MarginShock

Construction hauling
fuel surcharge calculator

Dump trucks and material haulers burn a lot of diesel per load, and contractor rates are often quoted weeks ahead. When diesel moves between bid and haul, you absorb the difference unless you have a surcharge ready. Calculate it per load.

Worked example

Diesel Fuel $3.70 → $4.80

$13.44

surcharge per load

Extra / month
$2,420
Of avg ticket
3.0%

Illustrative · enter your own below

Surcharge engine · inputs

Example numbers — replace with yours

Example: 4 dump trucks, ~180 loads a month, $450 average load

The cost that changed
$
$
How much you use

From fuel cards, receipts, or supplier invoices.

How many loads the cost is spread across.

Your pricing
$

Used to express the surcharge as a %.

%

e.g. 20 for 20%.

Gallon change

▲ 29.7%

Extra / month

$2,420

Extra / load

$13.44

No account needed. Inputs are saved anonymously to build industry benchmarks — never shown individually. Privacy

(What drives the cost)

Where the fuel goes in construction hauling.

  1. 01Heavy loaded miles with low fuel economy.
  2. 02Empty return trips from job sites and quarries.
  3. 03Idle time waiting to load or dump on busy sites.
  4. 04Bids priced before a diesel increase and hauled after it.

(Pricing it)

How to add a surcharge customers accept.

01

Add a fuel clause to bids

A clause that adjusts per-load rates when diesel moves beyond a set band protects you on long projects without re-bidding.

02

Quote per load or per hour consistently

Apply the surcharge on the same basis you bill — per load, per ton, or per hour — so contractors can check the math.

03

Show the index

Contractors accept fuel adjustments more readily when they reference a public diesel price rather than your own receipts.

(Sample customer notice)

A surcharge letter you can adapt.

Built from the example numbers. Create a free account to generate one from your own numbers as an email, SMS, invoice note, or contract clause — then review it before sending.

Generate mine free

Email · friendly · draft

Review before sending

Subject: A small fuel surcharge on upcoming loads

Hi [Customer name],

Fuel prices have risen sharply, and fuel is one of the biggest costs of every load we do for you. Rather than raise our base prices, we're adding a temporary fuel surcharge of $13.44 per load, starting [date].

This covers only the added fuel cost — nothing more. We'll review it regularly and reduce or remove it when fuel prices come back down.

Thank you for your business. If you have any questions, just reply to this message.

[Your name]
[Company]

(FAQ)

Construction Hauling fuel surcharge questions

01How much fuel surcharge do dump truck companies charge?

It varies by market and contract. Use your own diesel use and load count above to find your break-even per load, then decide how to present it.

02Can I change rates in the middle of a project?

Only if your contract allows it. That's why a fuel adjustment clause in the original bid is valuable.

03Per load, per ton, or per hour?

Match how you already bill. Divide the monthly extra fuel cost by loads, tons, or hours to get the right unit.

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