My Running Maintenance Numbers

I keep a pretty tight accounting of my maintenance costs, both to the truck & trailer. This running average is everything I've ever done to the truck & trailer, from tires down to a blinker bulb.

Other than replacing something easy like a light bulb, I have everything done in shop...

It includes ALL VOLVO INTERVAL maintenance schedules, etc. Although, I do my oil drains on a shorter mileage schedule than what Volvo recommends. Their recommendation for my mpg, hrs & usage, etc, is 45k mile interval drains, I go 25k mile intervals.

Bought 2016 Volvo 670 with D13 motor & I Shift, brand new December 01, 2015. Bought new 2016 Utility Dry Van Trailer in May 2016. These numbers represent roughly 3 years of service life on the truck.

Paid $134,000 for the truck. Financed $121,500 at 5.5% interest on a 7 year note with a payment of $1,746 a month. However, I have shortened the loan schedule to what would of been a 5 year note by applying additional principle to the balance at various times.

I have a lifetime average of 7.2 mpg.

In case anyone is trying to figure what they might expect to spend on maintenance per mile at least for the first 3 years (in my case) on a new rig.

The other factor is that I have had ZERO downtime or loss of income revenue in the first 3 years except a steering shaft recall by Volvo early on, even then, they compensated me a fair daily rate for my home time

So, for what's it's worth, here ya go. Of the $0.06 CPM average, truck is $0.05 & trailer $0.01 CPM.

 

I added a couple of other factoids to the original post that might (or might not) help someone who is trying to decide between new vs used.

The reality is though, I bought my truck at a very opportune time. It appears that the cost of a newly equipped truck like mine is considerably more expensive and more difficult to come by because of the back-logged orders on new trucks.

 

The fuel average is based off pump fills not of the computer reading. Although, I have to say the 2 numbers are pretty darn close.

The numbers I posted are the exact actual costs to date, not an estimate and certainly not necessarily reflective of maintenance costs going forward.

It only stands to reason that as a truck ages, maintenance costs go up. Which is exactly why (as you know) big fleets turn them at 450k to 500k miles. I will have to decide when I get there whether or not that line is worth crossing.

The big difference I see is that my truck is being well maintained and operated by ME, instead of some fleet driver who may not give a crap or being maintained by a big fleet manager who does not pay attention to every detail of a truck like I do.

As to my maintenance fund, believe me, I have a sizeable amount of capital I've nest egg(ed) over the past 3 years

 

Yeah, I posted these numbers for consideration, not to prove a point one way or the other

The ZERO lack of revenue I've had because of downtime is a HUGE part of the equation that goes into these new vs old discussions.

 

$30,000 included wind deflector skirting.

 

Correct on trailer & warranty.

I have ZERO interest in adding trucks

As I said, I'll cross the bridge of flipping to new when I get there, I still have a cpl more years before I have to decide, Lord willing and the creek don't rise.