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Cost Per Tonne-Kilometre Calculator — Transport Efficiency Metric

Calculate freight cost per tonne-kilometre (tonne-km) — the universal transport efficiency metric. Compare modes, routes, and carriers on an apples-to-apples basis.

Quick answer: Cost per tonne-km benchmarks: Road (FTL): $0.08–$0.18. Road (LTL): $0.18–$0.45. Rail: $0.03–$0.06. Ocean: $0.01–$0.03. Air: $0.50–$2.50. Lower is more efficient per unit of freight moved.

📐 Cost Per Tonne-Kilometre Calculator

Optional — to compare two modes side by side
Cost Per Tonne-km
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Total Tonne-km
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Mode Benchmark
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How to Use This Calculator

  1. Enter cost, weight, and distance — weight in tonnes (metric), distance in kilometres.
  2. Select mode for benchmark comparison — compare your rate against the typical range for that mode.
  3. Add alternative mode for side-by-side — compare road vs rail or road vs ocean on equal tonne-km basis.

Worked Example

$2,800 FTL, 18 tonnes, 1,200 km. Alternative: rail at $850.

  1. Tonne-km: 18 × 1,200 = 21,600
  2. FTL cost/tonne-km: $2,800 ÷ 21,600 = $0.1296
  3. Rail cost/tonne-km: $850 ÷ 21,600 = $0.0394
  4. Rail is 70% cheaper per tonne-km

Rail is dramatically more cost-efficient per tonne-km, but transit time is 3–5× longer and requires loading/unloading at rail terminals. Use tonne-km cost for capacity planning and modal strategy — but factor in transit time and handling for the full decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cost per tonne-km normalises for weight AND distance, enabling fair comparison between: different modes (road vs rail vs ocean), different lanes of different lengths, carrier performance over time (rate changes vs volume changes), and carbon intensity analysis (g CO₂/tonne-km is the standard emission metric). It's the KPI used by logistics academics, consultants, and large shippers for strategic analysis.

1 metric tonne = 1,000 kg = 2,204.6 lbs = 1.102 short tons. 1 km = 0.621 miles. 1 tonne-mile = 1.609 tonne-km. For US domestic: use tonne-miles if your data is in miles. For international comparison, convert everything to tonne-km (the global standard).