Grow Trucking logo
Back to Free Tools

Truck Ownership Simulator for Owner Operators

See year by year what buying a truck with a loan does to your cash, when it pays back, and what rate per mile you need to break even.

The truck and the loan

$
$
% a year
months
$

Your own guess. Look at what trucks like yours sell for now.

years

1 to 10.

Running it

mi
$/mi

Total for the year divided by all miles driven.

mpg
$/gal
$/mi
%

Older trucks cost more to keep running.

$/year
$/year
% of revenue

Leave empty if you pay none.

Fill in the price, miles, rate per mile and miles per gallon to see the result. Or press Try an example.

This is an estimate from the numbers you enter. It is cash before income tax, and it leaves out Section 179, depreciation for tax, empty months, big repairs and a trailer unless you add them. The result includes your own pay, so it is not profit after you pay yourself. Talk to your accountant and lender before you buy. Your numbers stay in this browser.

Numbers tight? Let a dispatcher find better loads.

This tool is free. If it shows you are leaving money on the road, Grow Trucking finds loads, negotiates rates and does the paperwork for owner-operators and small fleets.

Talk to a dispatcher Call (845) 400-9179

Also: About Grow Trucking · Refer a carrier · Trucking blog

Need Help?

Have questions about using our truck ownership simulator? All our tools are free to use with no registration required. Save your inputs locally and come back anytime.

Contact Support|View All Tools

Is buying a truck worth it? How do I work it out?

Buying a truck is worth it when the cash it makes over the years, plus what you can sell it for, beats what you put in. Follow the truck year by year: what it brings in, less fuel, repairs, insurance, fees and the loan payments. Then add the sale price, less the loan still owed, and take away the down payment.

  1. Work out the loan payment from the price, down payment, interest rate and loan length.
  2. For each year, multiply your miles by the rate per mile for what the truck brings in.
  3. Take away fuel, repairs (rising each year), insurance, fixed costs, fees and the loan payments for the year.
  4. Add the years up, take away the down payment, and add the sale price less any loan you still owe.
  5. Divide that by your miles for the break-even rate per mile: the rate that leaves you at zero.
Worked example: $150,000 truck, $30,000 down, 9% loan for 60 months, 100,000 miles a year, $2.60 a mile, 5 years
ItemAmount
Loan payment on $120,000$2,491 a month
Year 1: brought in / left over$260,000 / $108,394
Year 5: left over (repairs 10% higher each year)$101,432
Loan balance after year 5$0
Sold for $60,000 at the end$60,000
Ahead after 5 years, before income tax$555,392
Break-even rate per mile$1.49

These are example numbers, not market rates. The $2.60 rate and 100,000 miles a year are high and chosen only to show the math. What is left over includes your own pay and is before income tax, Section 179 and other tax effects. Use your own price, loan, rate, miles, costs and sale price.

Last reviewed September 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions - Truck Ownership Simulator

Is buying a semi truck worth it?
It can be, if the truck brings in more than it costs over the years you keep it, counting the loan, fuel, repairs, insurance and what you can sell it for. That depends on your rate per mile and your miles, so test your own numbers. In the example on this page, a $150,000 truck driven 100,000 miles a year at $2.60 a mile leaves about $555,000 over five years, but only because that example rate and mileage are high. Lower them and the answer changes fast.
How much does it cost to own a semi truck per year?
Add the loan payments, insurance, fuel, repairs and tires, permits, ELD, parking and other fixed costs. In the example on this page, with a $150,000 truck and 100,000 miles a year, the loan alone is about $29,900 a year, and fuel is about $85,700. Your own price, loan, miles and mileage per gallon change all of it. The tool adds it up for every year.
How long does it take to pay off a semi truck?
It is the length of your loan, often 3 to 6 years, unless you pay extra. Enter your loan length in months, and the table shows the balance each year. The tool also warns you if you still owe money at the end of the years you look at, because that amount comes out of the sale price.
How much do I need for a down payment on a semi truck?
It depends on the lender, your credit and the truck. A bigger down payment lowers the loan and the payment, but it ties up cash you may need for repairs and slow weeks. Try different down payments and watch the monthly payment and the final result move.
What rate per mile do I need to make buying a truck pay off?
The break-even rate per mile shows it. It is the average amount the truck must bring in for every mile to leave you at zero after the loan, all costs and the sale. Any rate above it is a gain. Compare it with the rates you can really get on your lanes.
How much does a semi truck lose in value?
It varies a lot by age, miles, make and condition, and no one number fits every truck. So you type in what you expect it to sell for at the end. Look at what trucks like yours sell for now. Then test a lower price. The tool shows what a sale price 20 percent lower does to your result.
Does this include taxes?
No. The result is cash before income tax. It also leaves out depreciation for tax, Section 179 and self-employment tax. The amount left over also has to pay you, so it is not profit after your own pay. Ask your accountant how a purchase affects your taxes.
Should I lease or buy a truck?
Compare both. This tool follows one loan purchase year by year. The Lease vs Buy Calculator compares buying with leasing, and the Truck Payment Calculator shows the payment and the interest schedule. Use all three before you sign.
Are my numbers saved or shared?
No. What you type stays in your own browser on your own device. We never see it, and clearing your browser data removes it.

Related Trucking Tools

Truck Payment Calculator

Figure monthly truck payments, total interest, and the full amortization schedule.

Lease vs Buy Calculator

Compare total cost of ownership: buying vs lease-to-own over the full term.

Section 179 Truck Calculator

See how much tax a truck, tractor or trailer bought in 2026 can save with Section 179, 100% bonus depreciation or regular depreciation, and what each is worth over the years you keep it.

Repair vs Replace Calculator

Should you fix the truck or buy another one? Compare what each choice costs over the same years, and see how big a repair you could pay before replacing wins.

Go Further With Truck Ownership Simulator

Guides, services and reference pages that go with this tool.

Terms explained in the Truck Ownership Simulator