A worked cost model for one roadside out-of-service order, built from 32 verified public figures: ATRI's 2025 marginal cost of $2.336 per mile (about $94.00 per truck-hour by ATRI's own conversion method), the BLS median driver wage of $28.19 an hour, state-regulated heavy-duty tow maximums ($700 per hour in Connecticut, $620 to $1,069 for accident recovery in West Virginia, $332 for a plain tow), the federal penalty schedule ($3,961 minimum for a driver who violates the order, $7,155 to $39,615 for the employer who allows it, at least 180 days of disqualification), and the CSA severity weights. A vehicle order with a one-hour tow and an eight-hour lost day comes to about $1,452 before parts or fines; a 10-hour driver order about $940.
Key statistics
7 highlights from this report
Key statistics
Key takeaways
The order itself is cheap to comply with and expensive to ignore. The same-day cost of a vehicle out-of-service order is a tow and a lost day; the minimum fine for driving through one is nearly three times the cost of the tow-and-lost-day scenario, plus at least half a year of the driver's license.
A vehicle OOS with a one-hour tow and an eight-hour lost day costs about $1,452 before parts or fines.
Trucking's marginal cost hit $2.336 per mile in 2025, the highest ATRI has recorded.
Driving through an OOS order costs the driver at least $3,961 and 180 days of CDL; the employer $7,155 to $39,615.
Regulated heavy-duty tow maximums run $700 per hour in Connecticut and up to $1,069 in West Virginia.
A 10-hour driver OOS idles about $940 of truck-hours, $281.90 of it driver wage.
One tire OOS scores 30 weighted CSA points for six months and stays on the record two years.
The industry already prices an idle truck-hour at $50 to $99 through detention fees.
How we built this report
Every input was compiled in September 2026 from the publisher's own release, rule text or fee schedule and verified against the original before it entered the model.
- Inputs only from primary publishers
ATRI's press releases and open reports for cost per mile and hour, the Government Publishing Office's 49 CFR text for penalties, FMCSA's own methodology document for CSA weights, BLS for wages, and each state's regulated tow-rate order for the tow line.
- Every computed figure shows its arithmetic
Seven model figures, the share column in the line-item table and the scenario totals are RapidEye calculations; each is labeled Computed or noted as RapidEye arithmetic, names its inputs, and can be redone by hand. No figure is presented as an ATRI or FMCSA number that they did not publish.
- The per-hour conversion is ATRI's, not ours
ATRI's 2022 report converts per-mile to per-hour at a GPS-measured 40.24 mph; the model applies that stated method to the 2025 per-mile cost and says so, because ATRI has not published a per-hour figure since 2021 outside its gated report.
- What the model leaves out
Repair parts and labor, storage, the roadside citation, late-freight chargebacks and insurance effects are excluded because no public primary figure exists for them; the unverified section lists what circulates instead.
- Roadcheck counts kept on their own page
How many vehicles are placed out of service, and for what, is already compiled on our DOT roadside inspection statistics page; this page prices one order.
- Independent review
Written by one co-founder, reviewed by the other before publishing.
Scope caveat: the model prices a single order for an average truck at regulated maximum tow rates. A fleet with in-house mobile repair, a driver who can legally resume in ten hours, or a tow billed below the cap will land lower; a rotator recovery, an overnight wait for parts, or a driver disqualification will land far higher.
Two scenarios, line by line
Every line is a verified public figure; the totals are RapidEye arithmeticA. Vehicle out of service, tow required
Tire below tread minimum found at roadside; truck cannot be driven or towed by wrecker until repaired, so it is loaded and moved (49 CFR 396.9)
B. Driver out of service, no tow
Hours-of-service violation; driver must take at least 10 consecutive hours off duty, 34 for a 60/70-hour violation (49 CFR 395.3, 395.13)
C. Ignoring the order
Driver operates in violation of a driver or vehicle OOS order, first conviction, non-hazmat
The per-hour figure carries driver wages, fuel, equipment payments, maintenance and insurance, so scenarios A and B do not add the wage separately. Pricing the same lost day by miles instead of hours, 319 miles at $2.336, gives about $746, within one percent of the 8-hour figure. At $94.00 an hour, 4, 8 and 24 idle hours cost $376, $752 and $2,256. Idle hours are illustrative: a tow to a shop that repairs the same day might cost 4 hours; waiting overnight for a part costs 24 or more. Repair parts and labor are excluded because no public rate exists for a roadside brake repair.
What a heavy-duty tow is allowed to cost
State-regulated maximums, per hour unless stated; scaled to $1,275Each state caps a different thing: Connecticut and West Virginia cap hourly rates for nonconsensual and recovery tows, the Turnpike Authority caps its own contractors, Texas caps only private-property tows, and Massachusetts caps the hook but not recovery. Rates are the published maximum, not an average invoice. For an out-of-service tow with no crash, West Virginia's non-accident rate ($332) and Connecticut's heavy-duty rate ($700) are the two like-for-like benchmarks; a carrier-arranged tow is uncapped.
Where the per-mile cost goes
ATRI's last openly published full line-item table (2021, $1.855 per mile), with the 2023 and 2025 headline updates| Line item, 2021 | Per mile | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | $0.417 | 22.5% |
| Truck and trailer lease or purchase | $0.279 | 15.0% |
| Repair and maintenance | $0.175 | 9.4% |
| Truck insurance premiums | $0.086 | 4.6% |
| Permits and licenses | $0.016 | 0.9% |
| Tires | $0.041 | 2.2% |
| Tolls | $0.032 | 1.7% |
| Driver wages | $0.627 | 33.8% |
| Driver benefits | $0.182 | 9.8% |
| Total marginal cost, 2021 | $1.855 | 100% |
Later releases give selected lines only: 2023 total $2.270 with driver wages $0.779, truck and trailer payments $0.360 and repair and maintenance $0.202; 2024 total $2.260 with payments at a record $0.390 and benefits $0.197; 2025 total $2.336, with repair and maintenance up 8.6 percent and tires up 6.4 percent. Shares are RapidEye arithmetic on ATRI's 2021 table.
Out-of-service costs, by the numbers
All 39 figures: the seven computed model lines first, then every verified input grouped by source, followed by the numbers that circulate and could not be verified.
The worked model: what the inputs add up to
According to the American Transportation Research Institute's 2026 operational costs release (truckingresearch.org), the marginal cost of running a truck was $2.336 per mile in 2025, and its 2022 report converts per-mile to per-hour at a GPS-measured 40.24 mph. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 wage data (bls.gov), the median heavy-truck driver earns $28.19 an hour. According to the Connecticut DMV's approved maximum towing charges (ct.gov), a nonconsensual heavy-duty tow is capped at $700 per hour with a one-hour minimum. The seven figures below combine those verified inputs; each states its arithmetic.
Statistic 1
Applying ATRI's stated per-hour method (per-mile cost times its 2021 GPS-measured average speed of 40.24 mph) to the 2025 per-mile cost gives $94.00 per truck-hour; ATRI itself has not published this figure, its last open per-hour cost being $74.65 for 2021.
RapidEye Research, computed from ATRI's 2026 press release and 2022 report method
Statistic 2
An average truck ran 79,808 miles in 2021, about 319 miles per working day over 250 days; at the 2024 truck and trailer payment of $0.390 per mile (2021 is ATRI's last openly published mileage), the equipment payment alone is about $124 for every working day the truck sits under an out-of-service sticker.
RapidEye Research, computed from ATRI 2022 report and 2025 press release
Statistic 3
A driver out-of-service order for hours of service means at least 10 consecutive hours off duty, $281.90 of median driver wage (10 hours at $28.19); a 34-hour restart is $958.46.
RapidEye Research, computed from 49 CFR 395.3 and BLS OEWS May 2025
Statistic 4
Scenario A, a vehicle out-of-service order that needs a heavy-duty tow: a one-hour tow at Connecticut's $700 maximum plus 8 idle truck-hours at $94.00 comes to about $1,452 before repair parts, storage, or any fine.
RapidEye Research, computed from Connecticut DMV form K-11 and ATRI
Statistic 5
Scenario B, a driver out-of-service order with no tow: 10 idle truck-hours at $94.00 is about $940, of which $281.90 is driver wage; the industry's own detention price for the same 10 hours would be $500 to $990 at the $50 to $99 per hour that 72.4 percent of carriers bill.
RapidEye Research, computed from ATRI 2019 detention report and 2026 press release
Statistic 6
One tire out-of-service violation (49 CFR 393.75, severity weight 8) scores (8 + 2) x 3 = 30 time-and-severity-weighted points in the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC for its first six months, then 20 and 10 as the time weight decays, and stays on the record for 24 months.
RapidEye Research, computed from FMCSA SMS Methodology v3.21
Statistic 7
A driver who violates an out-of-service order and is disqualified for the 180-day minimum forgoes about $28,918 at the median annual wage of $58,640, on top of the $3,961 minimum civil penalty; the employer who knowingly allowed it faces $7,155 to $39,615.
RapidEye Research, computed from 49 CFR 383.51, 386 Appendix B and BLS OEWS
What this means: The model is deliberately conservative: it prices only the truck-hours, the tow, and the driver's time, and leaves out repair parts, storage, the roadside citation, lost freight and the insurance renewal. Even so, a single vehicle out-of-service order with a tow lands near $1,500 the same day, and the two federal penalties for ignoring the order are an order of magnitude larger.
What an hour and a mile of trucking cost
According to the American Transportation Research Institute's annual operational cost releases (truckingresearch.org), the marginal cost of trucking reached $2.336 per mile in 2025, up 3.4 percent and the highest in the series, after $2.260 in 2024 and $2.270 in 2023; the 2022 full report puts the per-hour cost at $74.65 in 2021 and the average truck at 79,808 miles a year. According to ATRI's detention research (truckingresearch.org), drivers were detained on 39.3 percent of stops in 2023 at a direct cost of $3.6 billion, and 72.4 percent of carriers that charge detention bill $50 to $99 per hour. According to the DOT Office of Inspector General's 2018 audit (oig.dot.gov), detention costs for-hire truckload drivers $1,281 to $1,534 a year each.
Statistic 8
The industry-average marginal cost of operating a truck was $2.336 per mile in 2025, up 3.4 percent and the highest in the report's history; excluding fuel, $1.854 per mile (up 4.2 percent).
American Transportation Research Institute, operational costs press release, July 15, 2026
Statistic 9
In 2025 the largest line-item cost increases were tolls (13.2%), repair and maintenance (8.6%), driver benefits (6.6%) and tires (6.4%); only fuel and driver pay rose slower than inflation.
American Transportation Research Institute, 2026 Ops Costs press release, July 15, 2026
Statistic 10
Carriers cut truck counts 2.4 percent in 2025 and left another 10 percent of trucks unseated on average; non-driver staffing was cut 7.8 percent.
American Transportation Research Institute, 2026 Ops Costs press release, July 15, 2026
Statistic 11
Operating margins in the truckload and refrigerated sectors were below 1.0 percent in 2025; tank carriers averaged 4.0 percent; flatbed carriers averaged an operating loss of -0.5 percent.
American Transportation Research Institute, 2026 Ops Costs press release, July 15, 2026
Statistic 12
The average cost of operating a truck in 2024 was $2.260 per mile (down 0.4 percent); excluding fuel, $1.779 per mile (up 3.6 percent, then a record).
American Transportation Research Institute, operational costs press release, July 1, 2025
Statistic 13
Truck and trailer payments rose 8.3 percent to a record $0.390 per mile in 2024, and driver benefits rose 4.8 percent to $0.197 per mile; driver wages rose 2.4 percent.
American Transportation Research Institute, 2025 Ops Costs press release, July 1, 2025
Statistic 14
In 2024, empty miles averaged 16.7 percent, drivers per truck fell to 0.93, truck capacity dropped 2.2 percent, and the truckload sector's average operating margin was -2.3 percent.
American Transportation Research Institute, 2025 Ops Costs press release, July 1, 2025
Statistic 15
The marginal cost of trucking was $2.270 per mile in 2023 (up 0.8 percent); excluding fuel, $1.716 per mile (up 6.6 percent). Driver wages were $0.779 per mile, truck/trailer payments $0.360, repair and maintenance $0.202, insurance premiums $0.099 per mile.
American Transportation Research Institute, operational costs press release, June 25, 2024
Statistic 16
ATRI's per-hour cost of operating a truck was $74.65 in 2021 (of which driver wages $25.24 and driver benefits $7.31 per hour), converted from per-mile costs at a GPS-derived average speed of 40.24 mph.
American Transportation Research Institute, 2022
Statistic 17
Per-mile line items in 2021 (ATRI Table 7): fuel $0.417, truck/trailer lease or purchase $0.279, repair and maintenance $0.175, truck insurance premiums $0.086, permits and licenses $0.016, tires $0.041, tolls $0.032, driver wages $0.627, driver benefits $0.182, total $1.855.
American Transportation Research Institute, 2022 Ops Costs full report, Table 7
Statistic 18
The average truck ran 79,808 miles in 2021, down almost 11 percent; the average truck-tractor was 5.7 years old.
American Transportation Research Institute, 2022 Ops Costs full report
Statistic 19
Average dwell time at shipper and receiver facilities was 1 hour 54 minutes per stop in 2021; 3 hours 16 minutes for refrigerated carriers; fleets of 25 or fewer trucks averaged 2 hours 23 minutes.
American Transportation Research Institute, 2022 Ops Costs full report
Statistic 20
Drivers reported being detained on 39.3 percent of all stops in 2023; 94.5 percent of fleets charge detention fees but are paid on fewer than 50 percent of those invoices; detention cost the industry $3.6 billion in direct expenses and $11.5 billion in lost productivity in 2023.
American Transportation Research Institute, operational costs press release, September 10, 2024
Statistic 21
72.4 percent of carriers that charge detention charge between $50.00 and $99.00 per hour of excessive detention, and 10.3 percent charge more than $100 per hour; only 29.3 percent of carriers collected all the detention fees they billed.
American Transportation Research Institute, September 2019
Statistic 22
A 15-minute increase in average dwell time raises a carrier's expected crash rate 6.2 percent; detention costs for-hire truckload drivers $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion a year in earnings, between $1,281 and $1,534 per driver per year, and reduces carrier net income by $250.6 million to $302.9 million a year.
U.S. DOT Office of Inspector General, audit report ST2018019 on commercial driver detention, January 31, 2018
What this means: The per-mile figure is the anchor for every idle-truck calculation, and the detention rate is the industry's own revealed price for an idle truck-hour: the same $50 to $99 an hour a carrier bills a shipper for waiting is what it eats when the truck waits for a tow.
Federal penalties and the CSA score hit
According to 49 CFR part 386 Appendix B as published by the Government Publishing Office (govinfo.gov), a CDL holder convicted of violating an out-of-service order faces a civil penalty of not less than $3,961 for a first conviction and not less than $7,924 thereafter, and an employer who knowingly allows it faces $7,155 to $39,615; 49 CFR 383.51 disqualifies the driver for 180 days to one year on a first conviction. According to 49 CFR 396.9 (govinfo.gov), an out-of-service vehicle may not be operated, including towed except by crane or hoist, until the listed repairs are complete. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Safety Measurement System methodology (fmcsa.dot.gov), every out-of-service violation carries an extra severity weight of 2 on top of its 1-to-10 crash-risk weight, times a time weight of 3 for the first six months.
Statistic 23
A CDL holder convicted of violating an out-of-service order faces a civil penalty of not less than $3,961 for a first conviction and not less than $7,924 for a second or subsequent conviction (2025 amounts).
49 CFR part 386, Appendix B, paragraph (b), 2025 edition
Statistic 24
An employer who knowingly allows, requires, permits or authorizes a CDL holder to operate a CMV while the driver is subject to an out-of-service order faces a civil penalty of not less than $7,155 and not more than $39,615.
49 CFR part 386, Appendix B, paragraph (b), 2025 edition
Statistic 25
A driver who violates the safety regulations (other than recordkeeping) faces a civil penalty of up to $4,812 per violation; a motor carrier or other entity faces up to $19,246 per violation.
49 CFR part 386, Appendix B, paragraphs (a) and (a), 2025 edition
Statistic 26
A driver who operates a CMV in violation of a driver out-of-service order faces a penalty of up to $2,364 (FMCSA Appendix A civil penalty); a carrier that requires or permits a driver to operate in violation of an OOS order faces up to $23,647; operating a vehicle placed out of service, up to $2,364 for the driver and $23,647 for the carrier; failing to return the written certification of correction, $1,182; failing to cease operations as ordered, $34,116; operating in violation of an imminent-hazard OOS order, $29,980 per day.
U.S. DOT, final rule, 89 FR 106298, FMCSA table rows for 49 CFR part 386 Appendix A section IV
Statistic 27
A first conviction for violating a driver or vehicle OOS order while hauling non-hazardous freight disqualifies the CDL holder for no less than 180 days and no more than 1 year; a second conviction within 10 years, 2 to 5 years; a third, 3 to 5 years. Hauling hazmat or 16+ passengers: 180 days to 2 years for a first conviction, 3 to 5 years thereafter.
49 CFR 383.51, Table 4 to ยง383.51, 2025 edition
Statistic 28
No motor carrier may require or permit anyone to operate a vehicle declared and marked out-of-service until all repairs required by the OOS notice are completed; "operate" includes towing, except by crane or hoist.
49 CFR 396.9, 2025 edition
Statistic 29
A driver ordered out of service may not drive until off duty for the required consecutive hours; the carrier must return the "Motor Carrier Certification of Action Taken" on the Driver/Vehicle Examination Report within 15 days.
49 CFR 395.13, 2025 edition
Statistic 30
Every violation in the CSA Safety Measurement System gets a crash-risk severity weight from 1 to 10, and an out-of-service violation receives an additional severity weight of 2 on top of that.
FMCSA, Safety Measurement System Methodology, Version 3.21, revised June 2026
Statistic 31
Violations recorded in the past six months carry a time weight of 3, six to 12 months a time weight of 2, and 12 to 24 months a time weight of 1; the sum of severity weights from any one inspection in one BASIC is capped at 30.
FMCSA SMS Methodology v3.21, June 2026
Statistic 32
A driver may not drive without first taking 10 consecutive hours off duty, may drive a maximum of 11 hours in a 14-hour window, and may reset the 60/70-hour limit only with 34 or more consecutive hours off duty.
49 CFR 395.3(a) and, 2025 edition
What this means: Two federal schedules apply: the Appendix A amounts are FMCSA's own enforcement schedule, and the Appendix B figures are the statutory CDL minimums, which is why the model uses $3,961. How often these orders are issued, and for what, is on our DOT roadside inspection statistics page. The penalty schedule is the reason the model treats an out-of-service order as a stop, not a delay: the minimum fine for driving through one is larger than the whole cost of complying with it, and the CSA points follow the carrier for two years.
Getting the truck moved: state-capped heavy-duty tow rates
According to the Connecticut DMV's approved maximum towing charges (ct.gov), a heavy-duty nonconsensual tow is $700 per hour with a one-hour minimum and a rotator $1,275 per hour. According to the Public Service Commission of West Virginia's wrecker rate order (psc.state.wv.us), accident-recovery rates for vehicles over 26,001 pounds run $620 to $1,069 per hour by wrecker class, with a $332 non-accident rate. According to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority's adopted rates (njta.gov), a Class 3 tow is $375 plus $5.75 per mile, capped at $432.50. According to the Massachusetts DPU's towing rates (mass.gov), a police-ordered commercial tow is $132 for the first five miles plus $6.60 per mile, with recovery uncapped. According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (texas.gov), private-property tows of vehicles over 25,000 pounds are capped at $489 per unit and $978 total. According to ATRI's predatory towing research (truckingresearch.org), 82.7 percent of carriers have experienced excessive towing rates.
Statistic 33
Connecticut's DMV-approved maximum nonconsensual tow rate for a heavy-duty vehicle (over 26,000 lbs GVWR) is $700.00 per hour with a one-hour minimum, billed in 15-minute increments thereafter; medium duty (10,000-26,000 lbs) is $400.00 per hour; overweight/oversize $1,500.00 per hour; a rotator with one laborer is $1,275.00 per hour.
Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, form K-11, revised August 2025
Statistic 34
Massachusetts caps the police-ordered tow of a commercial motor vehicle at $132.00 for up to five miles, plus $6.60 per mile beyond five miles, with recovery charges set by the carrier; passenger cars are $132.00 plus $51.00 per half hour of waiting time beyond the first hour.
Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, 220 CMR 272.00, effective December 13, 2023
Statistic 35
West Virginia's Public Service Commission maximum accident/recovery wrecker rates for a vehicle over 26,001 lbs GVWR are $620.00 per hour for a 20-39 ton wrecker, $858.00 per hour for a 40-60 ton wrecker, and $1,069.00 per hour for a 30-85 ton rotator; the non-accident tow rate for over 26,001 lbs is $332.00 per hour; storage is $37.00 per day for vehicles over 10,000 lbs and $50.00 per day for semi-trailers or cargo.
Public Service Commission of West Virginia, (Case No. 20-0796-MC-GI, order of September 20, 2021, effective October 2021)
Statistic 36
Texas caps the statewide maximum private-property tow charge at $272 for a vehicle up to 10,000 lbs, $380 for 10,000-25,000 lbs, and $489 per unit (with a $978 total maximum) for vehicles over 25,000 lbs.
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, towing consumer information page, current
Statistic 37
On the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, the maximum tow for a Class 3 vehicle (tractor trailer, bus, or anything over 15,000 lbs GVWR) is a $375.00 service charge plus $5.75 per mile, capped at $432.50; winching with a heavy wrecker is $228.00 per hour; extra-heavy-duty recovery equipment is capped at $438.00 per hour for heavy duty wreckers and $788.00 per hour for a 60-ton rotator; storage for vehicles over 15,000 lbs is free for 12 hours then $75.00 per unit per calendar day.
New Jersey Turnpike Authority, adopted amendments to N.J.A.C. 19:9-3.1 and 3.2, 54 N.J.R. 1558, adopted June 28, 2022, effective August 1, 2022
Statistic 38
82.7 percent of motor carriers have experienced excessive towing rates and 81.8 percent unwarranted extra service charges; 29.8 percent of crash-related towing invoices include excessive rates or unwarranted charges.
American Transportation Research Institute, operational costs press release, November 2023
What this means: These are regulated maximums for the specific tow types each state caps, and ATRI's survey shows the invoice is often higher. The model uses Connecticut's one-hour minimum as its tow line because it is the clearest single figure; a West Virginia non-accident tow is billed at $332 per hour, and a rotator recovery after a crash at up to $1,069.
What the driver's time is worth
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025 (bls.gov), heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers had a median hourly wage of $28.19 and a median annual wage of $58,640 across 2,062,040 jobs. According to 49 CFR 395.3 (govinfo.gov), a driver may not drive without 10 consecutive hours off duty and resets the 60/70-hour limit only with 34 consecutive hours off.
Statistic 39
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (SOC 53-3032) had a median hourly wage of $28.19 and a median annual wage of $58,640 in May 2025; mean hourly $28.71, mean annual $59,710; national employment 2,062,040.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, via the BLS public API
What this means: The wage is inside ATRI's per-hour figure, so the model counts it once; it is broken out because a driver out-of-service order is measured in the driver's hours, not the truck's miles.
The numbers that rank for this query and could not be verified
These figures are widely repeated online. Each was traced as far as the trail went and is listed here so a writer does not re-chase it.
Unverified claim
Walmart's 3 percent OTIF chargeback. The on-time-in-full penalty is widely quoted as 3 percent of the cost of goods, but the requirement lives on Walmart's login-gated supplier portal and its public site carries no OTIF text; no late-freight chargeback schedule from any large retailer could be read from a public primary source.
Unverified claim
Insurance premiums rise 20 to 30 percent after an OOS. Every version of this figure traces to broker marketing pages; no state rate filing, NAIC table or insurer schedule with an out-of-service rating factor was found. The model prices no insurance effect.
Unverified claim
A reinspection or CVSA decal fee. No state police or DOT page publishing a fee for a follow-up inspection was located; the model assumes none.
Unverified claim
A current per-hour ATRI figure. ATRI's 2024 to 2026 releases give per-mile costs only; the per-hour figures circulating for 2023 to 2025 are derived, which is why the model shows its own derivation from the 2021 method rather than quoting one.
Unverified claim
Louisiana's $349 per hour maximum. The Louisiana Public Service Commission rate schedule is cited only through a 2023 ATRI compendium and the commission's own page did not load; it is left out of the tow chart.
Cite this study
Academic or press use: copy a ready-made reference. RapidEye is the publisher.
Quick FAQ
How much does an out-of-service order cost a trucking company?
There is no published average, so this page builds one from public rates. A vehicle out-of-service order that needs a heavy-duty tow costs about $1,452 the same day: Connecticut's $700 one-hour tow maximum plus eight idle truck-hours at $94.00, ATRI's 2025 cost of $2.336 per mile converted at 40.24 mph. A driver out-of-service order with no tow idles about $940 of truck-hours over the required minimum of 10 hours off duty. Repair parts, storage, the roadside citation and lost freight come on top.
What is the penalty for violating an out-of-service order?
Under 49 CFR 386 Appendix B (2025 amounts), a CDL holder convicted of violating an out-of-service order pays a civil penalty of not less than $3,961 for a first conviction and not less than $7,924 for a second, and under 49 CFR 383.51 is disqualified for 180 days to one year on a first conviction (two to five years on a second within ten years). An employer who knowingly allows, requires or permits it pays $7,155 to $39,615.
Can an out-of-service truck be towed?
Under 49 CFR 396.9(c)(2), no motor carrier may require or permit anyone to operate a vehicle declared out of service until the repairs on the notice are complete, and "operate" includes towing, except by crane or hoist. In practice that means a roadside repair or a heavy-duty wrecker that lifts the unit. The only public price anchors are state caps on nonconsensual tows, $700 per hour in Connecticut and $620 to $1,069 in West Virginia for recovery.
How many CSA points is an out-of-service violation?
Every violation carries a severity weight of 1 to 10, and an out-of-service violation adds 2 more, times a time weight of 3 for the first six months, 2 for months six to twelve and 1 to month 24. A tire out-of-service violation (severity 8 in the methodology's example rows) therefore scores 30 weighted points for six months, and the sum from any one inspection in one BASIC is capped at 30 before time weighting (FMCSA SMS Methodology v3.21).
What does a truck cost per hour to operate?
ATRI's last openly published per-hour figure is $74.65 for 2021, converted from $1.855 per mile at 40.24 mph. Applying the same method to ATRI's 2025 figure of $2.336 per mile gives about $94.00 per hour; ATRI has not published a 2025 per-hour figure outside its gated report, so treat the $94.00 as a derivation, as this page labels it.
Data sources
Every figure on this page traces to one of these publishers' own documents, each checked against the original before publishing. Sources are named at the publisher level and shown by root domain.
American Transportation Research InstituteOperational Costs of Trucking press releases (2024 to 2026), 2022 full report, detention and predatory-towing researchtruckingresearch.org
U.S. Government Publishing Office49 CFR parts 383, 386 (Appendix B), 395 and 396, 2025 edition; Federal Register civil penalty adjustment for 2025govinfo.gov
Federal Motor Carrier Safety AdministrationSafety Measurement System methodology, version 3.21 (June 2026)fmcsa.dot.govU.S. DOT Office of Inspector GeneralAudit report ST2018019 on commercial driver detention (2018)oig.dot.gov
U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsOccupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, heavy and tractor-trailer truck driversbls.gov