Fuel surcharges have conventionally been an effective method for trucking companies to recoup the rising costs of fuel while running their businesses.
Currently there is no mandated, uniform fuel surcharge for the trucking industry. Fuel surcharges must be negotiated individually in contracts.
Unfortunately, however, there is still a major flaw within this process. There is no legal requirement mandating that fuel surcharges collected from a shipper be passed on to the person who actually paid for the fuel in order for a load to be hauled. In other words, there is nothing that stops a broker or intermediary from charging a fuel surcharge and keeping some or all of it. OOIDA contends this isn't merely mistreatment of one party toward another or a matter of poor negotiating. It hurts businesses that depend on fuel for operating and it hurts consumers because it skews the economic reality of the true cost of shipping.
Small-business truckers are often denied access to the contracts and rate information negotiated between brokers and the shippers or customers whose freight is being hauled. Transparency in transactions is a key component to fair business dealings in order for all parties to make informed decisions. It has become all too common for some to exploit their position by pushing shippers to pay fuel surcharges, but then only passing along a portion of those surcharges, or nothing at all, to those who actually hauled the freight and paid the fuel bill. Fuel surcharges were not created or originally intended to generate revenue, but rather to recoup the ever changing prices in fuel.