Diesel price protection, explained for public-sector teams
When diesel spikes, local truckers pay first and your community feels it next. What price protection is, and how your team can introduce it.
Diesel since 2021
Diesel spiked in 2022. Then on Sept. 21, 2026, it hit the highest weekly price since EIA’s records start in 1994 (not counting inflation).
Source: EIA weekly diesel prices
Behind every truck is a local business
Source: ATA industry data
Each $1 rise in diesel costs a trucker over $400 more to fill the truck, says Lewie Pugh of the truckers’ group OOIDA.
When diesel spikes, some close
At least 16
Source: FreightWaves, September 2026
They ranged from one truck to dozens: local businesses like the ones your programs work to keep open.
In 2022, diesel hit records and freight rates fell. FreightWaves told of a Michigan owner-operator who closed after 41 years. A Texas owner sold the trucks rather than take a second mortgage on his home.
What protection is, in plain words
A trucker 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. They owe nothing back.
| Compared | No protectionExample: one 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 |
| Fee, paid 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 |
Source: Hedjee’s worked example
How it sits beside your programs
Big companies like Sysco lock in the price of much of their diesel ahead of time. Hedjee brings the same kind of protection to local truckers of any size, even one truck.
| Compared | What it does | With Hedjee |
|---|---|---|
| Your programs | Help with plans, loans, grants and advice | Keep them. Hedjee adds protection from a diesel spike. |
| Fuel surcharge | Adds a fee to the freight rate when fuel climbs past a set level | Keep it. Hedjee pays on top of it. |
| Fuel cards | Can bring a discount at the pump | Keep them. Same cards, same stations. |
| Futures and swaps | Lock a price ahead of time. Futures need cash up front. | The same kind of protection, on what they pay. No deposits. |
Source: OOIDA fuel surcharge guide; C.H. Robinson, April 2026; CFTC glossary; Sysco 2026 annual report (10-K)
What you can do
Explore how Hedjee could help local truckers in a free 20-minute call about your programs and the businesses you support.
Then introduce us at a workshop or meeting. It costs your program nothing. Hedjee is a private company, and each business decides for itself.