How Will 2027 Fuel Prices Hit Your Food Truck?
You fill the tank, you fill the generator, and you drive 40 minutes to a stop that sells 30 meals. That drive had a price tag you never wrote down.
Fuel is one of the costs a restaurant doesn’t have. On a truck, it touches every stop. This page shows an owner or manager how to plan for 2027 fuel prices and spend less of it on stops that don’t earn it back.
Dr. Paul Borosky, Business Consultant, has helped 1,000+ owners find the costs hiding in plain sight.
Talk to Dr. PaulCall or text (321) 948-9588.
Last Updated: November 2026
Real World Help From Dr. Paul
Food Truck Business Plan Template
A plan and a profit model sized for one truck.
See the food truck templateHow This Guide Works
Need the quick version? Doctor Owl’s answer and the 3 steps below will do. Want to see it worked out? Pedro, who tows his ice cream and funnel cake cart across Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest Business School Series, discovers his favorite beach stop costs him more to reach than it earns. The dollar example follows the trend section.
- Write down the miles to each regular stop and back.
- Note fuel for the truck and the generator for one full week.
- Circle the stop that’s farthest away. Compare what it sold to what it cost to reach.
Why Did Pedro Stop Driving to the Beach?
The beach crowd loved Pedro’s cones. It was his favorite stop. It was also an hour each way, towing a cart, with the generator running all afternoon.
Doctor Owl asked, “Is this a fire, or a foundation?” A stop that quietly loses money every week is a fire. They worked it through with Dr. Paul’s Organize-Plan-Grow™ Strategy.
- Organize. Pedro added up one month of beach trips: fuel there and back, the generator, and his time. Then he looked at sales. The beach was busy, but it barely covered the trip.
- Plan. He cut the beach to holiday weekends only, when the crowd was biggest. He replaced the other Saturdays with a park stop 15 minutes from home.
- Grow. Pedro now tracks fuel per stop each month. Any stop that can’t cover its fuel and still make money gets a second look.
He kept the beach for the big days. The other days, the cooler stayed full of profit instead of gas receipts.
What’s Happening to Fuel Prices in 2027?
In its October 2026 Short-Term Energy Outlook, the U.S. Energy Information Administration forecast retail diesel at about $4.49 a gallon in 2027, down from about $5.19 in 2026. Diesel averaged about $3.66 in 2025.
It forecast gasoline at about $3.56 a gallon in 2027, down from about $3.91 in 2026. These are forecasts, and fuel prices can change fast. Plan for a range, not one number.
2026 and 2027 are forecasts. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook (October 6, 2026).
Why Does Every Long Drive Cost More Now?
Even if fuel eases a little, it stays higher than many owners planned for when they built their routes. Every long drive to a so-so stop costs more than it used to.
The answer isn’t to stop driving. It’s to know which drives earn their fuel.
How Do You Spend Less on Fuel Without Losing Sales?
- Track fuel by stop. Truck and generator both. A week or two is enough to see the pattern.
- Rank stops by profit after fuel. A busy stop far away can earn less than a quieter one close by.
- Group stops by area. Run one part of town per day instead of crossing it twice.
- Add fuel to event fees. For long-distance events, a travel charge is normal. Put it in writing.
- Plan for a range. Budget fuel at a higher and a lower price so a spike doesn’t surprise you.
What Does a Long Drive Really Cost?
Illustration only. Round numbers, not a real truck.
Say one stop takes about $40 more in fuel each week than a closer one, and both sell about the same. That’s around $2,000 a year spent just getting there. Moving that stop, or charging more for it, keeps that money in the business.
Looking for better spots? The QBP lesson on food truck locations covers how to pick them. Planning your yearly costs? The food truck business plan template has room for fuel in the Excel model.
Want Help Finding Your Money-Losing Stops?
Bring a month of sales by stop to a free 15-minute call with Dr. Paul. You leave knowing which stop to look at first, and what more help would cost if you want it.
Or call or text (321) 948-9588.
What Do Truck Owners Ask About Fuel?
Will fuel get cheaper in 2027?
The EIA forecasts a little relief from 2026, but still above 2025. Forecasts change, so plan for a range.
Should I add a fuel surcharge?
For long-distance events and catering, a travel fee is common. For walk-up sales, build fuel into your prices instead.
Does the generator really matter?
Yes. It runs the whole time you’re open. Count it with the truck’s fuel.
About the Author
Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA, helps owners find the costs that quietly eat profit. He works with clients in all 50 states and Canada.
Sources
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook (October 6, 2026).