OnTrac fuel surcharge: current rate and calculation
OnTrac’s fuel surcharge for the week of October 26 to November 1, 2026 is 26.75% on its national schedule and 29.75% on its West Coast schedule. For November 2 to 8, 2026, OnTrac has posted 27.00% national and 29.50% West Coast. OnTrac adjusts the percentage weekly from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s diesel price and applies it to the net package rate plus applicable fees and surcharges, so it is calculated after the other charges on a package.
Current OnTrac fuel surcharge
Rates verified October 28, 2026. This table is a dated snapshot; for any later week, check OnTrac’s live fuel table.
| Week | National | West Coast |
|---|---|---|
| November 2–8, 2026 (posted) | 27.00% | 29.50% |
| October 26–November 1, 2026 | 26.75% | 29.75% |
| October 19–25, 2026 | 26.50% | 29.50% |
| October 12–18, 2026 | 26.50% | 29.25% |
| October 5–11, 2026 | 27.00% | 29.75% |
| September 28–October 4, 2026 | 27.50% | 30.00% |
| September 21–27, 2026 | 26.75% | 29.50% |
| October 27–November 2, 2025 (a year earlier) | 19.25% | 20.75% |
Source: the fuel surcharge history tables on OnTrac’s surcharges and rates page (national) and West Coast fuel surcharge page, which list each week back to 2024, read and saved October 28, 2026.
OnTrac’s national percentage has ranged from 18.75% in January 2026 to 27.50% at the end of September, following the rise in diesel prices through the year. For comparison, in the same week UPS Ground fuel is 29.50% and FedEx Ground fuel is 29.00%; our UPS and FedEx fuel pages track those weekly.
National or West Coast: which applies to you
OnTrac bases its fuel surcharge on the EIA’s national average on-highway diesel price, except when it has agreed otherwise in writing. If a shipper does not have a written agreement with OnTrac, OnTrac reserves the right to apply the West Coast schedule instead, based on the EIA’s West Coast average diesel price, which runs higher.
In practice:
- You have a signed OnTrac agreement: check its fuel clause. Unless it says otherwise, the national schedule applies.
- You ship through a platform or reseller: the platform may ship under its own agreement with OnTrac, so check the terms that govern your account to see which schedule applies.
- You have no written agreement at all: OnTrac may bill the West Coast schedule, three points higher this week.
- Either way: compare the percentage on your invoice with OnTrac’s table for the ship week. A difference is a discrepancy to investigate: it may reflect a negotiated concession, your account terms, or a comparison against the wrong week, as well as a billing error.
How OnTrac sets the percentage
Each week’s surcharge is based on the EIA diesel price released the week before, rounded to the nearest cent, and takes effect the following Monday. If the EIA release is delayed, OnTrac may use an earlier week’s price. The price is looked up in OnTrac’s fuel table: in the table effective April 4, 2026, each 0.25-point step above $3.55 a gallon covers a 9-cent band, and this week’s 26.75% national rate corresponds to a diesel price from $6.25 to under $6.34. If the price falls outside the published table, check OnTrac’s page for how the surcharge is set.
Our guide on how fuel surcharges are calculated compares OnTrac’s method with UPS’s and FedEx’s.
Worked example: fuel on an OnTrac invoice
A 10 lb residential package to zone 5, shipped October 28, 2026, at OnTrac list rates on the national schedule:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Base rate, 10 lb, zone 5 | $20.46 |
| Residential delivery | $6.60 |
| Demand residential, October 24, 2026 to January 15, 2027 | $1.00 |
| Subtotal subject to fuel | $28.06 |
| Fuel, 26.75% of $28.06 | $7.51 |
| Total | $35.57 |
Rates: OnTrac 2026 Base Rates and surcharge schedule. Fuel is calculated on the subtotal of the package rate and applicable surcharges, as OnTrac describes it, and rounded to the cent.
On the West Coast schedule the same package carries $8.35 of fuel at 29.75%, for a total of $36.41: $0.84 more on one package from the choice of schedule alone.
With a negotiated agreement, fuel is charged on the net amounts. Take the same package with an illustrative 30% discount on the base rate and 50% on the residential charge: base $14.32, residential $3.30, demand residential $1.00, subtotal $18.62, fuel at 26.75% $4.98, total $23.60. The discounts reduce the fuel charge too, because fuel is a percentage of what you pay after them.
Some agreements also carry a fuel concession: a reduced percentage, a cap or a fixed table. Our article on fuel surcharge discounts explains the forms these take, and they can be negotiated with OnTrac as well.
What to check on your OnTrac invoices
- The percentage matches the ship week and the schedule your agreement specifies, national unless agreed otherwise.
- Fuel is calculated on the net amounts after discounts, not on list.
- Any fuel concession in your agreement is applied.
- Fuel is not applied twice to corrected or re-billed packages.
Our parcel audit checks each of these on every invoice, alongside the base rates and surcharges.
Frequently asked questions
How often does OnTrac change its fuel surcharge?
Weekly. Each new percentage takes effect on a Monday, based on the EIA diesel price released the week before.
What does the OnTrac fuel surcharge apply to?
The net package rate plus applicable fees and surcharges, such as the residential and delivery area charges. Check your agreement for any charges it excludes.
Why is my OnTrac fuel percentage higher than the national rate?
You may be billed on the West Coast schedule, which OnTrac can apply to shippers without a written agreement, or your account may be governed by a platform’s agreement. If your own agreement specifies the national schedule, raise the difference with OnTrac.
Is OnTrac’s fuel surcharge lower than UPS’s and FedEx’s?
On the national schedule this week, yes: 26.75% against 29.50% at UPS Ground and 29.00% at FedEx Ground. The West Coast schedule, at 29.75%, is higher than both. The gap changes weekly, and each carrier uses its own table.
Sources
- OnTrac, Surcharges and Rates, for the national schedule, its basis, the April 4, 2026 table and the 2026 rates and surcharges, read October 28, 2026.
- OnTrac, West Coast Fuel Surcharge, for the West Coast schedule and its history, read October 28, 2026.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update.
- UPS and FedEx fuel surcharge pages for the week of October 26, 2026.