Separate costs you bear, reimbursable expenses and contract revenue before comparing savings. Calculations and questions below are original teaching examples. Official and operator sources were checked on October 13, 2026; this is not a product recommendation or a savings guarantee.
Estimate: Estimate all working miles, not just loaded miles. Include pickup deadhead, expected detours and necessary movement before the job ends. Use historical MPG from comparable equipment, loads and conditions.
Teaching example: 600 loaded miles plus 60 empty miles, at 6 MPG and $4 per gallon, gives 660 ÷ 6 × 4 = $440. These are not current prices or promised performance. Add separate reefer or other fuel consumption; do not add idling again if already included in the historical MPG. A fill-up payment is not necessarily this load’s consumed fuel cost. Account for starting and ending fuel consistently.
Official data use: EIA publishes regional and national diesel averages for tracking trends. Budget with your available station prices and card terms. EIA diesel prices
Also consider tolls, parking, maintenance allowances and time. Confirm whether any fuel surcharge is already included in the total rate before adding it as revenue.
Useful check: “Does this estimate include deadhead miles, extra fuel use and all trip-related charges?” / “这个估算是否包含空驶、额外用油和本单相关费用？”
来源 / Sources
CDTFA IFTA guide deadhead EIA diesel prices ELD EPA technology resources FMCSA ELD list fuel surcharge WEX product terms