Editorial: Fuel Surcharges Not a Significant Source of Income

DC Velocity, a leading publication for Distribution Management, published a letter to the editor in its April issue from Lana Batts concerning raising fuel prices. Lana strongly objected to an editorial which claimed that carriers were making money off their fuel surcharges. She noted that carriers only cover about 75 to 80 percent of their gallons with their surcharges because of (1) the differences in billed miles versus actual; (2) empty and out of route miles, (3) refrigeration unit fuels, (4) congestion, and (5) idling.