Tradie Toolbox · Drawer 5
Ute running cost calculator
Your ute is the biggest line in the truck-and-tools budget. Put in your own numbers and see what it really costs per week, per month and per kilometre.
What the ute really costs
Cost per week
$0
- Per month$0
- Per year$0
- Per kilometre$0
- Fuel per year$0
- Depreciation per year$0
- Biggest single costn/a
Ute costs eating the cash?
If running costs are squeezing the account, tell us about the rest of the business and a real person will talk through options. No credit check when you first enquire.
Why the sticker price isn't the cost
Most tradies know the price they paid and their weekly fuel bill, and not much in between. The real cost of a work ute is a stack of smaller items: depreciation (the biggest and the least visible), fuel, insurance, registration, servicing, tyres, tolls and parking. Add them up for a year and the total is often startling, particularly for a dual cab that covers 25,000 kilometres with a loaded tray.
How the calculator works
Depreciation is the purchase price minus the resale value, spread across the years you keep the ute. Fuel is your kilometres times your litres per 100 kilometres times the price you pay. Everything else is the annual figure you enter. The finance allowance, if you add one, is spread over the same years. The calculator then converts the annual total into a weekly, monthly and per-kilometre cost.
What to do with the number
- Price your jobs with it. If the ute costs a certain amount a week, that belongs in your overhead per labour hour. The Job Quote Margin Calculator has a place for it.
- Compare options. Run a newer ute, an older one, and a different engine. Higher depreciation on a new one can be offset by lower repairs and better fuel use, and sometimes it isn't.
- Check the kilometres. If one trade vehicle covers far more than the others, the cost per kilometre helps you see which one is really expensive.
- Plan the replacement. The yearly depreciation figure is, roughly, the amount you should be putting aside to buy the next one.
Running costs and finance
If you're thinking of financing a ute or van, vehicle finance for tradies is handled through a specialist lender marketplace, and our running costs guide and vehicle finance hub explain what to know before applying, including buying with an ABN. For equipment, tools, cash flow or a tax bill, the Tradie Cash form is the right door, with no credit check when you first enquire.
Questions about this tool
What does the ute running cost calculator include?
Fuel, registration and compulsory third party insurance, comprehensive insurance, servicing, tyres, tolls and parking, depreciation, and an optional allowance for finance cost. Every figure is one you type in, so the result reflects your ute and your driving.
How do I estimate depreciation?
Take what you paid, subtract what you expect to sell it for at the end, and divide by the years you'll keep it. Check what similar utes with similar kilometres are selling for now to set a realistic resale figure.
Which fuel price should I use?
Use what you actually pay on average, from your fuel card or bank statements. Fuel prices move, so rerun the numbers when they do.
Can I claim the cost of my ute on tax?
Often some or all of it, depending on how the vehicle is used and what you've set up. That's an accountant's question, and the ATO publishes its car expense rules at ato.gov.au. The calculator shows total cost so you know what you're claiming against.
Where does vehicle finance fit in?
Enter the total extra cost of finance, in dollars, if you have a quote, or leave it blank to see running costs alone. Vehicle finance for tradies is handled through a specialist, explained in our vehicle finance section.
Our promises
No credit check to enquire
Ask what's possible without leaving a mark on your credit file. A credit check only comes up once you've decided to go ahead.
No spray and pray
Your details don't get blasted around a pile of lenders. One real person looks at your situation and matches it properly.
A real person on your job
Someone who reads enquiries for a living calls you back. Fill the form in accurately and we'll point you the right way first time.
More tools in the box
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Weekly money in and out with your invoice terms. See the gap, the lowest point and how many weeks of runway you have.
Open the tool →Job Quote Margin Calculator
Labour, materials, markup versus margin, contingency and GST. Know what a quote really earns before you send it.
Open the tool →GST and BAS Set-Aside Planner
What to park from each invoice so the quarterly BAS and PAYG never ambush you.
Open the tool →Equipment Payback Calculator
Kit cost against extra jobs and hours saved. How many months until it pays for itself?
Open the tool →Loan Readiness Checklist
Tick off the documents lenders ask for, answer a short quiz and get a readiness note.
Open the tool →Done the sums? Let's talk about the money.
One short enquiry. No credit check when you first enquire, a real person reading it, and your details staying with us rather than going out to a pile of lenders.
No credit check to enquire
No spray and pray
A real person on your job