RismadarVoice Reporters
August 28, 2026
Businesses across the United States are facing increased transportation costs as the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran pushes up fuel expenses and leads shipping and logistics companies to raise fuel surcharges.
The development has affected retailers, manufacturers and small businesses that rely on rail, road, air and sea transportation to move goods across the country and internationally.
Fuel surcharges are generally introduced by transport companies to recover additional costs arising from higher fuel prices. However, some customers have raised concerns that the charges are increasing beyond the actual rise in fuel expenses, potentially allowing transport companies to increase their earnings.
Railroad operator Union Pacific recorded the clearest example during the second quarter.
The company collected $91.1 million more in fuel surcharge revenue than it spent on fuel during the period. The difference contributed $83.2 million to its profit, equivalent to 14 cents per share.
Union Pacific said fuel surcharges form part of the overall cost negotiated with customers and are considered when businesses decide which transportation provider to use.
The United States rail industry is required to report fuel costs and surcharge revenue to federal regulators, providing a relatively clear picture of how the charges are affecting the sector.
Parcel delivery companies UPS and FedEx have also significantly increased their fuel surcharge rates in recent years.
According to an analysis by AFS Logistics, UPS charged about 9 per cent of its base shipping rate as a fuel surcharge in August 2021, when average diesel prices were about $3.35 per gallon.
The rate has now increased to 24.25 per cent for UPS and 23.75 per cent for FedEx.
UPS Chief Financial Officer Brian Dykes said fuel surcharge collections had a “modest” net impact on the company’s consolidated operating profit in the latest quarter.
FedEx Chief Customer Officer Brie Carere similarly said the charges were not a material driver of the company’s adjusted operating income.
Neither company explained why its surcharge percentages had risen significantly since 2021.
The United States Postal Service also introduced its first fuel surcharge on April 26, imposing an 8 per cent charge on most packages.
The increase in transportation costs has extended beyond the United States, with disruption in global shipping routes and higher marine fuel prices affecting container shipping companies.
Danish shipping giant Maersk introduced emergency surcharges and other measures to deal with higher fuel costs affecting cargo transported under long-term contracts.
The company reported second-quarter profit, excluding certain items, of $3 billion, almost $1 billion above analysts’ expectations and higher than the $2.3 billion recorded in the same period a year earlier.
Maersk Chief Executive Officer Vincent Clerc said the company’s digital investments had enabled it to adjust shipping rates faster than competitors.
Meanwhile, supply-chain data provider VesselBot said marine fuel costs had risen by about 30 per cent this year, while container shipping fuel surcharges increased by as much as 75 per cent.
Analysts said freight rates and fuel surcharges in container shipping are currently being influenced not only by fuel costs but also by supply and demand conditions.
The increase in transportation charges could eventually affect consumers if businesses pass higher logistics costs through their supply chains and into the prices of goods.
The development has also renewed concerns among shipping customers that emergency surcharges introduced during periods of geopolitical and energy-market disruption could generate additional profits for transportation companies.
