What is a fuel surcharge?

A fuel surcharge is a percentage (or, for DHL eCommerce, a per-pound amount) that carriers add on top of base shipping rates to absorb fuel cost changes. Most U.S. carriers index it to the on-highway diesel price the EIA publishes each week. USPS is the exception: it charges a flat percentage for a fixed program window.

Which couriers apply fuel surcharges?

UPS, FedEx, OnTrac, USPS (April 26, 2026 to January 17, 2027), DHL eCommerce and Amazon Shipping all apply fuel surcharges in the U.S. Most use a percentage of the base rate tied to EIA diesel. DHL eCommerce uses a per-pound amount tied to gasoline, and USPS uses a flat percentage.

How often do fuel surcharges change?

UPS, FedEx, OnTrac and DHL eCommerce update every Monday from that morning's EIA release. USPS holds its surcharge for the whole program window, currently 8% through January 17, 2027. This page pulls fresh EIA data every Tuesday evening and re-runs each carrier's schedule.

Why should ecommerce brands track fuel surcharges?

Surcharges are often a larger share of the shipping bill than the base rate. Tracking them lets a brand stress-test margin assumptions, time large outbound campaigns, negotiate annual rate agreements with a cap on fuel, and decide when a regional carrier or USPS beats the national majors.

Where does this data come from?

Diesel and gasoline prices come from the EIA weekly retail gasoline and diesel prices report. Carrier surcharge schedules come from each carrier's published rate page, linked from the carrier cards above. The tracker refreshes every Tuesday evening and shows the week it is reading from.

US Fuel Surcharges This Week: UPS, FedEx, OnTrac, USPS and DHL eCommerce

This week

Current fuel surcharges by carrier

Diesel and gasoline this week, each carrier's surcharge and the band it sits in, then the full schedules. Live from the EIA feed.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration Updated weekly · Tuesday 6 PM EST

U.S. RETAIL DIESEL

$— / gal

Week of —

vs last wk — vs year ago —

U.S. RETAIL GASOLINE

$— / gal

Week of —

vs last wk — vs year ago —

UPS Ground tied to diesel

—%

at current price

UPS schedule ↗

FedEx Ground tied to diesel

—%

at current price

FedEx schedule ↗

OnTrac tied to diesel

—%

at current price

OnTrac schedule ↗

USPS flat through Jan 17, 2027

8.00%

Priority Mail · Priority Mail Express · Ground Advantage · Parcel Select

USPS announcement ↗

DHL eCommerce tied to gasoline

$0.10/lb

approximate · per-pound, not %

DHL surcharge policy ↗

Recent weekly diesel prices

U.S. average · $/gallon

Full surcharge schedules

UPS Ground — price bands · indexed to diesel

FedEx Ground — price bands · indexed to diesel

OnTrac — price bands · indexed to diesel

USPS flat rate · April 26, 2026 → January 17, 2027

USPS uses a single flat 8.00% fuel surcharge across all affected services for the duration of the program. It does not change weekly with fuel prices.

Applies to: Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, Parcel Select.

Does not apply to: First-Class Mail letters, stamps, standard mail.

DHL eCommerce per-pound · indexed to EIA gasoline

DHL eCommerce prices its fuel surcharge differently from the other U.S. parcel carriers. Instead of a percentage of the base rate, DHL eCommerce charges an approximate flat amount per pound of billable weight, tied to the EIA gasoline retail index.

Current approximate rate: $0.10 per pound.

How to use this: Multiply your shipment's billable weight (lbs) by the per-pound rate to estimate the fuel adder, then add that to your DHL eCommerce base rate.

Rate refreshed against DHL's published surcharge policy. Confirm with your DHL eCommerce account team for contracted volumes.

How it works

How a courier fuel surcharge is set

Three steps, the same every week for UPS, FedEx and OnTrac.

EIA publishes the diesel priceEvery Monday the U.S. Energy Information Administration publishes the national average on-highway diesel price. That single number drives most carrier surcharges.
The carrier looks up its bandUPS, FedEx and OnTrac each publish a schedule of diesel price bands, about nine cents wide, with a surcharge percentage for each. The week's diesel price picks the band.
The percentage lands on your base rateThe surcharge is applied to the base transportation charge and to most accessorials, so a 28% surcharge on a $10 label adds $2.80 before residential and DIM fees.

Where it bites. At a 28.75% surcharge, a $10 base label costs $12.88 before any residential or dimensional fees. Over 20,000 parcels a month that is $57,500 of fuel, and every quarter point of surcharge is another $500. The surcharge line deserves its own row in the rate negotiation.

Carrier by carrier

How each carrier prices fuel

Four index to diesel, one to gasoline, and USPS fixes the number for the season.

UPS GroundUpdated weekly and tied to the EIA national average diesel price published the prior Monday. Moves in 0.25-point steps across nine-cent diesel bands. Applies to the base rate and most accessorial charges.UPS surcharge page
FedEx GroundIndexed to the same EIA diesel number as UPS. The brackets are tighter at the top of the price range, so a small move in diesel can move FedEx Ground by a quarter point in a week.FedEx surcharge page
OnTracPublishes the widest set of diesel bands of the major U.S. carriers, from under $2 to past $6.60 a gallon, which makes OnTrac the easiest carrier to model against historical diesel prices.OnTrac surcharges and rates
USPSA flat 8.00% fuel surcharge from April 26, 2026 through January 17, 2027 on Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage and Parcel Select. It does not move with diesel during the program window.USPS announcement
DHL eCommerceCharges per pound of billable weight, roughly $0.10 per lb, indexed to the EIA retail gasoline price instead of diesel. Light parcels feel a smaller absolute hit than under a percentage program.DHL eCommerce surcharge policy
Amazon ShippingApplies a fuel surcharge too, published inside the seller rate card rather than on a public page, so it is not in the tracker above. Model it from your own invoices.

Lower the bill

Three ways to pay less fuel surcharge

Negotiate the surcharge line itselfCarriers discount fuel surcharges for volume shippers. A cap or a percentage discount on the surcharge is worth more than the same discount on base rates when diesel is high.
Cut billable weightThe surcharge is a percentage of the whole charge, so every pound of dimensional weight you remove takes its surcharge with it. Start with the dimensional weight calculator.
Lean on regional and postal optionsOnTrac, DHL eCommerce and USPS price fuel differently. Modeling a month of real parcels by zone shows where a second carrier lowers the blended cost.

Questions

Fuel surcharge FAQ

What is a fuel surcharge?: A fuel surcharge is a percentage (or, for DHL eCommerce, a per-pound amount) that carriers add on top of base shipping rates to absorb fuel cost changes. Most U.S. carriers index it to the on-highway diesel price the EIA publishes each week. USPS is the exception: it charges a flat percentage for a fixed program window.
Which couriers apply fuel surcharges?: UPS, FedEx, OnTrac, USPS (April 26, 2026 to January 17, 2027), DHL eCommerce and Amazon Shipping all apply fuel surcharges in the U.S. Most use a percentage of the base rate tied to EIA diesel. DHL eCommerce uses a per-pound amount tied to gasoline, and USPS uses a flat percentage.
How often do fuel surcharges change?: UPS, FedEx, OnTrac and DHL eCommerce update every Monday from that morning's EIA release. USPS holds its surcharge for the whole program window, currently 8% through January 17, 2027. This page pulls fresh EIA data every Tuesday evening and re-runs each carrier's schedule.
Why should ecommerce brands track fuel surcharges?: Surcharges are often a larger share of the shipping bill than the base rate. Tracking them lets a brand stress-test margin assumptions, time large outbound campaigns, negotiate annual rate agreements with a cap on fuel, and decide when a regional carrier or USPS beats the national majors.
Where does this data come from?: Diesel and gasoline prices come from the EIA weekly retail gasoline and diesel prices report. Carrier surcharge schedules come from each carrier's published rate page, linked from the carrier cards above. The tracker refreshes every Tuesday evening and shows the week it is reading from.

Keep going

Related tools and guides

Dimensional Weight CalculatorSee what a box bills at before the surcharge lands on it.
3PL Rate CheckerBenchmark your fulfillment, shipping and storage fees against real bids.
USPS Zones by Zip CodeZone lookups for modeling a month of real parcels.
3PL Pricing and RatesEvery line on a 3PL quote, including how courier and fuel are passed through.
How to Choose a 3PLThe selection process 3PL Hub runs for brands, with carrier mix as a scoring line.
All free toolsEleven calculators, lookups and databases. No signup.

US fuel surcharges this week

Current fuel surcharges by carrier

Recent weekly diesel prices

Full surcharge schedules

How a courier fuel surcharge is set

How each carrier prices fuel

Three ways to pay less fuel surcharge

Fuel surcharge FAQ

Benchmark the whole invoice, fuel included

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