Fuel Surcharge Calculator
Estimate fuel surcharge
Formula used: (current diesel price - base fuel price) / MPG × miles.
When to Use This Calculator
Use this calculator to estimate a simple fuel surcharge from a base fuel price, current diesel price, truck MPG and route miles. It is a planning tool, not a contract calculator. Freight contracts, brokers and shippers may use different baselines, fuel indexes, rounding rules or update schedules.
Input Fields
| Field | What to enter | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Base fuel price | The contract baseline diesel price. | Whether the rate confirmation or contract defines a specific baseline. |
| Current diesel price | The diesel price used for the surcharge period. | Which diesel index or posted price applies. |
| MPG | The miles per gallon used in the formula. | Whether the contract uses actual MPG or a fixed MPG assumption. |
| Miles | Paid miles or route miles for the load. | Whether surcharge applies to loaded miles only or another mileage basis. |
Formula
Estimated fuel surcharge = max(0, (current diesel price - base fuel price) ÷ MPG × miles). Contract formulas may use different baselines or rounding rules.
How to Read the Result
The output estimates the extra fuel cost above the baseline. It does not guarantee reimbursement, and it does not decide what a carrier should charge. Use it to check whether a stated surcharge roughly matches the formula in your contract or rate confirmation.
Related reading: fuel surcharge explained and base fuel price.