The High Cost of Rolling: The Silent Bleed Holding Back Spanish Hauliers

Keeping a truck in optimal working condition, known as the technical availability coefficient, is a constant and costly battle for Spanish hauliers. Far from just filling up the fuel tank, self-employed drivers and small companies face an annual maintenance bill that, according to various sources, ranges between 2,300 and 4,500 euros. This investment, essential to guarantee safety, efficiency, and the very continuity of the business, represents a monumental financial effort that must be faced even during periods of low activity, becoming a fixed and inescapable expense that conditions all planning.

However, this initial estimate may fall short of the harsh reality reflected in the latest official data. Specialized publications like Truking.es warn that the real spending on workshops, tyres, and repairs has skyrocketed, already reaching nearly 14,000 euros per year for a general cargo articulated vehicle, according to the April 2025 Cost Observatory of the Ministry of Transport. This figure, which represents 8.9% of the truck’s total operating cost, is not a luxury, but the sum of vital items: over 6,900 euros on tyres, 4,500 on unforeseen repairs, and 2,200 on preventive maintenance. Every component, from the critical “safety triangle” (brakes, shock absorbers, and tyres) to electronic systems and the mandatory roadworthiness test (ITV)—an obligatory investment in safety and legality for any transport professional—becomes a budget item that cannot be cut without risking what is most valuable: road safety and economic viability.

The budgetary challenge this poses is overwhelming. For a self-employed driver, facing just one major repair can mean the difference between ending the year in the black or in the red. The pressure to keep the vehicle operational clashes with the constant rise in the price of spare parts, which has driven a 2.4% increase in these costs in just one year. Faced with this trend, the haulier is forced to become an expert in financial logistics and mechanical maintenance, seeking an impossible balance between smooth driving that preserves the parts and the urgency of meeting increasingly tight delivery deadlines.

In the face of this economic bleed, survival strategies are emerging. Some professionals opt for the operational leasing or renting of trucks, which integrates all maintenance expenses into a predictable monthly fee, offering peace of mind and tax exemptions. For those who own their vehicles, the key lies in prevention: changing the oil at the correct intervals, checking the battery every four years, and being attentive to the slightest faults to avoid major breakdowns. But these practices, although necessary, do not stop the upward trend, suggesting that the threshold of 14,000 euros per year is not a ceiling, but another step on a seemingly unstoppable escalation.

In short, the story behind a truck’s annual cost is that of a sector moving forward with the handbrake of maintenance expenses on. Beyond the figures, it is a daily challenge for thousands of professionals who must invest a significant part of their income simply in keeping their tool of trade on the road. This financial burden not only tests the profitability of businesses but also questions the sustainability of a model essential to the economy, where the vehicle’s mechanical health is directly proportional to the economic health of the person who drives it.