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Fuel prices can be a real difficult area to keep track of in order to maintain accurate costs for your business. As we all know, gas prices can fluctuate up to 20% on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the Federal Government sets a rate which remains in effect for an entire year, and reimbursement does not always keep up with actual costs. Keeping accurate records of your fuel costs will help you incorporate the expenses involved with your business more precisely. While changing your prices on a daily basis may be neither practical nor acceptable to your customers, it may become a basis for price adjustment at some point, and can be beneficial in keeping accurate records of the costs of operating your business.

Some businesses that use large amounts of fuel may add a fuel "surcharge" to their prices to offset sharp increases in fuel prices. These are generally averaged over a period of time preceding one or several billing periods, and may be adjusted as required. This is one method of offsetting the unpredictable costs of fuel, and has become acceptable in the operation of such business over the last few years.