Porta Potty Forum
Log inAsk a question

What's the 'fuel surcharge' on a porta potty invoice for?

Marcus B.asked 0 viewsCosts & Rental QuotesDelivery feeVacuum truckService visitFuel surchargeMonthly rental

I'm pricing a rental for a four-week residential addition project. The crew is five people, and the site is a standard city lot with a gravel pad that's easy for a vacuum truck to reach. I'm just getting a single standard portable toilet. The quote came back with a clear monthly rental rate and a delivery fee, but there's also a separate line item for a 'fuel surcharge'. I've seen fuel charges on long-haul freight bills, but this is a local company. Is this fee calculated based on the actual distance from their yard to my site? Or is it a flat rate they add to every single delivery fee, regardless of the drop-off location? Does the surcharge also apply to the weekly service visit?

1 answer

Sorted by votes
0
Ray M.Dallas, TX

The fuel surcharge on a porta potty invoice pays for the diesel the vacuum truck burns on the round trip from the rental yard to your site. It is a variable fee based on the actual distance for each delivery and each service visit.

It is not a flat fee on every job. The rental company calculates the round-trip mileage from their yard to your address and applies a per-mile rate that reflects the current cost of diesel fuel. This surcharge is separate from the delivery fee, which covers the driver's time and truck overhead for the delivery itself. The same surcharge calculation applies to every subsequent weekly service visit, because the truck makes the same trip each time to pump the unit.

Fuel is a major operating cost. A vacuum truck is heavy and gets poor fuel economy, so long distances or frequent service quickly add up. For a four-week rental with weekly service, the fuel surcharge will appear on the initial invoice for the delivery and on the final bill for all the service trips combined.

Your answer

Log in or create a free account to answer this question.

Related questions