MarginShock

Snow removal
fuel surcharge calculator

Plow trucks and loaders burn a lot of fuel in a short, intense season, and seasonal contracts are usually signed in the fall at a fixed price. If fuel moves after you sign, you carry the difference all winter. Work out the cost per push now, while you're still pricing contracts.

Worked example

Diesel Fuel $3.70 → $4.80

$4.77

surcharge per push

Extra / month
$1,430
Of avg ticket
4.0%

Illustrative · enter your own below

Surcharge engine · inputs

Example numbers — replace with yours

Example: 5 plow trucks, ~300 pushes a month in season, $120 average push

The cost that changed
$
$
How much you use

From fuel cards, receipts, or supplier invoices.

How many pushs 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

$1,430

Extra / push

$4.77

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

(What drives the cost)

Where the fuel goes in snow removal.

  1. 01Heavy plow trucks and loaders running long hours during storms.
  2. 02Low speed, high load plowing with very poor fuel economy.
  3. 03Salting and sanding runs between pushes.
  4. 04Idling while waiting for storms to finish or lots to clear.

(Pricing it)

How to add a surcharge customers accept.

01

Put a fuel clause in seasonal contracts

Fixed seasonal pricing is signed months before the fuel is burned. A clause tied to a public diesel index protects you without re-negotiating mid-winter.

02

Per-push and per-event contracts can adjust

If you bill per push or per event, a small fuel line per push tracks your actual usage, so customers only pay for storms that happen.

03

Price before you sign

Most snow contracts are signed in the fall. Run the numbers at today's diesel price before quoting, not after the first storm.

(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 More letter, SMS & invoice templates

Email · friendly · draft

Review before sending

Subject: A small fuel surcharge on upcoming pushs

Hi [Customer name],

Fuel prices have risen sharply, and fuel is one of the biggest costs of every push we do for you. Rather than raise our base prices, we're adding a temporary fuel surcharge of $4.77 per push, 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)

Snow Removal fuel surcharge questions

01Should snow plowing contracts include a fuel surcharge?

Many contractors add a fuel adjustment clause to seasonal and per-push contracts, especially when diesel is volatile. It's easier to agree on in the fall than to raise mid-season.

02Per push, per event, or seasonal?

Match how you bill. For seasonal contracts, build a fuel clause in; for per-push work, the calculator's per-job figure is your per-push fuel cost.

03How do I estimate monthly fuel for a season that hasn't happened?

Use last season's fuel logs for an average month, or gallons per push × expected pushes. Then rerun the calculator if the winter turns out heavier than usual.

Other industry calculators