A fuel surcharge is something is quite common to see on an invoice from a courier company. Many clients of couriers though seem confused as to how these surcharges seem to come and go, and they feel unable to understand why these charges are being applied, and when they are going to be charged one. A Northwest Arkansas courier service that charges a fuel charge does so for a very specific reason though, and it is important that their clients understand that this is not simply a move on their part to boost profit margins.
One tip to be aware of is that a courier company absolutely must tell you what fees it is going to charge you if you request them to disclose fully their fee and surcharge structure. This is the law. Therefore, if you don't want to worry about complicating the issue and gaining a great understanding of fuel surcharges, just call them up and ask before you request a delivery to see if this fee will be added to you bill.
The fuel surcharge is determined entirely by the prices of fuel in the area in which the courier does business. The surcharge is added on to bills in order to help make sure that drivers are still earning an adequate amount of money. This is because the drivers are, in almost every courier company, responsible for the price of putting the fuel in their vehicles.
What this means, is that a significant hike in the price of gasoline can greatly reduce the amount of profit that a driver might make on a given day. Now, many people, if they were suddenly dealt notice of a pay cut, might start looking for more lucrative employment. The same principle applies here. The courier companies themselves place the fuel surcharge on the bill and give that amount back to the drivers, in order to try and equalize their earnings to a standard level. Otherwise, they would be in danger of losing any driver that could find work elsewhere at a higher salary.
So, the easiest thing to do if you're wondering if you're going to have to pay a fuel surcharge is to check out your local gas prices. If you see that they've taken a noticeable jump in a short period of time, then don't be surprised if you see fuel surcharges appear where there were none before.