Diesel price protection, explained for diesel suppliers
When diesel jumps, every delivery bills more, and customers may pay late or order less. What price protection is, and how it could help.
Diesel in 2026
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).
Source: EIA weekly diesel prices
Many of your customers run on thin profit
Under 1¢
Source: ATRI trucking cost report, 2026
So when diesel jumps, your invoice can be hard for them to pay on time.
Then it lands on your books
$2.2B → $2.8B
Source: World Kinect first-quarter 2026 results; World Kinect Q1 2026 earnings call
World Kinect (not a Hedjee partner) says high prices can push customers to their credit limit. Then they may buy less, or not be able to pay.
On its earnings call: same gallons at double the price means you “double their credit line,” or decide not to.
What protection is, in plain words
Your customer 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 months they pick, Hedjee pays them the difference. If not, the fee is all they pay.
| Compared | Example: no protectionYou deliver 1,000 gallons. Diesel jumps $1, to $5.00. | Example: with HedjeeSame gallons, with a $4.00 cap |
|---|---|---|
| Your invoice | $5,000 | $5,000. It doesn’t change. |
| Customer’s fee, 5¢ a gallon | None | $50 |
| Hedjee pays your customer | None | $1,000 after month-end, toward their next order |
| Your customer | May pay late or order less | Could keep paying on time and ordering full loads |
Source: Hedjee, what it costs (example); World Kinect 2025 annual report (10-K)
It sits beside what you use now
| Compared | What it does | With Hedjee |
|---|---|---|
| Rack-plus pricing | Your price follows the market. Every jump goes to the customer. | Keep it. If what they pay averages above their cap, Hedjee pays the difference. |
| Fixed-price contracts | A set price for customers who commit to the gallons. | Keep them. Fuel on a fixed price doesn’t need it. |
| Fuel surcharge | Your customers charge shippers extra to help cover a rise. | They keep it. Hedjee pays on top of it. |
| Fuel cards | Easy buying, and sometimes cents off a gallon. | Keep them. Same cards, same stations. |
| Futures and swaps | How big buyers lock in a price ahead of time. | The same kind of protection, for fleets of any size. No margin account. |
Source: OOIDA fuel surcharge guide; Sysco 2026 annual report (10-K)
Each tool keeps its job. Hedjee adds on top. See how Sysco locks in its diesel.
What you can do
Mention Hedjee with a quote, a delivery plan or in your ordering portal. You keep the account.
Explore how Hedjee could help one group of your customers on a free 20-minute call. No commitment.