Check how much you need to increase your rate per kilometer so that your freight does not generate a loss.
In transport, time is not just money—it is survival. If wholesale fuel prices (Orlen SPOT) rise by 20% in just 96 hours, every hour of delay in renegotiating rates brings your company closer to a loss of liquidity.
Waiting for an accounting report in this situation is business suicide. By the time you see the figures on paper next month, it will turn out that you haven’t been earning for weeks, but rather paying extra for every kilometer.
User Manual: How to use the calculator?
The tool we are providing is incredibly simple to use. It focuses on three key parameters that you must know to make your rates realistic. First, download or create a copy of the sheet by clicking “File” in the top left corner.
Step by step - fill in only the GREEN fields:
- Fuel share in costs: Enter what percentage of all your operating costs is accounted for by fuel. For most transport companies in international traffic, this is approx. 30%.
- Percentage increase in fuel costs: Check the current Orlen SPOT price (diesel) and compare it with the price from a few days ago. In the current situation, we enter 20% here.
- Freight value before the increase: Enter the current amount you were receiving for a given order (e.g., 950 EUR).
Read the results in the ORANGE fields:
- Freight percentage difference: You will find out by what percentage your costs have realistically increased (with the above data, it will be 6%).
- New freight value: This is the ready amount (e.g., 1007 EUR) that you should propose to the client to maintain your current margin.
Why does 20% more expensive fuel mean 6% more expensive transport?
Mathematics is ruthless. If fuel accounts for approx. 30% of your costs and its price rises by 20%, the total cost of performing the service increases by:
30% (share) x 20% (price increase) = 6% increase in freight cost
Remember: this 6% is not your additional profit. It is the cost you must cover just to break even compared to last week.
Effective shield: OMV Fuel Card
When prices on the fuel totems go wild, the only way to realistically lower costs “right now” is a professional fuel card. It allows not only for cashless settlements but, above all, for refueling at rates lower than retail.
For companies operating in Central-Eastern and Southern Europe, the OMV fuel card (Routex network) is currently one of the best choices.
Where does the OMV card save your budget?
- DACH and CEE Region: Dense network of stations in Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
- Balkans and the South: Key stations in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Croatia.
- Italy: A very wide partner network, crucial for transalpine routes.
Thanks to the card, you gain not only a better price per liter but also deferred payment terms, which—during sudden fuel price spikes—allows you to maintain financial liquidity before payments from contractors arrive.
Remember: your competition is already calculating new rates. Download the calculator and don’t let a change on the Orlen price board decide the survival of your company.
