Fuel-Cost Impact Varies With Size, Type of Firm
Soaring diesel fuel prices affect every trucking company, but some are feeling the pinch more than others.
While many publicly owned truckload carriers saw profits dwindle, parcel carriers and less-than-truckload general freight carriers have, for the most part, posted solid gains in revenue and profits.
Package and LTL carriers, for instance, spend half as much on fuel (as a percentage of revenue) as truckload carriers. Refrigerated carriers, which need to power trailer refrigeration units in addition to tractors, and some specialized fleets pay well above the industry average.
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 | Fuel Spending as a Percentage of Revenue (1999) |
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Why the difference? One reason is that the cost of fuel, oil and lubricants does not affect all trucking companies to the same degree.
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