Diesel price protection, explained for insurance brokers
Fuel is the trucking risk a policy review skips. What a diesel spike does to your clients and your book, and what you can do.
Fuel next to insurance
Over 4 times
Source: ATRI via FleetOwner, 2026
Diesel doesn’t wait for the renewal
Sept. 21 was the highest weekly price since EIA’s records start in 1994 (not counting inflation).
Source: EIA weekly diesel prices
You talk with a client once a year. Diesel can jump in a week.
What a spike does to your clients, and your book
Under 1¢
Source: ATRI cost report, 2026
With so little left, a spike can drain a client’s cash. That can mean late premium payments, harder renewals and lost accounts.
At least 16 trucking companies filed for bankruptcy from late August to Sept. 21, 2026, as diesel rose and other costs stayed high (FreightWaves).
What protection is, in plain words
Your client picks a cap and pays a small fee per gallon up front. If what they pay for diesel averages above the cap, Hedjee pays them the difference. If diesel falls, they owe nothing back.
| Compared | No protectionExample: 1,000 gallons at $5.00 on average | With HedjeeExample: a $4.00 cap and a 5¢ fee |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel bill | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Fee | None | $50 |
| Hedjee pays back | Nothing | $1,000 |
| Fuel cost in the end | $5,000 | $4,050 |
Source: Hedjee’s worked example
How it sits beside what your clients use
Big companies like Sysco lock in the price of much of their diesel ahead of time. Hedjee brings the same kind of protection to fleets of any size, even one truck.
| Compared | What it does | With Hedjee |
|---|---|---|
| Their insurance | Covers trucks, cargo and liability. Not the price of fuel. | Not an insurance policy. Separate from their policies. |
| Fuel surcharge | Passes part of a diesel rise on to shippers. Fixed-rate work may have none. | Keep it. Hedjee pays on top of it. |
| Fuel card | Can save at the pump and track spending. | Keep it. Same cards, same stations, with a cap on top. |
| Futures and swaps | Lock in a price both ways: if diesel falls, you pay the difference. | The same kind of protection, with no deposit and nothing owed back. |
Source: Sysco 2026 annual report (10-K)
What you can do
Bring a fuel specialist to your next review. Ask: if diesel jumps $1 next month, who pays?
If it’s your client, make the introduction. Hedjee gives you a one-page handout and takes the fuel questions. You keep the client.