C.H. Robinson waives fuel card fees amid rising diesel costs
C.H. Robinson waived fuel card fees for contract carriers in April-May 2026 as diesel prices hit $5.401/gallon, the highest since late 2022. The freight brokerage is offering free discount fuel cards and cash advances to help carriers manage costs that represent 20-28% of truck operating expenses.
Rising freight costs will pressure seller margins across all channels as carriers pass through fuel surcharges. Monitor your shipping cost per unit trends in seller dashboards and consider locking in rates with 3PLs before broader fuel surcharge increases hit.
This signals broader inflationary pressure on logistics costs that will compress seller margins, especially for heavy/bulky products with high shipping-to-revenue ratios.
Check shipping cost per unit in your seller central reports -- if trending up 15%+ month-over-month, negotiate fuel surcharge caps with your 3PL now.
Review FBA inbound shipping costs and consider consolidating shipments to reduce per-unit freight impact over next 60 days.
Bottom Line
$5.40 diesel means higher shipping costs for sellers.
Source Lens
Industry Context
Useful background context, but lower-priority than direct platform, community, or operator intelligence.
Impact Level
medium
$5.40 diesel means higher shipping costs for sellers.
Key Stat / Trigger
$5.401 per gallon diesel price for week ending March 30
Focus on the operational implication, not just the headline.
Full Coverage
The Iran conflict is driving higher energy prices and pushing diesel costs sharply higher at the pump. Freight brokerages are responding. C. H. Robinson (NASDAQ: CHRW) announced Wednesday it is offering free discount-fuel cards and free cash advances for fuel to help its network of contract carriers weather the spike.
Diesel prices paid at the pump rose sharply higher in recent weeks, with the national average for ultra-low sulfur diesel reaching $5. 401 per gallon for the week ending March 30. This is the highest level since late 2022. The benchmark price has now risen for 11 consecutive weeks and is up nearly $1. 94 per gallon since mid-January, according to the U. S.
Energy Information Administration. “Fuel is the biggest expense for a carrier, typically running 20% and as much as 28% of the cost of operating a truck,” said Michael Castagnetto, the company’s president of North American Surface Transportation.
“With the largest network of carriers in North America, we want to help them get through this unexpected financial strain. Today’s environment is especially challenging for the nearly 60% of carriers that are owner-operators. These small businesses carry a huge amount of the goods that come to everybody’s stores, offices, factories and homes.”
The Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based company said its fuel card provides savings of up to $385 per fill and up to $9,000 a year per truck. The application fee is being waived for carriers who apply in April and May. The company is also waiving the cash-advance fee for advances requested on the fuel card during those two months.
Carriers can receive up to 60% of their pay after picking up a load. Cash advances are common in trucking, but brokerages have increasingly used their technology platforms to offer them as fuel prices climb. The post C. H. Robinson waives fuel card fees amid rising diesel costs appeared first on FreightWaves.
Original Source
This briefing is based on reporting from Freightwaves. Use the original post for full primary-source context.
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