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Methodology

Route Assumptions

Every number in the Route Economics dashboard is derived from the seed assumptions below. Review these with your operations team and update the data file to reflect your actual fleet costs.

Cost-per-km Benchmarks by Vehicle Class

All figures are AUD, ex-GST, per kilometre loaded. Sources: ATA Operating Cost Guide 2024–25, NatRoad Industry Benchmarks, BITRE freighter cost modelling.

🚐 Van / Light Commercial

Fuel$0.35–0.42/km
Driver (wages + super)$0.48–0.56/km
Asset (dep + insurance)$0.18–0.26/km
Tolls (metro)$0.20–0.28/km
Overhead (admin, etc.)$0.14–0.20/km
Blended range$1.35–1.72/km

πŸš› Rigid Truck (4.5–8t)

Fuel$0.46–0.58/km
Driver$0.44–0.52/km
Asset$0.24–0.32/km
Tolls$0.18–0.26/km
Overhead$0.16–0.22/km
Blended range$1.48–1.90/km

🚚 Semi Trailer (A-trailer)

Fuel$0.78–0.92/km
Driver$0.60–0.72/km
Asset$0.40–0.50/km
Tolls$0.10–0.18/km
Overhead$0.18–0.26/km
Blended range$2.06–2.58/km

πŸš› B-Double (PBS linehaul)

Fuel$0.95–1.15/km
Driver (fatigue-managed)$0.70–0.92/km
Asset$0.50–0.65/km
Tolls (Nullarbor: minimal)$0.04–0.20/km
Overhead$0.22–0.36/km
Blended range$2.41–3.28/km

Seed values used: The dashboard seeds each lane at the midpoint of the ranges above, adjusted for route type. Nullarbor B-double uses the upper band for fuel and driver (fatigue compliance, remote surcharge). Metro vans use upper driver cost (congestion time).

Modelling Assumptions

These are the inputs that drive every derived metric. Correct the values in data/routes.json to reflect your actual operation.
Assumption Seed Value Notes
Diesel price $2.18/L AIP weekly average, May 2026. Fuel cost/km derived at ~2.1 L/100 km for vans, ~3.8 L for rigids, ~5.2 L for semis, ~6.8 L for B-doubles (laden).
Driver wage base $32.50/hr Transport Workers Union (TWU) enterprise agreement rate + 11% super. Includes paid breaks per NHVR fatigue rules. Metro uses $0.52–0.54/km; linehaul $0.64–0.88/km due to overnight allowances.
Asset depreciation 7-yr SL Straight-line over 7 years on purchase price. Van: $85k. Rigid: $180k. Semi prime + trailer: $320k. B-double: $450k. Insurance and registration included in this component.
Toll rates Variable Sydney metro: high ($0.22–0.28/km effective). Transurban M1/M2/M5/M7 and NorthConnex modelled. Melbourne metro: moderate ($0.20–0.24). Nullarbor / Stuart Hwy: nil ($0.04 = permit-only).
Overhead allocation $0.18–0.34/km Fleet ops management, dispatch software (FreightOS), compliance (NHVR), admin. Allocated per km loaded based on annual vehicle utilisation of 120,000 km/year for linehaul, 40,000 km/year for metro.
Empty-mile calculation Observed backhaul gap Empty % = estimated share of km driven without revenue load. SYD↔MEL strong two-way (18%). PERβ†’ADL Nullarbor poor return options (42%). Metro lanes lower due to multi-drop (<20%).
Revenue per load Operator rate card Based on published Inov8ive rate cards for known lanes. Interstate B-double blended at $3.20–3.80/km revenue. Metro van: $5.80–7.40/km (short km, fixed base charge).
8-week weekly history Β±5% simulated Seed data applies Β±5% Gaussian noise around the seed revenue figure to generate a plausible 8-week history. Replace with actual weekly invoice totals from TMS export.

How Each Metric is Calculated

Exact formulas used in db/routes.js. No black boxes.
Metric Formula Notes
Total cost/km sum(all 5 components) Fuel + Driver + Asset + Tolls + Overhead. All on a per-km basis.
Revenue/km avgRevenuePerLoad Γ· distanceKm Straight revenue-per-kilometre on the loaded leg only.
Margin/km ($) Revenue/km βˆ’ Cost/km Positive = profitable per kilometre. Negative = burning cash.
Margin % (Margin/km Γ· Revenue/km) Γ— 100 Standard gross margin. Target: >15% for healthy lane.
Fleet blended cost/km Ξ£(cost Γ— loads/wk) Γ· total loads/wk Weighted by loads-per-week. High-frequency lanes dominate fleet average.
Empty-running % Operator estimate (seed) Share of total km driven empty (repositioning + backhaul gap). Future: derive from TMS actual km data.

⚠️ These figures exclude: accident / incident costs, unplanned maintenance, cargo claims, driver turnover / recruitment costs, and fuel hedging P&L. Add these to overhead if you want full-cost visibility.

Sources & References

  • Australian Trucking Association (ATA) β€” Truck Operating Cost Guide 2024–25
  • National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) β€” Industry Benchmarking Report 2025
  • Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) β€” Freight Costs and Productivity
  • NHVR Chain of Responsibility & Fatigue Management Guidelines β€” driver wage compliance
  • AIP (Australian Institute of Petroleum) β€” weekly diesel retail price, May 2026
  • Transurban / Linkt β€” Commercial Vehicle toll schedules, NSW/VIC 2025–26
  • Inov8ive Warehouse & Distribution β€” internal rate card data (used with permission)
To correct assumptions for your operation, edit data/routes.json in the FreightOS repository or contact FreightOS to set up TMS ingestion.