Your company operates a fleet of light trucks that are used to provide contract delivery services. As the engineering and technical manager, you are analyzing the purchase of 55 new trucks as an addition to the fleet. These trucks would be used for a new contract the sales staff is trying to obtain. If purchased, the trucks would cost $21,200 each; estimated use is 20,000 miles per year per truck; estimated operation and maintenance and other related expenses (year-zero dollars) are $0.45 per mile, which is forecasted to increase at the rate of 5% per year; and the trucks are MACRS (GDS) three-year property class assets. The analysis period is four years; t = 38%; MARR = 15% per year (after taxes; includes an inflation component); and the estimated MV at the end of four years (in year-zero dollars) is 35% of the purchase price of the vehicles. This estimate is expected to increase at the rate of 2% per year.
Based on an after-tax, actual-dollar analysis, what is the annual revenue required by your company from the contract to justify these expenditures before any profit is considered? This calculated amount for annual revenue is the breakeven point between purchasing the trucks and which other alternative?