• March 15, 2026

Last updated on March 15, 2026

Fuel Surcharge Update: What’s Driving Higher Auto Transport Costs Right Now

Two separate fuel cost increases are affecting vehicle shipping right now. They come from different sources and hit different parts of your shipment. Here’s what’s happening, what it means for your move, and why.

Part 1: Domestic Trucking — The Diesel Spike

The first increase is domestic diesel — the fuel that powers every car carrier on the highway. We don’t set diesel prices, but when they spike like this, the carriers we work with adjust their rates.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the national average for on-highway diesel hit $4.86 per gallon the week of March 9, 2026 — up 96 cents in a single week. That’s the largest one-week increase on record.

Here’s what the trend looks like:

Week	National Avg Diesel (per gallon)
February 16, 2026	$3.49
February 23, 2026	$3.62
March 2, 2026	$3.73
March 9, 2026	$4.86

That’s a $1.37 increase in less than a month — nearly 40% above the February average. The cause: the Strait of Hormuz crisis. Iran has been attacking merchant vessels in the strait, which handles roughly 20% of global oil supply. Crude oil crossed $100 a barrel, and diesel followed.

Transcar’s Fuel Surcharge: 8% → 12%

On March 10, we added an 8% fuel surcharge to all domestic vehicle shipments. Given what diesel has done since then, we’re adjusting that to 12%, effective Monday, March 16, 2026.

This surcharge applies to the trucking portion of your shipment — the carrier that picks up and delivers your vehicle. It shows up as a separate line item on your quote and invoice. If diesel comes down, the surcharge comes down with it. We check weekly.

Part 2: Ocean Carriers — Hawaii, Guam, and Alaska

If you’re shipping a vehicle to or from Hawaii, Guam, or Alaska, there’s a second cost increase coming from the ocean carriers themselves. This is separate from our trucking surcharge.

Ocean carriers set their own fuel surcharges based on bunker fuel prices — the heavy fuel oil that powers cargo vessels. With crude oil above $100, bunker fuel costs have spiked too.

Here’s what the carriers we use for these routes have announced:

The steamship lines that service Hawaii, Guam, and Alaska have announced fuel surcharge increases effective April 12, 2026. Here’s what’s changing:

Service	Previous Surcharge	New Surcharge (April 12)	Change
Hawaii (Pasha / Matson)	16.5%	20.5%	+4 points
Guam / CNMI (Matson)	17.5%	21.5%	+4 points
Alaska (United Road)	Varies by contract	Rate adjustment pending	TBD

These are direct pass-throughs from the steamship lines — not markups by Transcar. They apply to the ocean freight portion of your shipment only.

What this means for you: If you received a Hawaii, Guam, or Alaska quote before April 12, your final price may be higher. Contact us to get an updated quote that reflects the new carrier surcharges.

How It Shows Up on Your Quote

Your shipment quote may now include two fuel-related charges:

• Transcar fuel surcharge (12%): Covers the domestic trucking leg — carrier pickup and delivery. Set by Transcar based on US diesel prices. Effective March 16.
• Ocean carrier fuel surcharge: Covers the ocean leg (Hawaii, Guam, Alaska only). Set by the steamship lines based on bunker fuel prices. Hawaii going from 16.5% to 20.5%, Guam from 17.5% to 21.5%, effective April 12, 2026.

For door-to-door shipments to the islands or Alaska, both charges apply because your vehicle travels by truck AND by vessel. For mainland-to-mainland moves, only the trucking surcharge applies.

Both appear as separate line items. Nothing is buried in your base rate.

What This Means for Your Move

A few things to keep in mind:

• Quotes are time-sensitive right now. Fuel prices are moving fast. A quote from two weeks ago may not reflect today’s costs.
• Every surcharge is itemized. You’ll see exactly what’s fuel-related and what’s the base transport rate.
• We review weekly. The trucking surcharge tracks diesel. If it drops, so does your surcharge. Ocean carrier rates reset quarterly.
• Rates are based on the tariff at time of port drop-off. The surcharge that applies is whatever’s in effect when your vehicle arrives at the port — not when you booked. If fuel surcharges change between booking and drop-off, your final rate reflects the current tariff.

The Bottom Line

Two things are driving costs up: diesel at the pump (hitting every truck on the highway) and bunker fuel on the water (hitting Hawaii, Guam, and Alaska shipments). They come from different places and hit at different times, but the root cause is the same — Hormuz is shut down, oil is over $100, and the entire supply chain is absorbing it.

We’re not hiding any of it. Every fuel-related charge is a separate line item, and we adjust them as conditions change — up or down.

Questions? Call us at (682) 252-4654. Need an updated quote? Get one here — it takes 30 seconds.

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Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) weekly retail diesel price data, March 2026. Honolulu Freight Service fuel surcharge advisory, March 13, 2026. Carrier fuel surcharge advisories from Pasha Hawaii, Matson Navigation, and United Road.