About the Fuel Surcharge Calculator
This fuel surcharge calculator uses the standard cost-per-mile method that most US truckload carriers and shippers write into their rate agreements. Enter the base (peg) fuel price built into your linehaul rate, the current diesel price, the fuel economy the agreement assumes and the trip miles. It returns the surcharge per mile, the surcharge for the load and, if you add a linehaul rate, the surcharge as a percentage of linehaul.
It suits owner-operators quoting loads, small fleets setting up a surcharge program, freight brokers checking carrier invoices and shippers auditing what they pay. A surcharge table at 10-cent price steps shows exactly how the surcharge moves as diesel rises or falls, ready to paste into a contract schedule.
Most agreements update the current price weekly from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) on-highway diesel average for the national or regional index named in the contract. If the current price is at or below the base price, the surcharge is zero unless your contract allows credits.
With the default inputs, the fuel surcharge per mile is $0.400. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the fuel surcharge calculator
- 1Enter the base (peg) fuel price stated in your rate agreement.
- 2Enter this week’s diesel price, typically the EIA on-highway average for your region.
- 3Enter the MPG the agreement uses (often 5.5–7 for Class 8 trucks).
- 4Add trip miles and, optionally, the linehaul rate per mile.
- 5Use the surcharge per mile and trip total on your invoice, and the table as a contract schedule.
Formula and method
The linehaul rate is assumed to already include fuel at the base (peg) price. The surcharge recovers only the extra cost when diesel rises above that base: the price difference per gallon divided by the miles per gallon gives the extra fuel cost per mile, which is then multiplied by the trip miles.
Expressed as a percentage of linehaul, the surcharge is the per-mile surcharge divided by the linehaul rate per mile. Contracts often round to the nearest cent per mile and update the current price weekly from the EIA diesel index; check your agreement for the exact base price, MPG, rounding and index region.
- Current price
- Diesel price for the week (e.g. EIA on-highway average)
- Base price
- Peg price included in the linehaul rate
- MPG
- Fuel economy assumed by the contract
Worked examples
1,000-mile load, $3.85 diesel, $1.25 peg, 6.5 MPG
Diesel is $2.60 above the $1.25 peg. Dividing by 6.5 MPG gives $0.40 per mile, so the 1,000-mile load carries a $400 fuel surcharge — 16% of the $2.50-per-mile linehaul.
Regional fleet with a $2.00 base and 6 MPG
The $2.10 difference ÷ 6 MPG = $0.35 per mile. On a 450-mile run that is $157.50, about 11.3% of the $3.10 linehaul, for a total charge of $1,552.50.
Diesel below the base price
When the current price ($3.75) is below the $4.00 base, the formula gives a negative number, which standard surcharge programs treat as zero — no surcharge is billed.
Frequently asked questions
How is a trucking fuel surcharge calculated?+
Subtract the base (peg) fuel price from the current diesel price and divide by the agreed MPG to get a surcharge per mile, then multiply by loaded miles. For example, ($3.85 − $1.25) ÷ 6.5 MPG = $0.40 per mile.
What base fuel price should I use?+
Use whatever peg price your rate agreement states. Many long-standing programs use a base around $1.20–$1.25 per gallon, meaning almost all fuel cost is billed through the surcharge; newer contracts often set the base near the price when the linehaul rate was negotiated.
Where do carriers get the current diesel price?+
Most contracts reference the US Energy Information Administration weekly retail on-highway diesel price, released on Mondays, either the national average or a regional series such as the Gulf Coast or Rocky Mountain average.
What MPG is used for fuel surcharges?+
Contracts commonly assume 5 to 7 MPG for Class 8 tractor-trailers, with 6 MPG a frequent choice. A lower MPG produces a higher surcharge per mile, so it is worth checking against real fleet fuel economy.
Is the fuel surcharge charged on empty miles?+
It depends on the agreement. Truckload surcharges are usually applied to billed (loaded) miles only, while dedicated fleet contracts may include empty miles. LTL carriers typically apply a percentage surcharge to the linehaul charge instead.