Make sure you're earning when the wheels are turning.
Most owner-operators quote from gut feel, then find out at tax time that the work never paid. This calculator works out the per-km rate that covers every cost (finance, tyres, RUC, dead running, your own wage) and still leaves a profit.
Back-of-the-napkin rate
Three questions, one ballpark. GST-exclusive.
What this assumes
A ballpark wins pub arguments. Your numbers win contracts.
Get my accurate rate → full calculatorNumbers looking rough? Talk them through.
The calculator is free and always will be. If you want a human sanity check, book a free 15-minute session with the Chartered Accountant who built it. Bring your PDF report; leave knowing whether your rate holds up.
No sales pitch. If your numbers already stack up, you'll hear that too.
Common questions
Is the calculator really free?
Yes. The calculator, the benchmarks, and the PDF report are free with no card and no catch, and they stay that way. The Fleet app (running your trucks week to week) is $15 a month for your whole company, with a free demo to try first. The optional 15-minute session is free too.
Why does everything have to be GST-exclusive?
GST is money you collect for the IRD, not money you earn. Mixing it into your costs or your rate makes the job look 15% better than it is. Enter every cost ex GST and quote your rate ex GST, and the numbers stay honest.
Where do the benchmarks come from?
Publicly available NZ sources (including RUC rates by vehicle class) combined with four years of actual operating data across a range of fleets. They are a sound starting point, but your own actuals always beat a benchmark, which is why every field lets you override.
What happens to the numbers I type in?
They stay in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to a server. Saved scenarios and accounts currently live on your device only; see the privacy page for the full picture.
Does it work for my setup?
It covers rigids, truck and trailer combinations up to two trailers, owned or leased gear, financed gear with balloons, employed or owner drivers, and both directions: rate from costs, or km from a rate someone is offering you.
Know your number before the next quote.
Every kilometre you drive below your real cost is money you're paying to work. Fifteen minutes fixes that.