Carrier Fuel Cost Playbook

Most carriers are losing the fuel war in three places: the fuel island, the rate sheet, and the org chart. At these prices, fuel is no longer a line item. It is the P&L.

• $6.529U.S. avg diesel, $/gal (up 74.2% year over year)
• 60,000Gallons saved per year at +0.3 MPG
• $391,740Annual savings, 100-truck fleet
• $3,917Saved per truck per year

What's inside

• Do the math, 6.5 to 6.8 MPG. The full calculation for a 100-truck fleet, plus the same fleet priced by region (from $370,620 a year on the Gulf Coast to $494,760 in California) and a sensitivity table showing that every tenth of an MPG counts.
• The margin insight. A fuel surcharge built on a 6.5 MPG base does not move when your trucks get better, so every MPG gained above the base drops straight to operating margin.
• Maintenance levers that move MPG. Tire pressure, low-rolling-resistance tires, alignment, speed governance, trailer aero, idle reduction, lubricants, and engine health, each with typical impact, cost, and execution notes.
• Fuel purchasing. Cost-plus pricing at truck-stop networks, fuel-card controls, bulk fuel at the yard, and price protection on 20% to 40% of forecast volume.
• Route and fuel optimization software, with a recommendation to demand a 60 to 90 day pilot on 10 to 15 trucks against a written baseline.
• Out-of-the-box plays, from driver savings-share bonuses to auditing every fuel surcharge table.
• A Five Pillars scorecard and a 5-step checklist you can start this week.

What is on the table for a 100-truck fleet

Calculated at the $6.529 U.S. average (EIA, week ending 9/21/2026), before any rate or fuel surcharge recovery. Savings ranges are industry benchmarks; actual results vary by duty cycle, equipment, and terrain. Provider listings are for evaluation only and do not constitute endorsement.

The playbook closes with an offer: a one-time Fuel & Margin Diagnostic covering a 90-day fuel-card and in-network purchase audit, an MPG, idle, and empty-mile baseline, a fuel surcharge review across your top 10 customers, your three biggest cost and revenue leaks with dollar values, and a 90-day action plan. Get in touch to learn more.