Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Average total cost per mile
$0.275
Total cost over cycle
$33,000
Total depreciation
$24,000
Total maintenance over cycle
$9,000
Average annual cost
$6,600
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter van purchase price ($).
- 2Enter expected resale at replacement ($).
- 3Enter annual miles per van (mi/yr).
- 4Enter replacement cycle (years).
- 5Enter average maintenance cost per year ($/yr).
- 6Read your average total cost per mile on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Every delivery van has an optimal replacement point where the declining marginal cost of keeping it (mostly depreciation, which front-loads) crosses the rising marginal cost of running it (maintenance, which back-loads). Replace too early and you eat depreciation you didn't need to; replace too late and rising repair bills and downtime cost more than a new payment would. This calculator computes average total cost per mile at your proposed replacement age, blending straight-line depreciation against purchase price and an escalating maintenance cost, so you can compare a 3-year cycle against a 6-year cycle on equal footing.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Van purchase price: 42000 $
- Expected resale at replacement: 18000 $
- Annual miles per van: 24000 mi/yr
- Replacement cycle: 5 years
- Average maintenance cost per year: 1800 $/yr
Results
- Average total cost per mile: $0.275
- Total cost over cycle: $33,000
- Total depreciation: $24,000
- Total maintenance over cycle: $9,000
- Average annual cost: $6,600
What each field means
Inputs
- Van purchase price ($)
- The van purchase price used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 42000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Expected resale at replacement ($)
- The expected resale at replacement used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 18000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Annual miles per van (mi/yr)
- The annual miles per van used in the calculation, measured in mi/yr. Starts at 24000 mi/yr so you have a working example on load.
- Replacement cycle (years)
- The replacement cycle used in the calculation, measured in years. Starts at 5 years so you have a working example on load.
- Average maintenance cost per year ($/yr)
- The average maintenance cost per year used in the calculation, measured in $/yr. Starts at 1800 $/yr so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Average total cost per mile
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total cost over cycle
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total depreciation
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total maintenance over cycle
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Average annual cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
How do I find the actual optimal cycle length?
Run this calculator at several cycle lengths (3, 4, 5, 6 years) with realistic resale values and maintenance estimates for each, then pick the cycle length with the lowest average cost per mile — that's your economic sweet spot, though downtime tolerance can push you shorter.
Why does maintenance cost matter if I'm replacing before big repairs hit?
Even routine maintenance (brakes, tires, fluids, minor repairs) climbs steadily after year 2-3 as parts wear from daily stop-and-go delivery use, which is harder on vans than highway miles — factor realistic escalating maintenance, not just year-one numbers, into longer cycles.
Does downtime cost belong in this calculation?
It's not included by default, but should be added manually if older vans in your fleet have measurably more unplanned downtime — estimate lost delivery capacity or backup rental cost and add it to the maintenance total for realistic aging vans.
How does this differ for EV delivery vans?
EV vans typically have lower maintenance cost (no oil changes, fewer brake jobs from regenerative braking) but currently carry higher purchase price and less certain resale value — use the dedicated EV van TCO calculator to compare directly against a diesel cycle.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Van Fleet Replacement Cycle Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/van-fleet-replacement-cycle
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/van-fleet-replacement-cycle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Van Fleet Replacement Cycle Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Van Fleet Replacement Cycle Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/van-fleet-replacement-cycle) (2026).