cost outcome. Run the numbers through this calculator for both options and compare the monthly and annual totals.
A common rule of thumb is to set aside 1—2% of the vehicle's purchase price per year for maintenance and repairs. On a $30,000 van that is $300—$600 per year, or $25—$50 per month for routine items. However, trade vans are typically worked harder than personal vehicles — high mileage, heavy loads, and frequent starts — so budgeting $80—$150 per month for maintenance is more realistic once you account for oil changes, brake work, belts, and the occasional unexpected repair.
There are two common approaches. The first is to include vehicle costs in your overhead and spread them across all billable hours — use the Overhead Cost Calculator on this site to calculate an overhead-per-hour figure that includes your vehicle, then build that into your hourly rate. The second approach is to add a per-job "call-out" or "travel" fee that covers your cost per job — the figure this calculator produces directly. Both methods work; many Contractors use a combination, charging a flat call-out fee for travel plus an hourly rate that also recovers a share of fixed costs.
The IRS standard mileage rate for 2025 is 70 cents per mile, which is their estimate of the average total cost to operate a vehicle for business. For a well-maintained work van with moderate costs, a true all-in cost of $0.60—$0.85 per mile is common. Older vehicles may cost more per mile due to higher repair frequency, while newer, more fuel-efficient vans can come in lower. Use this calculator with your actual numbers rather than a rule of thumb — small differences in fuel spend and insurance add up to hundreds of dollars a month.