MarginShock

Moving company
fuel surcharge calculator

Moving trucks are heavy, thirsty, and often run a long way between the warehouse, the origin, and the destination. Because each move is a large ticket, a fuel increase can hide inside your margin until the month is over. Put a number on it.

Worked example

Diesel Fuel $3.70 → $4.80

$16.50

surcharge per move

Extra / month
$990
Of avg ticket
1.2%

Illustrative · enter your own below

Surcharge engine · inputs

Example numbers — replace with yours

Example: 3 trucks, ~60 moves a month, $1,400 average move

The cost that changed
$
$
How much you use

From fuel cards, receipts, or supplier invoices.

How many moves 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

$990

Extra / move

$16.50

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

(What drives the cost)

Where the fuel goes in moving companies.

  1. 01Large straight trucks and tractor-trailers with low miles per gallon.
  2. 02Deadhead miles from the yard to the pickup location.
  3. 03Long-distance moves where fuel is a big share of total cost.
  4. 04Idle time during loading in hot or cold weather.

(Pricing it)

How to add a surcharge customers accept.

01

Separate local and long-distance

Fuel matters far more on long-distance moves. A per-mile fuel surcharge on long hauls is more accurate than a flat amount on every job.

02

Put it in the estimate

Moving customers review estimates line by line. A labeled fuel surcharge in the written estimate avoids disputes on moving day.

03

Honor booked quotes

For moves already booked at a quoted price, apply the surcharge only to new bookings unless your terms clearly allow otherwise.

(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 moves

Hi [Customer name],

Fuel prices have risen sharply, and fuel is one of the biggest costs of every move we do for you. Rather than raise our base prices, we're adding a temporary fuel surcharge of $16.50 per move, 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)

Moving Companies fuel surcharge questions

01Do moving companies charge fuel surcharges?

Many do, especially on long-distance moves where fuel is a large share of cost. Check any regulations and tariff rules that apply to your type of move before adding one.

02Per mile or per move?

Per mile is more accurate for long hauls; a flat per-move amount is simpler for local work. Use the calculator for the per-move figure, then divide by average miles if you prefer per-mile.

03What if fuel prices drop again?

Say in your notice that the surcharge will be reviewed or removed when fuel falls below a set price. MarginShock's saved policies let you record that rule.

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