They are not fines. United Natural Foods, Inc. publishes a Fuel Index Surcharge Policy dated September 2026, replacing its April 2022 policy. It is a flat dollar amount per delivery, billed to the party receiving deliveries from a UNFI Natural distribution center.
How much is UNFI's fuel surcharge?
UNFI bills it when the weekly average retail on-highway diesel price exceeds $2.49 per gallon on the Energy Information Administration index. A published table sets the amount, stepping up $5.00 for every $0.25 of diesel.
| Diesel price per gallon | Charge per delivery |
|---|---|
| Up to $2.49 | $0.00 |
| $2.50–$2.74 | $10.00 |
| $6.25–$6.49 | $85.00 |
| $8.00–$8.24 | $120.00 |
| $14.50–$14.74 | $250.00 |
The national average was $6.382 for the week ending September 28, 2026, which lands in the $6.25–$6.49 band at $85.00 per delivery. The policy also allows a regional index, chosen by the servicing distribution center's location rather than the customer's. California diesel was $8.181 that week, a $120.00 band.
The band is fixed when the delivery is scheduled, so an invoice can carry a band that does not match diesel prices in the week the truck actually arrived, and UNFI states the charge is not based on its actual fuel cost for that delivery and may exceed it.
What freight charges does UNFI bill suppliers?
These are the supplier-side charges in UNFI's shipping guide.
| Charge | What triggers it |
|---|---|
| $63 administration charge | A prearranged transportation allowance is missing from your invoice and has to be audited onto the bill back |
| $63 administration charge | Erroneous freight charges for notification, sort and segregate, lumper fees, detention, or prepaid freight billed in error |
| Unused trailer space fees | Purchase order shortages not communicated to United Natural Foods in advance |
| Loading delay fees | UNFI trucks and hired carriers get 2 hours free loading time at your dock; delays past that are charged to you |
| Missed pick-up charges | A load is not available at the scheduled pick-up time |
Freight is its own deduction category, separate from compliance (source: Revya internal data). A contracted transportation allowance is valid if your agreement says so; a compliance fine can be wrong on the facts.
How does KeHE's fuel surcharge compare?
KeHE Distributors, LLC runs a separate program, and it does reach free on board purchase orders.
| UNFI | KeHE | |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Diesel above $2.49 per gallon | Diesel at $3.899 per gallon or higher |
| Basis | Flat dollars per delivery, published table | A rate table KeHE references but does not publish |
| Scope | Deliveries from UNFI Natural distribution centers | All free on board purchase orders |
| Effective | September 2026 policy | July 26, 2026 |
Diesel has not been below KeHE's trigger since winter: the last weekly national average under it was $3.897 on March 2, 2026.
How can we check if a UNFI Fuel Surcharge Fine is accurate?
Five checks.
- Confirm the charge is yours at all. The policy covers deliveries from UNFI's Natural distribution centers and is billed to the party taking that delivery. If that is not you, the line is not yours.
- Confirm your freight terms make it your responsibility before you accept it.
- Check the band against the scheduling date. The amount is the published table figure for the band the weekly Energy Information Administration average sat in when the delivery was scheduled — not when it arrived.
- Check it was billed once for the delivery, not once per order. The policy charges once per delivery regardless of how many orders came off the truck.
- Check you are not in an excluded category. Hawaii, the "small drop" program, and non-Natural distribution centers sit outside the policy.
Three and four go wrong most often: both depend on data the invoice omits.
For anything else, look the code up in the deduction key on your UNFI portal at myunfi.com. United Natural Foods allows 52 weeks to dispute a manufacturer chargeback.
How Revya handles this
Revya reads every United Natural Foods remittance line, separates contracted freight allowances from compliance penalties, and flags the penalties that do not match your shipment and purchase order records.
See how Revya validates distributor deductions
Frequently asked questions
What is UNFI's Fuel Index Surcharge?
A flat dollar amount UNFI bills per delivery when diesel exceeds $2.49 per gallon, shown as a separate line at the bottom of the invoice.
How much is it?
At the $6.382 national average for the week ending September 28, 2026, the band is $85.00 per delivery.
Is it a supplier fine?
No. It is not a penalty, and the policy is written to the party taking delivery from a UNFI Natural distribution center — the words supplier, vendor and brand do not appear in it.
Who is excluded?
Customers in Hawaii, customers in the "small drop" program, and customers taking deliveries from UNFI distribution centers that are not Natural distribution centers.
Does KeHE charge a fuel surcharge?
Yes, effective July 26, 2026, on free on board purchase orders when average United States diesel is $3.899 per gallon or higher. That is KeHE's program, not United Natural Foods'.