How is freight fuel surcharge calculated on LTL bills?

For percentage-based fuel programs, the surcharge is calculated by multiplying the applicable freight base by the fuel-surcharge percentage defined by the carrier schedule or customer agreement. Example: if the applicable base is $1,250.00 and the agreed FSC is 24.50%, the calculated surcharge is $306.25. Always use the governing carrier tariff or contract because fuel-surcharge methods vary.

What is the difference between Gross vs Net Fuel Surcharge?

A gross-base fuel surcharge uses the pre-discount freight amount, while a net-base surcharge uses the discounted freight amount. Which base is correct depends on the carrier tariff or customer agreement. If the invoice uses a different basis than the governing terms, the difference should be reviewed before payment or dispute.

What is the EIA National Average Diesel Fuel Index?

The U.S. Energy Information Administration publishes weekly on-highway diesel fuel prices. Many shippers and carriers use EIA price data in fuel-pricing formulas, but EIA does not calculate or regulate fuel surcharges and each carrier or contract may use a different method.

What is the standard tolerance for freight fuel surcharge audits?

There is no universal freight-audit tolerance. Linehaul lets a workspace apply its configured review tolerance, while the governing carrier tariff, contract, tax rules, and rounding method determine whether a difference is actually billable or disputable.

Fuel surcharge calculator

Audit carrier fuel surcharges against gross and net base linehaul tariffs (±$0.05 precision).

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Carrier Billed Parameters

Base Linehaul Freight ($)

Stated Fuel Surcharge Rate (%)

Contract Tariff Discount (%) (Optional)

Billed Fuel Surcharge on Invoice ($)

Audit Verification Verdict

Calculating...

Gross Expected Surcharge

$1,250.00 × 24.50%

$306.25

Actual Billed on Invoice

Carrier Charged Amount

$485.00

Variance: +$178.75

Auditing fuel surcharges manually on every bill?

Upload 2–3 recent carrier PDFs. Linehaul runs its supported automated checks across extracted charges and fuel data, flags potential discrepancies for review, and can generate a Carrier Dispute Sheet for supported findings.

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How is Freight Fuel Surcharge (FSC) Calculated?

Freight fuel surcharge on Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) and Truckload (TL) bills is calculated by multiplying the base linehaul freight charge by the carrier's published fuel surcharge percentage. Standard Formula: Base Freight Charge × (Fuel Surcharge % ÷ 100) = Fuel Surcharge Amount.

Step-by-Step Mathematical Calculation Example

Assume a shipment billed with a $1,250.00 Base Linehaul, a stated 24.50% Fuel Surcharge, and a 15.0% Contract Tariff Discount:

Scenario A: Gross Fuel Calculation

$1,250.00 × 0.2450 = $306.25

Calculated directly against the pre-discounted base freight charge.

Scenario B: Net (Discounted) Fuel Calculation

($1,250.00 - $187.50) × 0.2450 = $260.31

Calculated against the net discounted linehaul rate ($1,062.50).

EIA National Diesel Price & LTL Fuel Surcharge Scale

Standard DOE Benchmark Scale

Motor carriers update their FSC tables weekly based on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) / Energy Information Administration (EIA) National Average Diesel Price:

EIA Diesel Fuel Price (USD/Gal)	Typical LTL FSC Rate (%)	Typical TL FSC Rate ($/Mile)	Audit Action
$3.40 – $3.49	21.00% – 22.00%	$0.42 / mile	Baseline Rate
$3.50 – $3.59	22.50% – 23.50%	$0.44 / mile	Standard Index
$3.60 – $3.69	24.00% – 25.00%	$0.46 / mile	Standard Index
$3.70 – $3.79	25.50% – 26.50%	$0.48 / mile	Active Tariff Audit
$3.80 – $3.89	27.00% – 28.00%	$0.50 / mile	Active Tariff Audit
$3.90 – $3.99	28.50% – 29.50%	$0.52 / mile	Active Tariff Audit
$4.00+	30.00%+	$0.55+ / mile	High Overcharge Risk

Related Freight Tools: Calculate CWT Base Linehaul → Check Pallet Density & Class →

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