Diesel price protection, explained for trucking associations

When diesel spikes, your members pay first and your association feels it next. What price protection is, and how to offer it as a member benefit.

For trucking associations · By Hedjee · October 11, 2026 · 1 min read

Diesel in 2026

U.S. average diesel price, a gallon

Diesel

Feb. 23, 2026

Diesel

Sept. 21, 2026

Record high

+$2.72 a gallon in 7 months

Sept. 21 was the highest weekly price since EIA’s records start in 1994 (not counting inflation).

Over $400

more to fill one truck each time diesel goes up $1, says OOIDA’s Lewie Pugh

Most U.S. trucking companies are small: 91.5% run 10 trucks or fewer.

And 52% of truckers in a 2023 OOIDA Foundation survey couldn’t add a fuel surcharge to their rate.

At least 16

trucking, delivery and transport companies went into bankruptcy between late August and Sept. 21, 2026, as diesel rose and other costs stayed high

They ranged from owner-operators to fleets with dozens of trucks. A member that closes doesn’t renew. A member that rides out the spike can.

A member picks a cap for their diesel price and pays a small fee per gallon up front.

If what they pay averages above the cap over the period, Hedjee pays them the difference. If not, the fee is all they pay.

Compared	No protectionExample: a month, 1,000 gallons, diesel up $1	With HedjeeSame month, with a $4.00 cap
At the pump	$5.00 a gallon on average	The same $5.00. Nothing changes.
Fee, up front	None	5¢ a gallon: $50
Hedjee pays back	Nothing	$1 a gallon: $1,000
What the $1 jump cost	$1,000	Just the $50 fee

Big companies like Sysco lock in the price of much of their diesel ahead of time. Hedjee brings the same kind of protection to members of any size.

Compared	What it does	With Hedjee
Fuel-card discounts	Save a few cents on each gallon	Keep them. Same cards, same stations.
Diesel price updates	Keep members up to date on prices	Keep them. Hedjee could pay members back in a spike.
Fuel surcharge	Passes a rise on to customers, usually a week behind	Keep it. Hedjee pays on top of it.
Futures and swaps	Lock a price ahead of time. Futures need cash up front.	Works on what members actually pay. No deposits.

Shape a member benefit in one free 20-minute call. Bring one member group and a channel you already use: a newsletter, webinar or event.

We bring the copy, free fuel tools and a plain-language session. Protection stays optional for members.