Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Surcharge per mile
$0.242
Surcharge for the trip
$205.42
Surcharge as % of linehaul
10.8%
All-in revenue
$2,105.42
Gallons burned
141.7
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter current diesel price ($/gal).
- 2Enter contract base price ($/gal).
- 3Enter fuel economy (mpg).
- 4Enter trip miles.
- 5Enter linehaul rate ($).
- 6Read your surcharge per mile on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
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.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Current diesel price: 3.95 $/gal
- Contract base price: 2.5 $/gal
- Fuel economy: 6 mpg
- Trip miles: 850
- Linehaul rate: 1900 $
Results
- Surcharge per mile: $0.242
- Surcharge for the trip: $205.42
- Surcharge as % of linehaul: 10.8%
- All-in revenue: $2,105.42
- Gallons burned: 141.7
What each field means
Inputs
- Current diesel price ($/gal)
- The current diesel price used in the calculation, measured in $/gal. Starts at 3.95 $/gal so you have a working example on load.
- Contract base price ($/gal)
- The contract base price used in the calculation, measured in $/gal. Starts at 2.5 $/gal so you have a working example on load.
- Fuel economy (mpg)
- The fuel economy used in the calculation, measured in mpg. Starts at 6 mpg so you have a working example on load.
- Trip miles
- The trip miles used in the calculation. Starts at 850 so you have a working example on load.
- Linehaul rate ($)
- The linehaul rate used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1900 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Surcharge per mile
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Surcharge for the trip
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Surcharge as % of linehaul
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- All-in revenue
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Gallons burned
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Which diesel price should I use?
US contracts typically reference the EIA weekly national or regional on-highway diesel average, updated every Monday, rather than pump prices.
Why does mpg change the surcharge?
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.
Accuracy and 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.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Fuel Surcharge Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fuel-surcharge
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fuel-surcharge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fuel Surcharge Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Fuel Surcharge Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fuel-surcharge) (2026).