Free tool
Delivery cost calculator
What does each drop really cost you? Put in your miles, your van and your fuel price to see the cost per drop, per day and per month. Works for diesel, petrol and electric vans.
UK miles per gallon
Lease or finance, insurance, road tax, phone, parking — anything you pay whether you drive or not.
Your own figure. Divide last year's maintenance bills by miles driven.
Your delivery costs
Cost per drop
£1.66
Per day
£41.40
Per month
£910.84
| Fuel per mile | £0.18 |
| Fuel per day | £14.55 |
| Wear and tear per day | £6.40 |
| Fixed van costs per day | £20.45 |
| Driver pay per day | £0.00 |
The starting numbers are only examples — replace them with your own. Results are estimates before VAT and don't include the cost of the goods.
Why cost per drop matters
Most small delivery businesses price by gut feel and look at fuel as the only running cost. But a van costs money every day it sits on the drive — lease, insurance, tax — and those costs have to be spread across your drops.
Knowing your cost per drop tells you which customers are worth the trip. A café that orders £12 of bread three miles off your route may cost more to reach than it pays. With the number in front of you, you can set a minimum order, add a delivery charge, or move that customer to a day you're already nearby.
How the calculator works
- Fuel per mile = fuel price per litre × 4.546 ÷ mpg. For an electric van: electricity price per kWh ÷ miles per kWh.
- Fixed costs per day = monthly van costs ÷ working days.
- Wear and tear = your pence per mile × miles per day.
- Cost per drop = everything per day ÷ drops per day.
Next step: use the round pricing calculator to turn your costs into a price, and the free route planner to cut the miles.
Delivery cost questions
How do I work out the cost per drop?
Add up everything a day on the road costs — fuel or charging, a share of fixed van costs (lease, insurance, tax), wear and tear, and driver pay if you pay one — then divide by the number of drops that day.
Why is mpg in UK gallons?
UK vans quote miles per UK (imperial) gallon, which is about 4.55 litres. Fuel is sold by the litre, so the calculator converts for you.
How do I find my wear-and-tear cost per mile?
Add up last year's tyres, servicing, MOT and repairs and divide by the miles you drove. If you've only just got the van, use a cautious guess and update it after a few months.
Should I include my own time?
If you pay a driver, yes — add their hourly pay. If you drive yourself, leave it at zero here and use the round pricing calculator to set a price that pays you properly.
How can I bring the cost per drop down?
Fewer miles for the same drops. Plan the order of stops properly, group customers by area on fixed days, and set a minimum order so small drops far away pay their way.
Run your rounds without the spreadsheet
Customers and standing orders in one place, today's run sheet and load list ready each morning, the best route on your driver's phone and invoices that go out on their own. Free for up to 5 customers.
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