Mar 1, 2009 12:00 PM

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released the findings of its analysis on operational costs of trucking. Research was sponsored by ATRI's Research Advisory Committee (RAC) to provide more realistic inputs for the various freight and transportation programs and models currently in use.

Analysis of operational costs was based on marginal cost data that accrue from operating a truck for a mile or an hour in a standard operating environment. Fixed costs were not included since they are generally unaffected by system impacts such as congestion or external factors such as fuel price fluctuations. The research, which generated data from detailed carrier surveys and interviews, isolated dozens of cost centers for for-hire and private fleets.

Data being made publicly available includes marginal operational costs differentiated by major sectors, fleet sizes, and geographic regions. Within those groupings, marginal costs are broken out by expense categories that include driver compensation, maintenance, fuel/oil, vehicle purchases/leases, tires, taxes, credentials and particular types of insurance. Total aggregate mean costs generated an average cost per mile of $1.73 and an average hourly cost of $83.68.

A summary of findings is on www.atri-online.org. A copy of the full report can also be ordered through its website.