Fuel Surcharges
Keeping You in the Know, Not in the Dark.
What's This Fuel Surcharge All About?
Let's be honest...
Nobody gets excited about surcharges.
Not you.
Not us.
In fact, we made it more than 75 years without one.
But when diesel prices took off in 2026, we reached a point where we simply couldn't absorb those costs anymore while continuing to provide the reliable, local service you've come to expect from Highland.
So instead of permanently raising everyone's rates, we chose something we hope is temporary—a fuel surcharge that goes up when fuel goes up... and down when fuel goes down.
We think that's the fairest way to do it.
We're a local, family-owned company, and we believe you should understand your bill.
We don't expect you to take our word for it when it comes to fuel costs. That's why we use a publicly available government fuel-price benchmark and show your actual surcharge percentage right on your invoice.
Click Here For The Midwest Average Diesel Price
No hidden fuel fee. No mystery percentage. Just a surcharge tied to the cost of diesel.
Your current fuel surcharge percentage is always printed on your invoice.
Every one of our garbage trucks runs on diesel.
A lot of diesel.
At the beginning of 2026, the Midwest average diesel price was around $3.44 per gallon.
Just a few months later, it had climbed to nearly $6.00 per gallon.
That's a huge jump.
Fun (or maybe not-so-fun) fact:
Every time diesel increases by just 5 cents per gallon, Highland's operating costs increase by about $1,000.
Needless to say...those pennies add up pretty quickly.
You may notice two different fuel surcharge lines on your Highland Sanitation invoice. That's because fuel surcharges are handled differently depending on the type of service being provided.
Trash Service — Taxable Fuel Surcharge
The fuel surcharge associated with trash service is taxable and is included with the taxable portion of your garbage service.
Recycling & Yard Waste — Non-Taxable Fuel Surcharge
Fuel surcharges associated with recycling and yard waste services are listed separately and are not subject to sales tax.
It's All Shown Right on Your Invoice
We don't lump everything together or make you guess what you're being charged for. Your invoice will clearly show the applicable fuel surcharge for each type of service you receive.
Trash fuel surcharge: Taxable
Recycling fuel surcharge: Non-taxable
Yard waste fuel surcharge: Non-taxable
This helps keep your bill clear and makes it easier to see exactly how your fuel-related charges are being applied.
We wanted our fuel surcharge to be simple, predictable, and completely transparent.
Here's how we do it:
We use the official Midwest diesel average published by the U.S. Department of Energy.
We use the previous month's average because that's the fuel we've already purchased.
Our surcharge doesn't even begin until diesel reaches $3.50 per gallon.
If diesel drops below $3.50, the fuel surcharge goes away completely.
No guessing.
No hidden formulas.
No making up numbers.
Just publicly available fuel prices anyone can look up.
That's a fair question.
If we permanently increased our rates because fuel went up...
...those higher prices would likely stay even after fuel came back down.
We didn't think that was fair.
Instead, we created a surcharge that moves with fuel prices.
When diesel goes up, the surcharge may go up.
When diesel goes down, the surcharge comes down too.
And if diesel falls below $3.50 per gallon, it disappears entirely.
Why Choose Highland?
No Surprises. Just Straightforward Service.
When it comes to your bill, we don't think you should have to wonder what you're paying for.
We're a local, family-owned company, and we believe in keeping things straightforward. That's why we use a fuel surcharge tied to an independent diesel price benchmark, clearly identify the applicable surcharge on your invoice, and separate taxable and non-taxable fuel charges based on the service being provided.
No hidden fuel charges. No mystery percentages. No call center maze just to get an answer.
Just straightforward service from a local company that believes in doing business the right way.
✔ No obligation.
✔ No payment required.
✔ We'll contact you with the next steps.
Our Promise
Being a family-owned business means we answer to our customers—not a corporate office hundreds of miles away.
We're committed to being honest, transparent, and treating people the way we'd want to be treated.
We sincerely hope this surcharge is temporary.
Until then, we'll continue using the same publicly available government fuel prices every month, so you can always see exactly how it's calculated.
After all, around here we believe there shouldn't be any surprises...except maybe finding the TV remote where you actually left it.