US Foods® Fuel Surcharge

Depending on the average diesel fuel prices in your market, US Foods may apply a fuel surcharge to your invoice. The fuel surcharge is intended to reflect that increases in the cost of diesel fuel may impact US Foods. The fuel surcharge is based on the average diesel fuel prices published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. It is not based on actual fuel costs incurred by US Foods to deliver products to any given customer.

The grid below is used to determine the applicable fuel surcharge for the next month’s deliveries.* The fuel surcharge will be determined by the average diesel fuel prices published weekly by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The EIA measures the average on-highway price of diesel fuel for different areas of the country.  US Foods categorizes customers into US Foods markets based on the distribution center that services a customer. The location of the distribution center within one of the EIA Areas determines the applicable fuel surcharge grid for a customer.  At the bottom of this page are graphics to illustrate how the US Foods markets and EIA Areas correspond to one another. To monitor diesel fuel prices for the EIA Areas, simply visit the EIA website at: https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_pri_gnd_a_epd2d_pte_dpgal_w.htm.

For your reference, the following US Foods markets are within the Gulf Coast Area listed on the EIA website: (1) Albuquerque, (2) Dallas, (3) Houston, (4) Jackson, (5) Little Rock, (6) Lubbock, (7) Montgomery, (8) New Orleans–F. Christiana.

On either the third or fourth Tuesday of the month, US Foods uses the published EIA average diesel prices for your area to set the fuel surcharge amount per delivery for the next month based on the grid below. For transparency, the fuel surcharge, when applicable, is shown as a separate line item charge on your invoices.

Under this grid, if the average price of diesel fuel is less than $2.50 per gallon, no surcharge will be applied to your invoice.  When the average price of diesel fuel is $2.50 or more per gallon, US Foods applies a one-time charge per delivery. For every $0.50 increase in the average price of diesel fuel, your surcharge increases by $1.00. Conversely, for every $0.50 decrease in the average price of diesel fuel, your surcharge decreases by $1.00, including no surcharge when the average price of diesel fuel is less than $2.50 per gallon. So, for example, this month, if the average price of diesel fuel is between $2.50 and $2.99, US Foods will apply a fuel surcharge of $4.00 per delivery, and if the average price is between $3.00 and $3.49, the fuel surcharge will be $5.00.

US Foods reserves the right to modify or change the fuel surcharge fee structure described herein at its sole discretion. You agree with respect to any dispute arising out of your purchases from US Foods: (i) you are giving up your right to serve in any representative capacity, or to participate as a member of a class, in any lawsuit; (ii) you also agree, at the sole option of US Foods, to submit all claims to binding, individual arbitration; (iii) such arbitration shall be governed by the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. § 1 and conducted in accordance with the Commercial Rules of the American Arbitration Association; and (iv) each party shall pay half the costs of arbitration, and separately pay its own attorneys’ fees and costs.

*If you have an agreement with US Foods that expressly addresses the calculation of the fuel surcharge, please refer to that agreement.
**US Foods notes that to the extent diesel prices exceed $7.49 per gallon, the fuel surcharge shall increase proportionately.