Fleet Fuel Cost Tracking API

Category: Transportation & Logistics | Industry: Fleet Management

Fuel costs represent 25-35% of total fleet operating expenses. OilPriceAPI provides real-time diesel, gasoline, and biodiesel pricing data to help fleet managers optimize fuel purchasing, forecast budgets accurately, and reduce operational costs. For visual dashboards, check our Power BI integration or Tableau integration guides.

The Challenge

Fleet managers face significant challenges when managing fuel costs across distributed operations:

  • Price volatility makes budget forecasting unpredictable
  • Regional price disparities create inefficiencies in fuel purchasing decisions
  • Manual price tracking is time-consuming and often outdated
  • Lack of historical data prevents trend analysis and strategic planning
  • Disconnected systems require manual data entry into fleet management software

Without real-time fuel price data, fleet operators leave money on the table and struggle to provide accurate cost projections to stakeholders. Looking for alternatives to expensive data providers? See our Quandl alternative comparison for pricing details.

The Solution

OilPriceAPI delivers enterprise-grade fuel price data that integrates directly into your fleet management systems, telematics platforms, and financial applications.

Key Benefits

BenefitImpact
Real-time pricingMake informed fueling decisions based on current market rates
Historical analysisIdentify trends and optimize purchasing timing
Budget accuracyImprove fuel cost forecasting by 15-20%
Automated workflowsEliminate manual price lookups and data entry
Multi-fuel supportTrack diesel, gasoline, and biodiesel in one API

Relevant API Endpoints

Get Current Fuel Prices

Retrieve the latest diesel and gasoline prices for fleet fuel cost calculations:

# Get current diesel price
curl "https://api.oilpriceapi.com/v1/prices/latest?by_code=DIESEL_USD" \
  -H "Authorization: Token YOUR_API_KEY"

# Get multiple fuel types at once
curl "https://api.oilpriceapi.com/v1/prices/latest?by_code=DIESEL_USD,GASOLINE_USD" \
  -H "Authorization: Token YOUR_API_KEY"

Response:

{
  "status": "success",
  "data": {
    "price": 3.42,
    "formatted": "$3.42",
    "currency": "USD",
    "code": "DIESEL_USD",
    "created_at": "2025-01-15T10:00:00.000Z",
    "type": "spot_price"
  }
}

Historical Price Analysis

Analyze fuel price trends to optimize purchasing schedules:

# Get past 30 days of diesel prices with daily averages
curl "https://api.oilpriceapi.com/v1/prices/past_month?by_code=DIESEL_USD&interval=1d" \
  -H "Authorization: Token YOUR_API_KEY"

Price Alerts (Coming Soon)

Set up automated alerts when fuel prices cross defined thresholds:

# Create price alert for diesel
curl -X POST "https://api.oilpriceapi.com/v1/alerts" \
  -H "Authorization: Token YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "commodity": "DIESEL_USD",
    "condition": "below",
    "threshold": 3.25,
    "webhook_url": "https://your-fleet-system.com/webhooks/fuel-alert"
  }'

Integration Examples

Fleet Management System Integration

Build fuel cost projections directly into your fleet management software. For other programming languages, see our Python, PHP, or Ruby guides:

import requests
from datetime import datetime, timedelta

class FleetFuelTracker:
    def __init__(self, api_key):
        self.api_key = api_key
        self.base_url = 'https://api.oilpriceapi.com/v1'
        self.headers = {'Authorization': f'Token {api_key}'}

    def get_current_diesel_price(self):
        """Get the current diesel price for fuel cost calculations."""
        response = requests.get(
            f'{self.base_url}/prices/latest',
            params={'by_code': 'DIESEL_USD'},
            headers=self.headers
        )
        data = response.json()
        return data['data']['price']

    def calculate_route_fuel_cost(self, distance_miles, mpg):
        """Calculate estimated fuel cost for a route."""
        current_price = self.get_current_diesel_price()
        gallons_needed = distance_miles / mpg
        total_cost = gallons_needed * current_price
        return {
            'distance_miles': distance_miles,
            'gallons_needed': round(gallons_needed, 2),
            'price_per_gallon': current_price,
            'total_fuel_cost': round(total_cost, 2)
        }

    def get_monthly_fuel_trend(self):
        """Analyze fuel price trends for the past month."""
        response = requests.get(
            f'{self.base_url}/prices/past_month',
            params={'by_code': 'DIESEL_USD', 'interval': '1d'},
            headers=self.headers
        )
        data = response.json()
        prices = [p['price'] for p in data['data']['prices']]

        return {
            'average_price': round(sum(prices) / len(prices), 2),
            'min_price': min(prices),
            'max_price': max(prices),
            'price_volatility': round(max(prices) - min(prices), 2)
        }

# Usage example
tracker = FleetFuelTracker('YOUR_API_KEY')
route_cost = tracker.calculate_route_fuel_cost(distance_miles=500, mpg=7.5)
print(f"Route fuel cost: ${route_cost['total_fuel_cost']}")

JavaScript/Node.js Integration

class FleetFuelAPI {
  constructor(apiKey) {
    this.apiKey = apiKey;
    this.baseUrl = 'https://api.oilpriceapi.com/v1';
  }

  async getCurrentPrices(fuelTypes = ['DIESEL_USD', 'GASOLINE_USD']) {
    const response = await fetch(
      `${this.baseUrl}/prices/latest?by_code=${fuelTypes.join(',')}`,
      {
        headers: { 'Authorization': `Token ${this.apiKey}` }
      }
    );
    return response.json();
  }

  async calculateFleetFuelBudget(vehicles) {
    const dieselPrice = await this.getDieselPrice();

    return vehicles.map(vehicle => ({
      vehicleId: vehicle.id,
      monthlyMiles: vehicle.avgMonthlyMiles,
      mpg: vehicle.mpg,
      estimatedGallons: vehicle.avgMonthlyMiles / vehicle.mpg,
      estimatedCost: (vehicle.avgMonthlyMiles / vehicle.mpg) * dieselPrice
    }));
  }

  async getDieselPrice() {
    const response = await fetch(
      `${this.baseUrl}/prices/latest?by_code=DIESEL_USD`,
      {
        headers: { 'Authorization': `Token ${this.apiKey}` }
      }
    );
    const data = await response.json();
    return data.data.price;
  }
}

// Fleet budget calculation
const fleetAPI = new FleetFuelAPI(process.env.OILPRICE_API_KEY);
const vehicles = [
  { id: 'TRUCK-001', avgMonthlyMiles: 8000, mpg: 6.5 },
  { id: 'TRUCK-002', avgMonthlyMiles: 7500, mpg: 7.0 },
  { id: 'VAN-001', avgMonthlyMiles: 3000, mpg: 12 }
];

const budget = await fleetAPI.calculateFleetFuelBudget(vehicles);
console.log('Monthly fleet fuel budget:', budget);

Use Cases

1. Dynamic Fuel Cost Allocation

Allocate fuel costs accurately across routes, customers, or business units using real-time pricing data instead of monthly averages.

2. Fuel Purchase Optimization

Integrate with telematics systems to recommend optimal fueling locations based on current prices and route planning.

3. Budget Forecasting

Use historical price data and trend analysis to create accurate quarterly and annual fuel budgets.

4. Customer Fuel Surcharge Calculations

Automatically calculate and justify fuel surcharges based on transparent, verifiable market data.

5. Contract Fuel Price Benchmarking

Compare contracted fuel prices against market rates to ensure competitive pricing from fuel suppliers.

ROI and Value Proposition

MetricTypical Improvement
Fuel budget accuracy+15-20% improvement
Time saved on manual tracking10-15 hours/month
Fuel cost optimization2-5% reduction through better timing
Invoice reconciliation50% faster with automated data

For a 50-vehicle fleet averaging $500,000 in annual fuel costs, even a 3% optimization translates to $15,000 in annual savings.

Why Fleet Managers Choose OilPriceAPI

Our API eliminates manual fuel price tracking and improves budget accuracy for fleet operations. With real-time diesel and gasoline prices integrated directly into fleet management systems, operators can automate cost calculations and provide accurate projections to stakeholders.

Getting Started

  1. Sign up for an OilPriceAPI account at oilpriceapi.com/signup
  2. Get your API key from the dashboard
  3. Test the endpoints using the examples above
  4. Integrate with your fleet management or telematics platform
  5. Start optimizing fuel costs across your fleet

Frequently Asked Questions

How often is fleet fuel price data updated?

OilPriceAPI updates prices every 15 minutes during market hours, with diesel and gasoline prices refreshed multiple times per hour. This ensures your fleet management system always has current fuel costs for accurate route planning and budget calculations.

What fuel types are most relevant for fleet management?

Fleet operators typically track diesel (DIESEL_USD) for heavy trucks and commercial vehicles, gasoline (GASOLINE_USD) for light-duty vehicles and vans, and biodiesel for sustainability-focused fleets. Our API provides all three in a single request.

Can I access historical price data for fleet budget forecasting?

Yes, all plans include historical data access. Use the /v1/prices/past_week or /v1/prices/past_month endpoints for trend analysis. This data helps fleet managers create accurate quarterly budgets and identify optimal fuel purchasing windows.

How quickly can I integrate the API into our fleet management system?

Most developers integrate within 1-2 hours using our code examples. The free tier is available immediately after signup, allowing you to test with your existing fleet management software or telematics platform before committing to a paid plan.

How do I calculate fuel costs for multi-vehicle fleets?

Query the API once for current diesel/gasoline prices, then multiply by each vehicle's estimated consumption based on mileage and MPG. Our Python and JavaScript examples above demonstrate this calculation pattern for fleet budget projections.

Does the API support fuel surcharge calculations?

Yes, many fleet operators use our real-time and historical data to calculate transparent, market-based fuel surcharges for customers. The historical endpoints provide the baseline and current price comparison needed for defensible surcharge calculations.