Tools
Fuel surcharge on a moving estimate
A fuel surcharge is a percentage on the line-haul, set by the carrier's tariff and usually indexed to the EIA weekly diesel price. It is not diesel times miles. Ask which week's price the surcharge uses and whether it is locked at booking or at pickup.
Haulest data team · Desk opened official pages 17 September 2026. Editorial.
The same 900-mile shipment, three ways of seeing fuel. Illustration of the mechanics, not a quote.
| View | What it prices | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel times miles | Gallons a rental truck burns at this week's EIA price | DIY movers, the diesel calculator |
| Fuel surcharge percentage | A tariff band keyed to the EIA weekly price, applied to line-haul | Interstate carriers, van lines |
| Flat trip fee | A fixed travel charge in a local hourly job | Local movers, hourly quotes |
How the percentage is set
Most interstate tariffs publish a table: when the EIA weekly diesel average sits in a band, the surcharge is a fixed percentage of the transportation charge. Diesel goes up a band, the percentage steps up. The carrier's tariff must be available to you on request.
The line-haul it applies to is the weight-or-cube transportation charge, not packing, not accessorials, not valuation. If a surcharge is being applied to the whole bill, ask why.
Which week
Some carriers lock the surcharge at the estimate date. Some apply the rate in effect on pickup. Over a summer the difference can be a band. Ask, and get it on the estimate.
On this site the diesel calculator prints the EIA week it is using. That is the same public series a tariff points at. We will not turn it into your price.
DIY and local moves
A rental truck has no surcharge; you buy the fuel. Use the calculator for the fuel line and add the rental, mileage fee, damage waiver, and tolls.
A local hourly mover often charges a flat travel or trip fee instead. Ask what it covers so you are not paying for the yard-to-house run twice.
Before you hire
Four checks before a deposit
Written estimate after a look
Interstate movers must give the booklet and a written estimate after a survey or a full description. A $499 ad is not an estimate.
FMCSA Protect Your MoveLegal name matches SAFER
USDOT on the paper, the truck doors, and the census. A different name is the walk.
USDOT / Companies House lookupWalk from cash and blank paper
FTC: unregistered interstate, huge deposit, cash only, or a blank contract. Photograph and leave.
FTC: hiring a mover110% on a COD non-binding job
Pay up to 110% plus agreed extras and they must hand over the load. Not a cap on extras you signed.
US interstate rules
Reviewed September 2026 by the Haulest desk. Numbers on this page carry their own dates; the official pages below are the sources.
Sources
Links go to the publisher. Haulest does not add findings. Checked September 2026; if the live page moved, believe the agency.
Ask out loud
Questions people ask
- Is a fuel surcharge required by law?
- No. It is a tariff item. What is required is that the charges match the tariff and the estimate rules in 49 CFR 375.
- Can I refuse to pay the fuel surcharge?
- If it is in the tariff and on the estimate, it is part of the lawful charges. Argue about which week and which base, not whether.
Next steps
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From, then To. Date and home size after that. A person on the phone is faster if you already know the dates.
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