Disclaimer

The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the information presented herein. This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program, in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the contents or use thereof. Differences that exist among truck configurations, trip and product characteristics, and input prices influence costs for individual owner/operators. Obtaining cost estimates for individual motor carrier movements is difficult. The increasing need for on-time quality delivery of products makes it imperative for all users of owner/operators to understand their costs. Sustainability for the independent trucker may reduce search costs for users of owner/operators and, at the same time, increase customer service by repeatedly using the same trucker. Economic developers need truck cost estimates to compare transportation modes and accurately estimate transportation costs. Owner/operators and users of owner/operators need truck cost information to benchmark performance against competitors and industry standards. The truck costing model developed in this study can be used by shippers and owner/operators as a negotiating tool to arrive at shipping rates. A spreadsheet simulation model was developed to estimat