The Truckers Domain
Calculators / Fuel Surcharge

Fuel Surcharge Calculator

Fuel surcharge is the gap between today’s diesel and a negotiated peg, divided by your MPG. The peg, not the diesel price, is what you actually negotiate, and it’s the number new authorities give away without knowing it. Runs in your browser. Numbers stay on your machine.

Your rig Sets the MPG basis. Edit any field after.
Use the EIA U.S. national weekly average, the number brokers and shippers index to. It updates every Monday at eia.gov. Prefilled with the week ending May 4, 2026 ($5.64) — replace it with the current week before you rely on a result.
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The diesel price at which the surcharge is $0. It should match the fuel price your linehaul rate already assumes. If you priced the lane expecting $3.50 diesel, the peg is $3.50. A lower peg pays you more. This is the line item to negotiate.
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Your real number, not the table’s. The industry table assumes 6.0. Flatbed Class 8 runs 5.5–7. A 1-ton hotshot runs 9–13. A lower MPG basis pays you more per mile, so know the gap between your truck and the table.
Billable loaded miles for the load or contract, on the same mileage engine (PC*Miler practical, etc.) the rate uses. Surcharge is paid on loaded miles only, so empty miles burn fuel you don’t recover here.

The formula

Fuel surcharge per loaded mile is (current diesel − peg) ÷ MPG, and it never goes below zero. When diesel sits at or under the peg, the surcharge is $0 and your linehaul is carrying all the fuel. That is the case this calculator wants you to see, because it is the one operators miss when they accept a low linehaul next to a high peg.

The peg is the negotiation

The current diesel price is published and not up for debate. The peg is. Every $0.25 a broker pushes the peg above the fuel price your linehaul was built on is money off every loaded mile, for the life of the contract. Evaluate the peg and the linehaul together. A high linehaul with a high peg can pay the same as a low linehaul with a low peg, but a low linehaul with a high peg means you are eating fuel twice.

MPG basis, and why the table is not your friend

The standard table assumes 6.0 MPG. A shipper table that moves the surcharge $0.01 per $0.07 of diesel has quietly assumed 7 MPG, and you collect about 15% less than your truck actually burns. Enter your real loaded MPG to see your true coverage, then push the contract toward the 6.0 standard.

What this version leaves out on purpose

Percentage-of-linehaul surcharge tables, regional diesel indexes, reset cadence, deadbands, and caps all change the answer and all belong in a contract review, not a quick check. The full Rate Per Mile Calculator (Excel + Google Sheets) handles them. Browse the Shop for launch updates.