Cost / Budget / Finance · Excel template
Free Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Worksheet
A total-cost-of-ownership worksheet that captures a vehicle's full lifecycle cost (acquisition, fuel, maintenance, insurance, and resale), and reduces it to a true cost per mile and per year for honest replace-or-keep decisions. Use it alongside our fleet calculators to size the costs this template tracks, or browse fleet management software when you are ready to automate the workflow. See all downloads in the template library, and check the fleet glossary for any unfamiliar terms.
Built and reviewed by the FleetOpsClub research team. Preview it free below.
- Acquisition cost net of expected resale/residual value
- Lifecycle operating costs: fuel, maintenance, tires, insurance, and registration
- Total lifecycle miles and ownership term inputs
- A true cost-per-mile and cost-per-year figure for the whole life of the asset
- Editable CSV. Yours to keep
- Print or save as PDF
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How to use it
- 1
Enter the purchase price and the resale/residual value you expect at disposal.
- 2
Add expected lifecycle operating costs: fuel, maintenance, tires, insurance, registration.
- 3
Input the planned ownership term in years and total lifecycle miles.
- 4
Let the sheet compute net cost, then divide by miles and years for lifecycle CPM and annual cost.
- 5
Compare candidates side by side: the lowest sticker price rarely wins on total cost.
What's inside
- Acquisition cost net of expected resale/residual value
- Lifecycle operating costs: fuel, maintenance, tires, insurance, and registration
- Total lifecycle miles and ownership term inputs
- A true cost-per-mile and cost-per-year figure for the whole life of the asset
- A worked example comparing two units' lifecycle cost side by side
Preview the template
Here's a real sample of the layout — the actual columns and structure you'll work in. The complete template, plus the editable spreadsheet, unlocks the moment you enter your email.
Preview
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Worksheet
TCO = acquisition − resale + lifecycle operating costs. Lifecycle cost/mile = TCO ÷ total miles. A cheaper unit with worse fuel or resale can cost more over its life.
| Cost Component | Unit A ($) | Unit B ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acquisition price | 165,000 | 152,000 | Purchase / financed cost |
| Less resale value | -45,000 | -32,000 | Estimated at disposal |
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the questions buyers usually ask once the category, software, or rollout details start getting more specific.
Total cost of ownership (TCO) is the full cost of a vehicle across its entire life: purchase price minus resale value, plus all operating costs like fuel, maintenance, tires, and insurance. It's the honest number for comparing vehicles and deciding when to replace one.
Purchase price is often a minority of lifetime cost. A cheaper unit with worse fuel economy, higher maintenance, or weaker resale can easily cost more over its life than a pricier one. TCO surfaces that difference.
Cost per mile is a recent-period operating rate used mainly for pricing freight. TCO is a full-lifecycle view from acquisition to disposal used for acquisition and replacement decisions. TCO divided by lifecycle miles gives a lifecycle cost per mile.
Use historical disposal prices for similar units in your fleet, published used-truck guides, and your planned ownership term and mileage. Resale is an estimate, so test how the TCO result changes if resale comes in lower than hoped.