Calculate transport costs – real prices in seconds
No estimate, no outdated price table: the calculator queries our booking platform live and shows the price you can actually book at.
- ✓ Real prices instead of estimates
- ✓ Free and without registration
- ✓ Bookable directly at a fixed price
How the calculator works
Enter your route
Add pickup and delivery address – from a city run to a long haul across Germany.
Choose a vehicle
From a car for documents to a 3.5-tonner for pallets and furniture – the price adjusts instantly.
See the price & book
The displayed price is binding. Book directly online – or just run the numbers.
What drives transport costs?
Four factors make the price – exactly what the calculator asks for:
Distance
Distance and driving time between pickup and delivery are the biggest cost block – including the driver's return-leg calculation.
Vehicle class
A car costs less than a van with a tail lift: pick the smallest vehicle your shipment fits into safely.
Extras
Carrying help, a second person, load securing, or an express surcharge – extras appear transparently as separate items.
Time window
Flexible time windows are cheaper; fixed appointments and short-notice express pickups cost more.
How much does a transport cost?
For a first orientation: typical price ranges for direct drives by distance and vehicle class. The ranges are deliberately wide – your actual price comes from the calculator above.
| Route | Van | 3.5-tonner | 7.5 t truck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within town (up to 20 km) | €40–90 | €60–130 | €90–180 |
| Regional (50–150 km) | €90–220 | €130–300 | €180–420 |
| National (300–600 km) | €250–600 | €350–800 | €500–1,200 |
All figures include the driver and exclude extras such as carrying help or express. Short routes cost more per kilometer because base costs weigh in more heavily.
How much does a direct van transport cost per kilometer?
As a guideline, a direct drive with a mid-size van in Germany costs €1.00–1.50 per kilometer — from €0.90 with a compact van, up to €1.90 with a 3.5 t box truck. Short routes carry a minimum price; from around 200 km the per-km rate drops noticeably.
| Vehicle class | Guide price per km | Example 100 km |
|---|---|---|
| Compact van (up to approx. 600 kg) | €0.90–1.30 | €90–130 |
| Mid-size van (up to approx. 1 t) | €1.00–1.50 | €100–150 |
| Sprinter (up to approx. 1.2 t / 4 pallets) | €1.20–1.70 | €120–170 |
| 3.5 t box truck (up to 8 pallets) | €1.40–1.90 | €140–190 |
The Maxmove advantage: instead of working with ranges, the calculator above shows the real, instantly bookable price for your route in 30 seconds — all surcharges included, with live tracking and a digital proof of delivery from the moment you book.
Calculate the per-km price for my routeMore about direct drives with instant pricing
The transport cost formula
If you want to calculate transport costs by hand, use the classic formula:
Transport costs = cost per kilometer × distance + base costs + surcharges
The per-kilometer rate covers fuel, wear, and driver time; the base costs cover provisioning and loading the vehicle. Surcharges are added for extras such as carrying help, express pickup, or fixed time windows.
Worked example
150 km in a 3.5-tonner: €1.10 × 150 km = €165 for the route, plus €40 base costs, plus €25 carrying help – around €230 in total.
Why the calculator is more accurate than the formula
The formula gives you a ballpark – nothing more. It knows neither empty kilometers (does the driver return empty, or is your route on their way back anyway?) nor current utilization in the destination area, nor the effect of your time window. The calculator queries exactly these factors live and shows the price you can actually book at instead of an estimate.
Calculate truck transport costs
From 3.5 t gross vehicle weight, cost blocks come into play that play no role in van calculations:
Truck toll (Maut)
The German truck toll applies to vehicles over 3.5 t and is tiered by weight class and CO₂ emission class. On long routes it makes up a noticeable share of the per-kilometer price.
Load securing
Lashing straps, anti-slip mats, and form-fit loading are legally required – and cost time, material, and for heavy goods also equipment such as a tail lift or pallet truck.
Loading and unloading times
Waiting time at ramps, warehouses, or construction sites counts as working time. Fixed time windows and long waits feed directly into the price.
More hands-on guides and templates: Load securing guide · Free transport order template
Transport costs by job type
Calculate freight forwarding costs
Traditional forwarders quote by freight class and surcharges – the offer often arrives hours later. For direct drives up to 7.5 t, the calculator shows a bookable price instantly: route and vehicle class are all it needs.
Calculate truck transport costs
Up to 7.5 t you calculate right here: pick the vehicle class, enter the route, see the final price. For full loads from 12 t, a traditional forwarder remains the right choice – below that, a direct drive is usually faster and cheaper.
Calculate furniture transport costs
Sofa, wardrobe, or a full first apartment: the price depends on route, vehicle size, and carrying distances. The calculator shows the fare instantly – benchmarks and examples are in our guide.
What does furniture transport cost?Courier run prices
Courier runs are priced by route and vehicle, express surcharges included. The calculator shows the final price before booking – no call-out fee surprises on the invoice.
To the express courier