Diesel prices at the pump don’t tell the whole story for Florida drayage. What matters for shippers moving containers out of PortMiami and Port Everglades is the velocity of change — how fast fuel surcharges reset, how carriers pass through spikes, and how long it takes rates to soften once markets calm down. In 2026, that velocity has increased. Here’s what South Florida importers should be watching.
Why Fuel Hits Drayage Harder Than Line Haul
A short drayage move — say, PortMiami to a warehouse in Doral — burns fuel differently than a 1,000-mile OTR run. Idle time at the terminal gate, chassis repositioning, and the stop-and-go of Palmetto and 826 traffic all eat mileage. When diesel jumps, drayage carriers feel it within days, not weeks, because their per-mile fuel intensity is higher.
The result: fuel surcharges (FSCs) on Florida drayage have wider swings than on OTR. A 30-cent jump at the pump can translate to a $15–$25 per-container swing on a local move.
The 2026 Baseline
Two forces are pulling in opposite directions this year. On one hand, refinery utilization on the Gulf Coast has held above 92% through Q2, keeping supply steady. On the other hand, geopolitical risk in the Middle East has kept a persistent $8–$12 risk premium baked into crude. For drayage buyers, that means FSCs are running roughly 6–9% above 2024 averages even without a spot crisis.
What Smart Shippers Are Doing
Three tactics we’ve seen work:
Index your contracts to DOE’s weekly diesel average. Fixed FSCs get out of date fast. A weekly-reset index protects both sides from the whiplash.
Consolidate pulls. Two containers pulled on one dispatch cycle share the deadhead. On tight margins, that saves real money.
Stage inland at Port Everglades when Miami is congested. When PortMiami gate turn times climb past 90 minutes, the fuel penalty of idling can exceed the extra highway miles from Everglades.
The Driver-Shortage Multiplier
Fuel isn’t the only cost that’s up. The ongoing shortage of CDL Class A drivers with TWIC credentials continues to push wages higher in South Florida. When fuel spikes coincide with driver scarcity — as they did briefly in May 2026 — spot rates on port drayage moved 18% in ten days. Contracted volume buffered the shock for shippers on term programs.
Bottom Line
Fuel volatility is now a permanent feature of Florida drayage, not a temporary disruption. Shippers who move volume through PortMiami and Port Everglades benefit from index-based fuel programs, consolidated dispatch, and carrier relationships deep enough to protect capacity when the market moves.
At Go-Freight, we drayage from both South Florida ports to anywhere in the state, with fuel programs designed for 2026’s reality.