How much diesel does a truck use per 100 km?

A loaded 40-tonne long-haul truck in Europe uses roughly 30-38 litres of diesel per 100 km, averaging close to 33 litres, per ICCT testing . Smaller 12-tonne rigid trucks use about 20-24 litres per 100 km on urban routes. Load, terrain, and driving style shift these figures by up to 20%.

A fully loaded 40-tonne articulated combination, the standard configuration for long-haul FTL (full truckload) freight, consumes 30 to 38 litres of diesel per 100 km on motorway cycles, per ICCT road-testing across EU and US fleets. The midpoint, around 33 L/100km, is the figure most commonly cited in EU heavy-duty fuel economy literature, including trend analysis from the IEA . Aerodynamic, best-in-class tractor-trailer specifications bring consumption down closer to 27-30 L/100km. Smaller vehicles use proportionally less: an 18-tonne rigid truck on regional routes typically runs 24-28 L/100km, while a 12-tonne rigid truck on urban delivery cycles uses 20-24 L/100km.

With EU diesel prices running approximately 1.85 to 2.00 EUR per litre as of mid-2026, a 40-tonne long-haul truck at 33 L/100km costs roughly 61 to 66 EUR in fuel per 100 km travelled. Carriers costing out a specific corridor should check today's EU diesel prices to localise this estimate, since national fuel taxation creates meaningful spreads even within a single week.

Payload weight is the largest single factor: an empty or lightly loaded truck can use 15% to 20% less fuel than the same vehicle at maximum gross weight, since rolling resistance and the energy needed to accelerate and climb gradients both scale with mass. Terrain compounds this, as sustained gradients on Alpine or Balkan corridors add several litres per 100 km compared with flat motorway cycles. Driving style is the largest controllable variable: harsh acceleration, excessive idling, and poor gear selection can widen the gap between a fleet's best and worst drivers by up to 20% on identical routes, a spread noted in the European Commission's heavy-duty vehicle CO2 standards , the EU framework for road-transport decarbonisation set out under Regulation (EU) 2019/1242.

Route optimisation is one of the most reliable levers available, since avoiding unnecessary distance and repeated gradient climbs directly reduces litres consumed per job. A TMS platform that plans loads and sequences stops with fuel efficiency as an explicit input typically returns measurable savings within the first few months of use. On the driver side, real-time coaching on acceleration, braking, and cruise-control discipline closes much of the gap to best-in-class consumption; the Driver Assistant app delivers this eco-driving feedback directly to drivers during the trip. Combined with tyre pressure discipline and aerodynamic trailer specification, these measures are how leading fleets reach the 27-30 L/100km figures cited above.

A fully loaded 40-tonne semi-truck (articulated tractor-trailer) uses roughly 30-38 litres of diesel per 100 km on long-haul motorway cycles, averaging around 33 litres, based on ICCT road-testing across EU fleets. Aerodynamic, best-in-class specifications can bring this down to 27-30 L/100km.

Yes, an empty or lightly loaded truck typically uses 15% to 20% less diesel per 100 km than the same vehicle at maximum gross weight, since rolling resistance and acceleration energy both scale with total mass. This is why backhaul and empty-running rates are calculated separately from loaded rates in most freight pricing models.

For a 40-tonne articulated truck, consumption in the 27-30 L/100km range is considered good fuel economy, reflecting aerodynamic trailer specification, low-rolling-resistance tyres, and disciplined driving. For 12-tonne rigid trucks on urban cycles, 20-22 L/100km sits at the efficient end of the typical range.

Driving style can shift consumption by up to 20% between the most and least efficient drivers operating identical trucks on the same route, per fleet telematics data referenced in EU heavy-duty vehicle efficiency documentation. Harsh acceleration, excessive idling, and poor gear selection are the largest contributors.

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