SmartHelping / 5-Year Financial Model / Excel
Trucking & Delivery
Build a financial forecast for a trucking company, delivery fleet or independent service provider. Connect monthly delivery demand, fleet capacity and operating costs to cash flow, funding needs and investment returns.
Immediate download after purchase. By purchasing, you agree to the Terms of Service.
See the model in action
Follow delivery demand through the fleet forecast.
Watch the walkthrough to review the operating assumptions and financial outputs. The current workbook includes the fuel calculation update explained below.
What the model includes
Plan the fleet around delivery demand and operating costs.
Use the template for a small fleet, a larger operation or a business scaling over time. The capacity logic includes updates for seasonal changes and cash flow planning.
Five-year financial forecast
Forecast up to 5 years with monthly and annual summaries, an income statement, a balance sheet and a cash flow statement.
Up to 3 delivery and vehicle types
Drive monthly delivery demand separately for up to 3 types of deliveries, trucks or vehicles.
Capacity and coverage assumptions
Use dynamic inputs for deliveries and the coverage rate of owned trucks versus required trucks. Evaluate fleet capacity as demand changes, including seasonal patterns.
Lease or own the fleet
Choose whether trucks are leased or owned and use the included scaling logic to plan fleet growth over time.
Delivery fees by type and period
Define revenue using average delivery fees per trip. Adjust those fees by delivery type and over time.
Truck and delivery costs
Configure per-truck costs such as insurance, repairs, maintenance and fuel. Use the additional general cost slots for expenses per delivery, separately by type.
Fuel calculation update
Fuel use is driven by miles per gallon for each truck type.
The current workbook updates the fuel calculation shown in the video. Enter average miles per gallon by truck type to calculate gallons required, then apply the price per gallon.
Set fuel efficiency
Enter the average miles per gallon for each truck type to reflect its expected fuel consumption.
Calculate gallons required
Gallons required = total miles ÷ miles per gallon.
Calculate fuel cost
Fuel cost = gallons required × price per gallon. Adjust the fuel-price input to review the cost effect within the forecast.
Financial reporting and investment analysis
Review fleet economics, cash needs and investor returns.
Use the monthly and annual reports, visualizations and cohort rows to follow the forecast and understand the results of your assumptions.
KPIs per delivery and owned truck
Review EBITDA, gross profit and cash flow per delivery and per owned truck to assess operating economics at both levels.
Minimum equity and Sources and Uses
Review the minimum equity requirement and the Sources and Uses Summary to understand the funding required by the operating and fleet plan.
DCF and investment returns
Evaluate discounted cash flow (DCF), internal rate of return (IRR), equity multiple and ROI under the selected assumptions.
Inside and outside investors
Use the cap table tab for the optional joint venture structure with inside and outside investors.
Profitability drivers
Build the margin forecast from your operating plan.
Use your delivery volume, fee, fleet and cost assumptions to evaluate the business’s potential margins and cash flow.
Delivery demand, pricing and capacity
Review how the delivery mix, average fee per trip, seasonal demand and truck coverage assumptions affect the scale and revenue of the operation.
Fuel, wages and fleet upkeep
Include driver wages, fuel, insurance, maintenance and repair assumptions when evaluating operating costs and the economics of adding capacity.
How to use the model
Turn the delivery plan into a financial forecast.
Start with the zeroed input file
The download comes with all inputs zeroed out. Follow the walkthrough and enter the configurations for your business plan.
Define deliveries and fleet capacity
Set monthly demand for up to 3 delivery or vehicle types, fees per trip, truck coverage and the lease-or-own assumptions.
Enter fuel and operating costs
Configure miles per gallon and fuel price by the relevant inputs, then add insurance, repairs, maintenance, driver wages and costs per delivery.
Review funding and investment results
Set the investor structure where applicable, then review the financial statements, Sources and Uses, minimum equity requirement, operating KPIs and return metrics.
Who this model is for
For trucking, delivery and fleet-based service businesses.
Trucking startups and fleet operators
Evaluate a new operation or the expansion of an existing fleet using delivery demand, truck capacity, operating costs and funding requirements.
Delivery contractors and service providers
Plan an independent delivery operation with its own fleet, including service-provider or contractor businesses serving carriers such as UPS or FedEx.
Also available in these bundles
Need financial models for more than one operation?
This template is included in the Industry-Specific and Service Business bundles. The Super Smart Bundle provides access to the complete public SmartHelping template collection.
Industry-Specific Financial Models
Explore financial models built around the operating assumptions of different businesses and industries.
View the Industry-Specific bundleService Business Models
Access financial planning templates for a range of service businesses.
View the Service Business bundleSuper Smart Bundle
Access the complete public SmartHelping template collection across industries and financial-analysis needs.
View the Super Smart BundleComplementary planning templates
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Explore the templateQuestions before you buy
A few useful details.
How long is the forecast and how many vehicle types can I model?
The forecast covers up to 5 years and supports up to 3 delivery, truck or vehicle types, with monthly demand inputs by type.
Can I model both leased and owned trucks?
Yes. The model includes the option to lease or own trucks and dynamic scaling logic for the fleet.
Does the model account for seasonal demand?
Yes. Monthly delivery demand and truck coverage inputs support changing demand, and the capacity logic has been updated to handle seasonal changes and cash flow planning.
How is fuel calculated in the current download?
Enter average miles per gallon for each truck type. The model calculates gallons required from total miles and fuel efficiency, then applies the price per gallon. This updates the older calculation shown in the video.
Which financial statements and KPIs are included?
The model includes an income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement, with monthly and annual summaries. KPIs include EBITDA, gross profit and cash flow per delivery and per owned truck.
Can I include inside and outside investors?
Yes. The cap table tab supports an optional joint venture with inside and outside investors. The model also includes DCF, IRR, equity multiple, ROI, minimum equity requirements and a Sources and Uses Summary.
Is the workbook already filled in?
The download comes with all inputs zeroed out so you can follow the video and enter assumptions for your own operation.
Can the types represent other transportation methods?
The three type categories can also be used to represent different transportation methods, such as ships or planes, by configuring the relevant operating assumptions.
Build the financial plan behind the fleet
Connect delivery demand to capacity, cash flow and returns.
Get the Trucking and Delivery Business Financial Model for $45 and build a five-year forecast around your fleet and operating assumptions.
