Fuel surcharge calculator
Work out a truckload fuel surcharge from the diesel price, the base price in your rate agreement, and the MPG your schedule uses. You get the surcharge per mile, the amount for the trip, and a price table you can send to a customer. The numbers filled in are an illustrative example. Check this week's diesel price and your own contract terms.
Fuel surcharge table
Surcharge per mile at a $1.25 base and 6 MPG, in 10-cent steps around the current price.
| Diesel price ($/gal) | Surcharge per mile |
|---|---|
| $3.30 | $0.342 |
| $3.40 | $0.358 |
| $3.50 | $0.375 |
| $3.60 | $0.392 |
| $3.70 | $0.408 |
| $3.80 | $0.425 |
| $3.90 | $0.442 |
| $4.00 | $0.458 |
| $4.10 | $0.475 |
| $4.20 | $0.492 |
| $4.30 | $0.508 |
Fuel surcharge
Per mile
$0.425
For this trip (900 miles)
$382.50
- Share of linehaul
- 15.9%
- Linehaul + surcharge
- $2,782.50
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The fuel surcharge formula
Fuel surcharge per mile = (current diesel price − base price) ÷ MPG. The base (or peg) price is the diesel price the linehaul rate already covers. The surcharge pays only the fuel cost above that, spread over the miles a truck gets per gallon.
Trip surcharge = surcharge per mile × miles on the load. When diesel is at or below the base price, the surcharge is zero.
Worked example (the default numbers)
- Diesel is $3.80 and the base price is $1.25, a difference of $2.55 per gallon.
- At 6 MPG: $2.55 ÷ 6 = $0.425 per mile.
- On a 900-mile load: $0.425 × 900 = $382.50, or 15.9% of a $2,400.00 linehaul.
- Every 10-cent move in diesel changes the surcharge by $0.017 per mile at 6 MPG.
Where to get the diesel price
Most fuel surcharge schedules point to the EIA weekly retail on-highway diesel prices, either the U.S. average or a regional one. Use the index and the day of the week your agreement names, so you and your customer land on the same number.
To see what the whole load earns after the surcharge, try the load profitability calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How is a trucking fuel surcharge calculated?
The common per-mile method is: (current diesel price − base price) ÷ MPG = surcharge per mile. Multiply by the miles on the load to get the surcharge for the trip. The base price and MPG come from the rate agreement or the shipper's fuel surcharge schedule.
What diesel price should I use?
Whatever your agreement names. Many schedules use the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) weekly on-highway diesel average, national or for a region, published on Mondays. Using the agreed index keeps both sides looking at the same number.
What is the base (peg) price?
It is the diesel price already covered by the linehaul rate. The surcharge only pays the difference above it. A lower base price means a larger surcharge, so it is worth checking this number when you sign a rate agreement.
What happens when diesel is below the base price?
In most schedules the surcharge is simply zero; this calculator works that way. Some contracts allow a negative surcharge (a credit to the shipper), so check yours.
Is the fuel surcharge a percentage or per mile?
Both exist. Truckload freight usually uses cents per mile, which this calculator gives you. LTL and parcel carriers often charge a percentage of the linehaul instead; the result above also shows the surcharge as a percentage of the linehaul you enter.
Bill fuel surcharge without retyping it
In Techvia TMS, fuel surcharge and other charges are added to each load and carried onto the customer invoice, next to dispatch, drivers and settlements. 30-day free trial, no credit card required.