{
  "slug": "fuel-surcharge",
  "title": "Fuel Surcharge Calculator",
  "heading": "Fuel Surcharge Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fuel-surcharge",
  "summary": "Per-mile and percentage surcharge from the DOE price and your baseline.",
  "description": "Fuel surcharges recover diesel cost above a contract baseline. The standard formula divides the price gap by your fuel economy to get a per-mile surcharge, which is then added to the linehaul rate.",
  "formula": "Surcharge/mi = (current price − base price) ÷ mpg; total = surcharge/mi × miles.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=fuel-surcharge",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "current",
      "label": "Current diesel price",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3.95,
      "unit": "$/gal",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "base",
      "label": "Contract base price",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 2.5,
      "unit": "$/gal",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "mpg",
      "label": "Fuel economy",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 6,
      "unit": "mpg",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "miles",
      "label": "Trip miles",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 850,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "linehaul",
      "label": "Linehaul rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1900,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "perMile",
      "label": "Surcharge per mile",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "total",
      "label": "Surcharge for the trip",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "pct",
      "label": "Surcharge as % of linehaul",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "allIn",
      "label": "All-in revenue",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "gallons",
      "label": "Gallons burned",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Current diesel price: 3.95 $/gal",
      "Contract base price: 2.5 $/gal",
      "Fuel economy: 6 mpg",
      "Trip miles: 850",
      "Linehaul rate: 1900 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Surcharge per mile: $0.242",
      "Surcharge for the trip: $205.42",
      "Surcharge as % of linehaul: 10.8%",
      "All-in revenue: $2,105.42",
      "Gallons burned: 141.7"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter current diesel price ($/gal).",
      "Enter contract base price ($/gal).",
      "Enter fuel economy (mpg).",
      "Enter trip miles.",
      "Enter linehaul rate ($).",
      "Read your surcharge per mile on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "current": 2.37,
        "base": 1.5,
        "mpg": 3.5999999999999996,
        "miles": 510,
        "linehaul": 1150
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "current": 3.95,
        "base": 2.5,
        "mpg": 6,
        "miles": 850,
        "linehaul": 1900
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "current": 6.32,
        "base": 4,
        "mpg": 9.600000000000001,
        "miles": 1360,
        "linehaul": 3050
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Which diesel price should I use?",
      "a": "US contracts typically reference the EIA weekly national or regional on-highway diesel average, updated every Monday, rather than pump prices."
    },
    {
      "q": "Why does mpg change the surcharge?",
      "a": "The surcharge recovers gallons, not dollars per mile. A truck at 6 mpg burns more fuel per mile than one at 7.5, so the same price gap produces a larger per-mile recovery."
    }
  ],
  "related": [],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Fuel Surcharge Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fuel-surcharge)"
}