Maintenance Budget Calculator

Most owner-operators should budget between $800 and $2,500 per month depending on truck age, mileage, and equipment type. Newer trucks (1-3 years) with low mileage can stay under $1,000/month, while trucks over 5 years old with 400k+ miles often need $1,500-$2,500/month to cover increased repair frequency and major component replacements.

Industry benchmarks put maintenance cost per mile between $0.10 and $0.25 for well-maintained trucks. Newer trucks average $0.10-$0.15/mile, mid-age trucks run $0.15-$0.20/mile, and older high-mileage trucks can reach $0.20-$0.30/mile. Reefer units add roughly $0.03-$0.05/mile for refrigeration system upkeep.

Key milestones include DPF cleaning around 200,000 miles, turbo inspection at 300,000 miles, injector replacement around 400,000 miles, and potential in-frame rebuild at 500,000+ miles. This calculator tracks your current mileage and alerts you when major services are approaching based on your monthly driving distance.

Retreads cost $150-$200 per tire versus $350-$550 for new tires, but they last about 100,000 miles compared to 120,000-150,000 for new tires. Many owner-operators use premium new steer tires and retreads on drive/trailer positions to balance cost and safety. This calculator lets you compare the monthly impact of each tire strategy.