DTDC Fuel Surcharge Explained: Why Your Invoice Fuel % Looks Wrong
How the fuel surcharge (FSC) is charged per rate card and per zone, why an invoice's overall fuel percentage never matches your settings, and how to check a fuel complaint in minutes.
By Courier Billing · · 8 min read
What the fuel surcharge is charged on
For each consignment, the fuel surcharge is the freight for that parcel multiplied by the fuel percentage of the rate-card row that priced it. A row is one card (for example your H-series card) and one lane (for example Metro).
Fuel on a CN = freight × fuel % of (its card, its lane) Freight = slab rate for the chargeable weight (+ any fixed charge on that row)
It is not charged on the COD charge, and it is not charged on GST. GST comes last, on freight plus fuel plus COD.
Why the invoice's fuel percentage looks wrong
The most common fuel complaint goes like this: “my client is on 30% fuel, but the invoice shows ₹49.65 fuel on ₹501.00 freight, which is only 9.9%.” Every line on that invoice can still be right.
Worked example · one invoice, three correct lines
| CN | Lane | Freight | Fuel % | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H1001 | Local | ₹63.00 | 25% | ₹15.75 |
| H1002 | Metro | ₹113.00 | 30% | ₹33.90 |
| 7D1003 | Within State | ₹325.00 | 0% | ₹0.00 |
| Total | ₹501.00 | 9.9% | ₹49.65 |
The 7D parcel is on a card with 0% fuel (an all-inclusive rate the client negotiated). It adds ₹325.00 of freight and no fuel, which drags the blend far below 30%. The Local line at 25% pulls it down a little more.
The blended percentage only equals your setting when every consignment on the invoice sits on rows with the same fuel percentage. Mix lanes, cards or a 0% row and the blend drifts. To check fuel, check it per line.
Your fuel surcharge and DTDC's are two different numbers
| Your fuel surcharge | DTDC's fuel surcharge | |
|---|---|---|
| Charged to | Your client | Your franchise |
| Rate | Your choice, per card and lane | 35% by default |
| Charged on | Your freight | DTDC's DSR_AMT |
| Where you see it | Fuel line of your invoice | DTDC's invoice to you |
Matching your percentage to DTDC's does not make you break even, because the bases differ. What matters is the total: client price against DTDC cost, which the profit per consignment guide works through.
Check a fuel complaint in five minutes
- Open the invoice PDF's consignment annexure and pick the CN the client is asking about.
- Note its lane and chargeable weight. A CN billed as Metro instead of Rest of India changes both freight and fuel.
- Open the client's Price Settings and find that card and lane. Read the slab rate and the fuel percentage.
- Multiply: slab rate × fuel %. That is the fuel the line should carry.
- If the line matches, show the client the row. If it does not, the lane or weight is the usual cause, not the percentage.
Lines with 0% fuel are worth a look in Price Settings too: an empty fuel field prices as 0%, and one forgotten lane can make a whole invoice look under-fuelled.
Setting fuel percentages in Courier Billing
Open Billing → Clients, choose the client and open Price Settings. Each series card has one row per lane, and each row has its own fuel percentage next to the slabs. Price Settings flags rows that look wrong, such as a rate of ₹0.00 or a heavier slab priced below a lighter one, without blocking you from saving.
New to lanes? Start with DTDC zones explained, then set fuel per lane on the cards you actually use.
Frequently asked questions
Is GST charged on the fuel surcharge?
In Courier Billing the taxable value of a line is freight plus fuel plus any COD charge, and GST is calculated on that total. The fuel surcharge is part of the price of the courier service, so it is not left out of the taxable value.
Can different clients have different fuel percentages?
Yes. Every client has their own rate card, and every card has a fuel percentage per lane. A large client can be on 20% while walk-in style clients stay on 30%.
Why does my fuel percentage differ from DTDC's 35%?
They measure different things. DTDC's 35% is charged to you on DTDC's own service amount (DSR_AMT). Your percentage is charged to your client on your freight. Both are fuel surcharges, but on different bases, so the percentages are not meant to match.
If I change the fuel percentage, do old invoices change?
No. An invoice you have already generated keeps the amounts it was issued with. New rates apply to consignments you price and invoice after the change, so check the preview before you generate.
Let the app do this math for every CN
Upload your DTDC booking export and Courier Billing prices each consignment from your own rate card, shows the DTDC cost beside it and builds the GST invoice. Uploads and basic analytics are free forever.