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The durability approval of truck axles is performed on proving grounds with well defined road characteristics as well as in laboratory test facilities simulating these loading conditions. These proof out tests are supposed to reproduce within a reasonable time the customer usage conditions which are expected during the life of a vehicle taking into account the large scatter of service. The programs and requirements are based on extensive measurements as well as long term experience. However, the development of vehicles for specific mission profiles as well as the introduction of components from new light weight material and innovative manufacturing technologies with different durability properties, requires procedures for the evaluation of the programs themselves. Within this paper the procedure of a comparative damage evaluation of test track and laboratory test programs with respect to an appropriated mission profile is demonstrated as example on a truck axle.