CALCULATOR / FREE
Maintenance reserve calculator
Work out how much to set aside per mile, per week and per month for repairs, tires and one big repair, starting from ATRI's 2025 industry averages and your own repair history.
How it is calculated
- Repairs per mile = the higher of ATRI's 21.5 cents and your last 12 months of repair spending ÷ your miles (if you choose to use your history)
- Tires per mile = the higher of ATRI's 5 cents and your tire spending ÷ miles
- Big repair fund per mile = big repair cost ÷ months to fund it × 12 ÷ miles a year
- Reserve per mile = repairs + tires + big repair fund
- Monthly reserve = reserve per mile × miles a year ÷ 12
ATRI's figures are 2025 industry averages, released in July 2026, and come mostly from fleets running tractors. Use your own history when you have it.
SOURCE: ATRI OPERATIONAL COSTS DATA, REPORTED BY TRUCKINGINFO, JUL 2026
A worked example
An EXAMPLE owner-operator runs 110,000 miles a year with no repair records yet, and wants $15,000 ready for one big repair within 24 months.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Repairs at $0.215/mi | ($1,971.00) |
| Tires at $0.05/mi | ($458.00) |
| Big repair fund$15,000 over 24 months | ($625.00) |
| NET | ($3,054.00) |
That is about $3,054 a month, or $705 a week, roughly 33 cents a mile. Moving it to a separate account every week means the money is there when the truck needs it, instead of on a credit card.
Where to keep the reserve
Keep it out of your operating account, where it is too easy to spend on fuel in a slow week. A separate savings account at the same bank, with an automatic weekly transfer on settlement day, works for most owners. Write down what you take out and why, so you can see at the end of the year whether the per-mile figure was right, and adjust it before the next year starts.
What a good or bad result means
If your reserve per mile is close to the ATRI average and you have a big repair fund building, you are prepared for normal years. If your own history runs well above the average, the truck is costing more than most; compare the yearly repair bill with what a newer truck's payment would be. A reserve you can't afford at your current rates is a sign the rates need to rise, not that the reserve should shrink.
Add the reserve to your weekly plan with the weekly budget template, and see what is left for you with the take-home pay calculator. Long term, a healthy reserve is part of planning for retirement too.
See how dispatch for owner-operators works, or apply.
Calculator questions
Q01What is the average semi truck maintenance cost per year?
ATRI's 2025 data puts the industry average at 21.5 cents a mile for repairs and maintenance and 5 cents for tires. For a truck running 110,000 miles, that is about $23,650 for repairs and $5,500 for tires a year. Older trucks out of warranty often spend more; your own records are the best guide.
Q02How much should an owner-operator set aside for maintenance?
At least your expected repair and tire cost per mile on every mile you run, plus a fund for one big repair. Many owners move the money to a separate account each week, so it is there when the truck needs it. This calculator gives a weekly and monthly figure to move.
Q03What are box truck maintenance costs?
A 26 ft box truck is usually cheaper to maintain per mile than a tractor-trailer, but ATRI's averages come mostly from tractor fleets, so use them as an upper reference. Enter your own last 12 months of repair and tire bills for a box truck number you can trust.
Q04What is a maintenance escrow in a lease?
It is money a motor carrier holds back from your settlements to pay for repairs on a leased truck. Under the truth-in-leasing rules in 49 CFR 376.12(k), the lease must say how much is held, what it can be spent on, and that the balance is returned when the lease ends, less valid charges.
By Daniel
UPDATED OCTOBER 2026
Keep the shop fund full with better-paying loads
Our dispatchers count your maintenance in the floor rate for every equipment type. The rate con goes to you to sign or refuse.