Fuel is the biggest running cost for most trucking businesses, and it changes every month. With worxTMS fuel management, every litre you log works out each vehicle's real fuel consumption. On every shipment, worxTMS then shows the fuel cost per trip, your profit after fuel, and a suggested price for the margin you want. You see whether a load pays before the truck leaves the yard, not at month end.
Why fuel cost per load matters
Many small transporters quote by feel. A load can look good on paper and still lose money once the diesel is paid. The wrong truck, a long empty trip or a fuel price increase can wipe out the margin. If you know the fuel cost of each trip before you accept the load, you can:
- Quote with confidence: know the lowest price that still covers fuel and leaves you a profit
- Pick the right vehicle: see which truck does the job cheapest
- Spot bad loads early: before the fuel is burnt, not at month end
- Keep up with fuel prices: see at once what a price increase does to every load
How fuel links to a shipment
Add Fuel (log each fill-up) → Fuel History (average fuel consumption per vehicle) → Shipment (vehicle and route distance) → Fuel tab (fuel cost per trip and profit after fuel)
The fuel allocation % and the fuel price come from the customer's sheet on the Fuel & Surcharge tab, the same sheet that works out your fuel surcharge.
Any currency, any units. The examples on this page use South African rand (R), kilometres and litres. worxTMS works the same in any currency, such as US dollars ($), Australian dollars, euros (€) or pounds (£), and in miles and gallons. The figures show in the shipment's currency and in the units set in your company Settings.
Before you start
- Your vehicles: added on the Settings page, Vehicles tab
- At least two fill-ups per vehicle: fuel consumption is measured between two fill-ups
- A fuel surcharge sheet: on Fuel > Fuel & Surcharge, with your fuel allocation % and the latest fuel price, linked to the customer
- A shipment with a route and a price: the price saved on the $ tab, and a vehicle assigned (or chosen on the Fuel tab)
Step by step
1
Log each fill-up on Add Fuel
Click Fuel in the top menu. On the Add Fuel tab:
- Date: the day you filled up
- Vehicle: the truck or bakkie you filled
- Odometer: type the reading, or click Import to bring it in from the vehicle's tracker
- Oil added: No or Yes
- Volume: the litres you put in (gallons if your company Settings use gallons)
Click Add Fuel.
Tip: drivers can log fuel at the pump on the Fuel tab of the worxAPP, so nothing gets forgotten. Fill the tank to full every time, so each entry is a true measure of what the vehicle used.
2
Check the vehicle's fuel consumption on Fuel History
Click the Fuel History tab and choose the vehicle. Every fill-up is listed, newest first:
- Odo: the odometer reading
- L: the litres filled
- Dist: kilometres driven since the previous fill-up
- V/dist: volume ÷ distance, the litres used per km
- Average fuel consumption: shown above the table, the figure your shipments use
In this example the 1 Ton Bakkie drove 690 km on 69 litres: 0.1 litres per km, which is 10 litres per 100 km. Multiply V/dist by 100 to get litres per 100 km.
Why is the oldest row empty? Consumption needs an earlier fill-up to measure the distance from. A wrong row is usually a missed fill-up or a mistyped odometer: fix it with the pencil or remove it with the bin.
3
Open the shipment
Click Shipments in the top menu, tick the card and click the eye icon. The card already shows what the Fuel tab will use: the vehicle assigned (CTT01 - 1 Ton Bakkie), the price (ZAR 576.35) and the route distance (77.97 km).
4
Click the fuel pump tab
Below the map, click the fuel pump icon. The Fuel & Profit Dashboard opens with everything filled in for you:
- Vehicle: the vehicle on the shipment. The list shows each vehicle's fuel use per 100 km (10 L/dist means 10 litres per 100 km)
- Fuel Efficiency: litres per km, from Fuel History
- Trip Distance: from the shipment's route
- Fuel Allocation (%): the share of your price meant for fuel, from the customer's fuel surcharge sheet
- Fuel Price: the latest price on that sheet
5
Read Your Actual: what this load really earns
Your Actual uses the price you charged. It stays fixed while you try scenarios below it.
| Line | How it is worked out | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Your Charge | The price on the $ tab | R576.35 |
| Estimated Fuel Usage | 78 km × 0.1 L per km | 7.80 L |
| Total Fuel Cost | 7.80 L × R23.20 | R180.96 |
| Profit After Fuel | R576.35 − R180.96 | R395.39 |
| Used Fuel Allocation | R180.96 ÷ R576.35 | 31.40% |
| Estimated Profit % | The share left after fuel | 68.6% |
How to read it: the customer's sheet says fuel should be 35% of the price. On this load fuel is only 31.40%, so the load is priced well for fuel. If Used Fuel Allocation is above your sheet's %, the load is priced too low for fuel.
6
Try a scenario with Interactive Fuel Allocation
Interactive Fuel Allocation works the other way round: you choose the profit you want, and worxTMS gives you the Suggested Price. It starts at your sheet's fuel allocation (35% fuel leaves 65% profit after fuel).
- Drag the Profit Gauge (or click it and use the arrow keys) to the profit you want
- The Suggested Price, Profit After Fuel and Used Fuel Allocation change as you drag
- Change any box at the top, such as Fuel Price or Vehicle, to test a different case
- Click Reset to put everything back
The same load (R180.96 fuel) at different profit levels:
| Profit Gauge | Fuel share | Suggested Price | Profit After Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50% | 50% | R361.92 | R180.96 |
| 65% (the customer's sheet) | 35% | R517.03 | R336.07 |
| 68.6% (what you charged) | 31.40% | R576.35 | R395.39 |
| 75% | 25% | R723.84 | R542.88 |
7
Change the price if you need to
The scenario is a calculator only: it does not change the shipment. To charge the suggested price, type it on the $ tab and click Save. Your Actual updates to the new price. Click Back to return to the shipment list.
The formulas: how to calculate fuel cost for a trip
worxTMS does these for you. Here they are if you want to check a quote by hand. They work the same in any currency, and in miles and gallons:
- Fuel used = trip distance × litres per km
- Fuel cost per trip = fuel used × fuel price
- Profit after fuel = your price − fuel cost
- Fuel share (Used Fuel Allocation) = fuel cost ÷ your price
- Suggested price = fuel cost ÷ fuel share you want (for 75% profit after fuel, fuel may be 25%: R180.96 ÷ 0.25 = R723.84)
Use it to quote: three quick checks
1. Which truck should do this load?
Pick each vehicle in the Vehicle list and compare. The same 78 km load at R23.20 a litre, charged at R576.35 (about, from each vehicle's fuel use):
| Vehicle | Fuel use | Fuel cost | Profit after fuel | Fuel share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Ton Bakkie | 10 L/100 km | R180.96 | R395.39 | 31% |
| 4 Tonner | 19.19 L/100 km | R347.26 | R229.09 | 60% |
| 8 Tonner | 28 L/100 km | R506.69 | R69.66 | 88% |
Sending the 8 Tonner on a bakkie load leaves almost nothing after fuel.
2. What if diesel goes up?
Type a new Fuel Price. At R25.00 a litre the same bakkie load costs R195.00 in fuel, profit after fuel drops to R381.35 (66.2%), and the price at a 35% fuel allocation becomes R557.14. This is why a fuel surcharge that follows the fuel price protects your margin.
3. What is my lowest price?
Drag the Profit Gauge to the lowest profit after fuel you will accept. The Suggested Price is the least you should quote for this load. Remember to leave room for your other costs.
Tips for accurate fuel figures
- Log every fill-up: one missed fill-up makes the next row's consumption wrong
- Fill to full: half-tank fills make consumption jump up and down
- Use Import for the odometer: if the vehicle has a tracker, it saves typing mistakes
- Let drivers log at the pump: the worxAPP Fuel tab takes 30 seconds
- Keep the fuel price current: add the new price on Fuel & Surcharge each month, and click Update Surcharge Sheet to save it
- Check the route: the trip distance comes from the route, so a wrong stop order gives a wrong fuel cost
Words used on this page
- Fuel consumption (V/dist): litres used per km. × 100 = litres per 100 km
- Fuel allocation: the share of your price you plan to spend on fuel, for example 35%
- Used Fuel Allocation: the share of this load's price that fuel really takes
- Profit after fuel: your price minus the fuel cost. Not your final profit
- Fuel surcharge: an extra % added to your rates when the fuel price rises above your base rate
- Profit Gauge: the bar you drag to set the profit after fuel you want
Frequently asked questions
Is Profit After Fuel my real profit?
No. It is what is left after fuel only. Tyres, salaries, maintenance, insurance, tolls, permits and taxes are not included. See the cost per km article to work out your full cost.
How do I calculate the fuel cost of a trip?
Distance × litres per km × fuel price. For 78 km at 0.1 L per km and R23.20 a litre: 7.8 L × R23.20 = R180.96. worxTMS does this for you on the shipment's Fuel tab.
The dashboard shows dashes.
No vehicle is chosen, or the vehicle has no fuel logged yet. Log at least two fill-ups for it on Add Fuel.
It shows Infinity %.
The shipment has no price yet. Save one on the $ tab.
Where do the 35% and the fuel price come from?
From the customer's fuel surcharge sheet on Fuel > Fuel & Surcharge. Keep the fuel price up to date there.
What is the difference between fuel allocation and the fuel surcharge?
Fuel allocation is the share of your price meant for fuel. The fuel surcharge is the extra % you add when the fuel price rises above the base rate your rates were built on. worxTMS uses the allocation to work out the surcharge.
Why does my truck's fuel use look wrong?
Check Fuel History for a missed or mistyped fill-up. A wrong odometer gives a wrong distance. Edit it with the pencil or delete it with the bin.
Can I check a load before I accept it?
Yes. Create the shipment, save a price on the $ tab, and open the Fuel tab. Choose a vehicle there if none is assigned yet.
Does changing the Profit Gauge change my invoice?
No. The scenario is only a calculator. The price on the $ tab is what gets invoiced.
Does it work in other currencies, not just rand?
Yes. worxTMS works in any currency, for example US dollars, Australian dollars, euros or pounds. The fuel price, fuel cost, profit after fuel and suggested price all show in the shipment's currency. The rand amounts on this page are only an example.
Does it work in miles and gallons?
Yes. The units follow your company Settings. Fuel consumption then shows as gallons per mile, and the formulas work the same way.
Related articles
- How to work out your cost per km: your full cost, not just fuel
- Single stop shipment: book, deliver, price and invoice a load
- Settings: Vehicles tab: add the vehicles you log fuel for
✓ Know your fuel margin before you go
Log fuel, let worxTMS learn each vehicle, and check the fuel pump tab on every shipment. Not on worxTMS yet? Start your 30-day free trial.
Every litre logged makes every quote sharper.