Start. Run. Grow.

Build a cargo van business with the numbers in front of you.

Cargo Van Operator is a practical reference site for choosing a business model, understanding your costs, finding work and building direct customers without the hype.

Before you buy the van

Answer these five questions first.

The fastest way to get upside down is to finance equipment before you know the work.

  • What type of freight or delivery work will you pursue?
  • What licenses, authority and insurance apply to that work?
  • What is your real cost per mile?
  • Where will your first 10 customers or load sources come from?
  • How much cash reserve do you have for slow weeks and repairs?

The Operator App · $9.99/month

Your business should be more than a pile of receipts.

See income, recorded expenses, unpaid jobs and operating trends in one dashboard. Log the work, review the numbers and decide what deserves your next hour.

Actual Cargo Van Operator dashboard showing income and expense trends, recorded profit and expense categories with fictional demo data
Actual app interface, fictional demonstration records. These figures are not customer results or an earnings promise. Recorded profit is before owner pay and tax and excludes costs not entered.

01 · See the money

Income. Costs. Trends.

Six-month comparisons, expense-category charts, weekly recorded-profit bars and revenue by work source.

02 · Track the work

Jobs, miles and payments.

Record completed deliveries, empty miles, expenses and paid or unpaid balances. Keep customer follow-ups in view.

03 · Make the next move

Plan, quote and review.

Save launch progress, budget assumptions and notes. Evaluate a job with total miles and time, then export your records.

Already operating?

Operator App

$9.99 / month

The business workspace and visual dashboard. No PDF purchase or setup fee required. Monthly renewal until cancelled.

View the $9.99 app plan

Starting from the beginning?

Complete Launch Bundle

$99 one time

Launch System PDF + protected Excel workbook + 12 months of Operator App access. No automatic renewal.

View the $99 launch bundle

Prefer downloads only? Get to know the $49 PDF + Excel package →

The demo is open now. Check the Plans page for checkout availability. A free account saves your starter checklist; paid business tools require app access. No GPS tracking, bank sync or automatic Excel synchronization.

Operator library

Cargo van business questions, answered.

Why start? Which van fits? What will it cost? Read the free guides before making expensive decisions.

Browse the full cargo van business library →

ALL-IN OPERATING COSTS

Know your cost. Protect your margin.

Use actual costs, realistic driving miles and expected unpaid mileage to build a defensible rate.

1. Monthly fixed costs

Expenses incurred regardless of monthly mileage.

2. Mileage & variable costs

Account for every mile and the fees taken out of gross revenue.

3. Your rate targets

Updated instantly as your assumptions change.

Cost per total mile$1.49Operating costs including owner pay, before revenue-based fees
Break-even per loaded mile$1.86Accounts for deadhead and gross-revenue fees
Loaded-mile rate at 20% margin$2.33Margin on gross revenue after estimated expenses and fees
10% operating margin$2.07Per loaded mile
20% operating margin$2.33Per loaded mile
30% operating margin$2.66Per loaded mile

Projected monthly operating costs

Fixed business costs
$1,325.00
Owner compensation
$3,600.00
Fuel
$926.47
Maintenance
$540.00
Tires
$135.00
Tolls
$90.00
Other mileage costs
$90.00
Total monthly costs
$6,706.47

Mileage assumptions

Total miles / month
4,500
Loaded miles / month
3,600
Unpaid miles / month
900
Break-even revenue / total mile
$1.49

If a job includes stops, paid waiting time or flat delivery fees, calculate its total revenue separately. Do not charge a loaded-mile rate for unpaid miles without accounting for them.