Fuel Surcharge Gaps: What Carriers Miss on Every Load

Fuel surcharge gaps are harming carrier profits, according to Matt Cartwright, CEO of Magnus Technologies, an enterprise transportation management software provider. Many trucking companies fail to capture the full fuel surcharge they contractually deserve due to a lack of real-time visibility, Cartwright said. Magnus Technologies helps fleets measure true fuel cost per load, compare it to recovery, and identify invoicing and contract gaps.

The company compares published diesel fuel indexes, such as those from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), to a fleet's actual fuel consumption, which includes miles driven and idle time. Magnus' software, a quote-to-cash enterprise SaaS system, can automatically calculate load-level fuel surcharge reports based on granular operational data.

The company, which originated in the automotive transport sector, is expanding into the for-hire dry van and general freight markets, targeting smaller fleets with fewer than 10 trucks that historically lacked access to enterprise-grade tools. Magnus provides a single-brand driver app to avoid legal issues related to driver agency, as highlighted in the Lupe Superior case.