Record diesel prices are showing up in places beyond the freight bill. This fall, paper mills have started adding fuel surcharges to printing papers, on top of standard pricing.
The good news: the surcharges are modest per book, and they're designed to be temporary. Here's what's changing, what it works out to on a typical title, and how to plan around it.
What's happening
Major North American paper mills have announced fuel surcharges of $1.00 to $1.25 per hundredweight (cwt, or 100 pounds) of paper. That's $20 to $25 per ton. The first took effect on shipments starting October 1, 2026, and others start with November deliveries. More mills may follow.
The cause is freight. The U.S. average diesel price hit a record $5.85 per gallon on September 4, 2026, and paper is heavy to move from mill to printer.
These are surcharges, not base price increases. Mills have tied them to diesel benchmarks and say they'll drop off once fuel prices fall back to earlier 2026 levels and stay there for several weeks.
What it works out to per book
For a typical 8.5x11 title, a fuel surcharge at the mill adds roughly one to two cents of paper cost per copy. Because surcharges are charged by weight, page count and basis weight drive the number.
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8.5 x 11 text block
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Paper weight/copy
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$1.00/cwt
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$1.25/cwt
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Per 10,000 copies
|
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200 pages, 50# text
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0.98 lb
|
1.0¢
|
1.2¢
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$98 to $123
|
|
200 pages, 60# text
|
1.18 lb
|
1.2¢
|
1.5¢
|
$118 to $148
|
|
320 pages, 50# text
|
1.57 lb
|
1.6¢
|
2.0¢
|
$157 to $197
|
|
320 pages, 60# text
|
1.89 lb
|
1.9¢
|
2.4¢
|
$189 to $236
|
Interior text paper only, whether printed from rolls or sheets. Before makeready, web waste and spoilage. Covers not included.
That's small on a single title. Across a full list, a large K-12 adoption or a year of reprints, it's worth planning for.
Four ways to plan around it
- Commit early. Paper ordered and confirmed before surcharge dates is often billed at the earlier price. The sooner your specs and quantities are final, the sooner we can buy. B&B's early release program can help here, so ask your rep whether your upcoming titles qualify.
- Watch basis weight. Surcharges are charged by the pound, so a lighter sheet costs less to surcharge. If a 50# sheet meets your opacity and durability needs, it may be worth comparing against 60#. Your rep can share samples.
- Stay flexible on stock. If your spec allows an equivalent sheet, your rep may be able to suggest paper we already have on hand or can source more efficiently.
- Combine runs. Grouping reprints or printing a larger quantity in one run means fewer separate paper orders and less makeready waste. Weigh that against your storage costs and sales forecast.
On our end, we're planning paper purchases and inbound freight ahead to keep the impact on your projects as small as we can.
Plan ahead with B&B
Fuel surcharges on paper are arriving at the same time as higher corrugated carton prices. We'd rather you hear about both from us now than discover them on an invoice. If you're printing this fall or winter, reach out to your Bradford & Bigelow sales representative. We'll walk through your specs, timing, and paper options with you.
