Equipment economics · Free owner-operator tool

Truck Replacement Calculator

Is it cheaper to keep your current semi truck or replace it? Compare both over the same 1–5 year period with real maintenance history, fuel economy, downtime, loan terms and resale estimates.

Step 01

Enter your costs and equipment values

Operating assumptions

Use comparable annual miles and diesel pricing for both vehicles.

Comparison period (years)1–5 years; both trucks assumed sold at the end. Total miles driven per yearUse paid plus unpaid miles. Diesel price ($/gallon)Illustrative assumption, not a live price. Lost contribution per downtime day ($)Revenue less avoided variable costs; not gross freight revenue.

Keep the current truck

Assumes the existing truck is owned debt-free.

Current MPGUse actual fuel receipts and miles. Year-one repairs & maintenance ($/mile)Do not include fuel, loan payments, insurance or tire costs also listed elsewhere. Annual repair cost growth (%)Compound the per-mile estimate each year; may be negative. Other annual truck-specific costs ($)Only incremental costs not included in repair or fuel. Lost operating days per yearExpected annual unavailable days. Current truck sale price now ($)Gross cash proceeds if replaced immediately. Fees to sell current truck now ($)Transaction costs; zero if none. Current truck resale value at horizon ($)Potential gross sale proceeds if kept. Current truck sale fees at horizon ($)Closing or auction cost on future disposal.

Replace with a different truck

The replacement is financed, operated and sold at the same horizon.

Replacement MPGIllustrative fuel efficiency, not a manufacturer guarantee. Year-one replacement repairs ($/mile)Include real maintenance and expected uncovered repairs. Annual replacement repair growth (%)Compounds the maintenance per-mile estimate. Other annual replacement costs ($)Incremental insurance and other non-duplicated expenses. Replacement downtime days per yearDo not assume zero unless justified. Replacement purchase price ($)Cash purchase price before financing; exclude tax unless added consistently. Loan down payment ($)Gross initial cash paid; current truck sale proceeds are shown separately. Loan nominal annual interest rate (%)Monthly compounding, fixed-rate amortizing loan. Loan term (months)1–180 months; remaining balance paid if sold early. Nonrefundable loan & purchase fees ($)Upfront fees not included in truck purchase price. Replacement resale value at horizon ($)Future gross sale price, not a guaranteed dealer trade. Replacement selling costs at horizon ($)Deducted from the forecast sale price.

Important: model comparable trucks and services, not a newer truck with a different route or payload. Loss of contribution during downtime is modeled as an economic cost, not a literal repair invoice. If your current truck still has debt, the tool's assumptions do not apply without adjusting for the lien and financing terms.

Step 02

Compare the total cash effect

Lower modeled net cash outflow——

Keep: net horizon cash outflow—

Replace: net horizon cash outflow—

Keep: total operating cost—

Replace: total operating cost—

Replacement loan payment / month—

Loan payoff at sale—

Total loan interest paid—

Net opening cash flow if replacing—

Replacement sale proceeds after payoff—

Negative net cash outflow is possible because both scenarios include assumed future truck sales. This is not discounted net present value, a tax deduction calculation or a prediction of available cash each month. Financing cash flows include both principal payments and the remaining payoff, but never also add the purchase price a second time.

Year-by-year operating comparison

These figures exclude loan and resale events, which appear in the total cash comparison above.

Year	Keep operating	Replace operating	Yearly savings
Enter valid numbers to see results.

What is actually compared?

Keep: operating expenses over the horizon + sale fees at the end − old truck's forecast sale price.

Replace: replacement down payment + loan fees + loan payments + unpaid loan balance when sold + replacement operating costs + current-truck sale fees + replacement sale fees − current-truck sale proceeds now − replacement sale price at the horizon.

The model assumes no outstanding loan on your current truck, an ordinary fixed-rate amortizing replacement loan, constant annual miles and diesel price, and a vehicle sale at the comparison endpoint. It excludes taxes, depreciation deductions, inflation outside the repair inputs, discount rates, balloon loans, warranties not reflected in cost inputs and variability in freight demand. A lower modeled result is not a recommendation to buy a truck you cannot finance or operate.

ATRI's Operational Costs of Trucking gives industry-level context but is not a quote for your repairs. For tax questions, refer to IRS Publication 946.