HGV running costs per mile
Fuel is the biggest HGV cost you can measure per mile: about 95.5p a mile for a 44 tonne artic at 7.9 mpg and this week's diesel price excluding VAT (166.0p a litre). Fixed costs include the operator licence (£401 to issue, £401 every five years), the annual test (£112 to £177) and the HGV levy (£619 for a Euro VI 44t artic).
Sources: GOV.UK, DVSA, DVLA, DESNZ (week of 26 October 2026), DfT.
HGV cost per mile calculator
Government fees are filled in. The grey boxes are yours: wages, insurance, tyres, maintenance and finance.
Fuel is the cost a driver's right foot decides. A limiter set and held correctly keeps every truck at a steady speed on every journey.
Book a free consultationFuel uses the DESNZ UK average pump price for the week of 26 October 2026 less 20% VAT; your fuel card price will differ. The default mpg figures are DfT's last published averages (2016): DfT has since discontinued the series, so enter your own.
HGV fees and taxes, 2026
| Vehicle | Test |
|---|---|
| HGV, 2 axles | £112 |
| HGV, 3 axles | £144 |
| HGV, 4 or more axles | £177 |
| Trailer, 1 axle | £51 |
| Trailer, 2 axles | £70 |
| Trailer, 3 or more axles | £84 |
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application | £257 |
| Issue of a licence | £401 |
| Continuation, every 5 years | £401 |
| Interim licence | £68 |
| Major change | £257 |
What does diesel cost per mile for different HGVs?
| Vehicle | MPG (DfT 2016) | Fuel per mile | Fuel a year at 80,000 miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigid over 17t to 25t | 9.5 | 79.4p | £63,556 |
| Rigid over 25t | 6.6 | 114.4p | £91,482 |
| Artic over 33t | 7.9 | 95.5p | £76,428 |
Every 0.5 mpg is worth real money at these mileages: for an artic covering 80,000 miles, going from 7.9 to 8.4 mpg saves about £4,549 a year in fuel. HGVs over 3.5 tonnes must be limited to 90 km/h (56 mph) by law; how that limit is set and held, and how steadily trucks run up to it, decides how close you get to your best mpg.
Guides
Questions people ask
What does an HGV cost per mile in fuel?
At 7.9 mpg (DfT's last published average for artics over 33 tonnes) and diesel at 166.0p a litre excluding VAT (week of 26 October 2026), fuel costs about 95.5p a mile. An 18 tonne rigid at 9.5 mpg is about 79.4p. Use your own mpg for a real figure.
How much is an HGV operator licence?
In Great Britain the application fee is £257 and the issue fee £401, then £401 to continue the licence every five years. An interim licence is £68 and a major change £257.
How much is an HGV MOT?
At a DVSA test centre the annual test is £112 for a 2-axle HGV, £144 for 3 axles and £177 for 4 or more. Trailers are £51, £70 and £84 for 1, 2 and 3 or more axles.
How much is HGV road tax and the HGV levy?
From 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 most HGVs pay £1 vehicle tax plus the HGV levy. For a Euro VI 44 tonne artic the levy is £619 a year (£620 in total); for an 18 tonne rigid it is £161 (£162 in total). Older Euro V vehicles pay more. The 28 October 2026 Budget uprates the levy with RPI from 1 April 2027, to £647 above 38 tonnes and £168 from 12 to 31 tonnes for Euro VI.
Does a speed limiter help HGV fuel costs?
HGVs over 3.5 tonnes must already be limited to 90 km/h (56 mph). The saving now comes from how the limit is set and held: smooth, steady motorway speed and no time over the limit. We work through it with your own telematics data rather than quote a general figure.
Sources and method
- GOV.UK, Goods vehicle operator licensing fees. Application £257, issue £401, continuation £401 every five years, interim £68, major change £257
- DVSA, HGV and trailer annual test fees. HGV £112 / £144 / £177 by axles; trailers £51 / £70 / £84
- GOV.UK, Temporary £1 vehicle tax for most HGVs, and DVLA V149/1 HGV levy rates from 1 July 2026. Euro VI or later: HGV levy £161 (18t rigid) or £619 (44t artic) plus £1 vehicle tax from 1 July 2026
- HM Treasury, Budget 2026: overview of tax legislation and rates, Annex A (HGV levy). HGV levy for 2027/28, from 1 April 2027: Euro VI £168 (12 to 31 tonnes), £405 (31 to 38 tonnes), £647 (above 38 tonnes)
- DfT ENV0104, Average heavy goods vehicle fuel consumption (discontinued, latest year 2016). Artic over 33t 7.9 mpg, rigid 17 to 25t 9.5 mpg. DfT has discontinued the series, so these are a reference only
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Weekly road fuel prices. Diesel 199.22p a litre, 166.02p excluding VAT, week of 26 October 2026
Work it out in the calculator above.
DfT's fuel curves show a diesel van at 60 mph uses 14.5% less fuel per mile than at 68 mph.
Free consultation: we go through your numbers and show what limiting would save.
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