Poland Intermodal Fuel Fee Calculation

Applying Poland’s 12% or 6% fuel adjustment to the full ocean-freight invoice produces the wrong result. Maersk’s September 9, 2026 notice states that Truck carries a 12% rate and RCO carries a 6% rate for September 14 through September 28, but the percentage applies to IHI/IHE inland-transport charges. A reviewer must identify the Poland transport mode, isolate the correct IHI/IHE base, and then apply the PCD rule for the shipment’s FMC status.

Key takeaways:

• Truck and RCO are different inland transport categories, not two discounts on ocean freight.
• The 12% and 6% rates apply to confirmed IHI/IHE amounts.
• Non-FMC and FMC shipments use different PCD events and effective timing.
• The announced window is temporary and subject to bi-weekly review.

Separate the inland base from the ocean invoice

A door-to-door movement can contain ocean freight, terminal handling, documentation, customs services, inland haulage, rail service, last-mile delivery, and several surcharges. The Poland notice does not say that every line increases by 12% or 6%. It says the applicable percentage will be applied to IHI/IHE, the carrier’s inland transport charge items.

Start with the cost structure rather than the invoice total. Ask the booking or billing party to identify the IHI or IHE line, its currency, amount, service scope, and transport mode. If an invoice combines inland and ocean costs in one unlabeled total, the fuel adjustment cannot be reproduced reliably until those components are disclosed.

Consider an illustrative invoice totaling USD 8,000, with a carrier-confirmed IHI/IHE inland base of USD 1,000. If the covered Poland mode is Truck, the announcement’s calculation would be USD 1,000 multiplied by 12%, producing USD 120. If the covered mode is RCO, the same confirmed base multiplied by 6% produces USD 60. Multiplying USD 8,000 by either rate would incorrectly include unrelated charges.

This example demonstrates arithmetic only. It is not a YANCHAO quote and does not establish a market price for Poland transport. The operative base must come from the current booking, quote, or invoice. Currency conversions, taxes, accessorial services, and another carrier’s charges should remain outside the calculation unless the applicable terms expressly include them.

Transport mode also needs documentary confirmation. Truck is straightforward when the in-scope Poland leg is road haulage. RCO is the category used in the announcement for the rail-related rate. A shipment that includes rail movement and final trucking should not automatically place its entire inland cost under RCO. The carrier’s IHI/IHE coding and service description should show which amount receives which percentage.

This separation is more useful than comparing 12% with 6% in isolation. A lower percentage can apply to a larger base, while a higher percentage can apply to a smaller one. Total routing decisions also involve handling, transit, connections, capacity, and delivery requirements. The fuel rate is one input, not a complete modal comparison.

Match the rate window to the correct PCD

The published Truck 12% and RCO 6% values apply from September 14 through September 28, 2026 for Poland. Maersk states that the temporary Intermodal Fuel Fee is reviewed bi-weekly because energy-market conditions can change. A quote should therefore include both the rate and the applicable date window. Removing the dates makes a temporary notice look permanent.

For non-FMC shipments, the notice defines PCD as the estimated departure time of the first vessel shown in the most recent booking confirmation issued at the customer’s request. The booking confirmation is the central record. The inland pickup date, invoice date, payment date, actual truck dispatch, or arrival in Poland is not automatically the named PCD.

For Multi Carrier shipments, the notice uses the time of booking placement. That is an important exception. A team that stores only a first-vessel ETD field may incorrectly apply the ordinary non-FMC rule to a Multi Carrier booking. The booking record should identify the product type and preserve the placement timestamp when this exception applies.

For FMC shipments, PCD is the date on which Maersk or an authorized agent takes possession of the last container listed on the transport document. The notice separately states that the Intermodal Fuel Fee applies to FMC cargo from October 13, 2026. It would therefore be incorrect to apply the September 14–28 non-FMC window to an FMC shipment merely because the inland movement occurs in Poland.

Multi-container FMC cargo requires container-level evidence. If five containers are listed and they are handed over on different days, the first four possession records do not replace the date for the last container. The transport document, container list, and possession or gate-in evidence should be reconciled before the tariff is selected.

FMC status should be confirmed in writing. A route involving the United States may suggest that FMC regulation deserves attention, but the charge review should use the carrier’s booking and tariff classification rather than a reviewer’s assumption. Ask: Is the shipment FMC-regulated? What event defines PCD? What date did that event produce? Which published window or tariff level follows from it?

Schedule changes can also affect the documentary picture. If the carrier issues a more recent booking confirmation at the customer’s request, the first-vessel ETD shown there may become relevant under the notice’s non-FMC wording. Keep the confirmation history so the reviewer can see which document was used rather than relying on a date copied into an email.

Build a five-column fuel-fee control sheet

A concise control sheet can prevent most base and timing errors. Use one row for each in-scope inland charge and five groups of fields: rate window, mode, base, PCD, and result.

The rate-window field should state September 14–28, 2026 for the published Poland values, or the applicable FMC timing and current tariff if that category applies. It should also include the source date and a reminder to check the next bi-weekly notice after the window ends.

The mode field should state Truck or RCO and reference the carrier’s service description. Do not replace it with a broad label such as “intermodal,” because that label does not select between 12% and 6%.

The base field should identify IHI or IHE, its exact amount and currency, and the service covered by that line. If the figure was converted from another currency, retain the original amount and conversion basis. A reviewer should be able to distinguish the carrier base from a reseller’s combined price.

The PCD field should state FMC or non-FMC treatment, ordinary or Multi Carrier status, the triggering event, the date, and the supporting document. For non-FMC cargo, this may be the first-vessel ETD in the most recent requested confirmation or the booking-placement time for Multi Carrier cargo. For FMC cargo, retain the last-container possession evidence and check the October 13 applicability statement.

The result field should show the multiplication, not just the answer. “USD 1,000 IHI × 12% = USD 120” is auditable. “Fuel fee: USD 120” leaves the base and rate hidden. Keep ocean freight and every unrelated cost on separate rows.

An effective invoice test works backward. Divide the billed fuel-fee amount by 12% or 6% and compare the implied base with the documented IHI/IHE amount. If the implied base equals total ocean freight, a combined invoice value, or an unidentified number, pause approval and request a breakdown.

Recalculate after a material change. Switching from rail to truck changes the percentage. Amending the inland service may change IHI/IHE. A newer booking confirmation can affect the relevant non-FMC evidence. Moving beyond September 28 requires a new rate-window check because the notice promises review, not a fixed long-term level.

YANCHAO can help organize inland service descriptions, booking confirmations, container records, IHI/IHE lines, calculations, and invoice discrepancies. The carrier’s current tariff, booking classification, and billing record control the final charge. Document support cannot turn a temporary percentage into a guaranteed all-in price, route, or transit time.

Comparing Truck 12% and RCO 6%

Check	Truck	RCO
Published Poland rate	12%	6%
Stated base	IHI/IHE	IHI/IHE
Published non-FMC window	September 14–28, 2026	September 14–28, 2026
Incorrect base	Total ocean freight or full invoice	Total ocean freight or full invoice
Review cycle	Bi-weekly	Bi-weekly

The table supports a rate calculation, not a conclusion that rail is always cheaper than truck. The IHI/IHE base and the service scope can differ. A valid modal comparison holds route, cargo, equipment, delivery point, currency, handling, and validity constant, then compares the full documented inland cost and operational fit.

The percentage also does not describe fuel consumption or a general inflation measure. It is a temporary carrier charge under the announced terms. Finance teams should book it under the matching cost line and retain the source snapshot rather than interpreting it as a universal Poland logistics index.

Summary and invoice-review checklist

Maersk’s Poland announcement applies 12% to Truck and 6% to RCO for the September 14–28, 2026 window, with the percentages applied to IHI/IHE. The correct workflow is to isolate the inland base, identify the mode, determine FMC and Multi Carrier status, establish the PCD event and date, and preserve the calculation. FMC cargo has separate timing from October 13, 2026.

Before approving a quote or invoice:

• Identify the Poland inland transport leg.
• Confirm Truck or RCO from carrier records.
• Locate the IHI/IHE code, amount, and currency.
• Keep ocean freight outside the percentage base.
• Confirm FMC or non-FMC treatment.
• Identify ordinary or Multi Carrier booking status.
• Record the exact PCD event and date.
• Apply the correct published rate window.
• Show the multiplication and retain the source.
• Reverse-calculate the billed amount to test its base.
• Recheck after a mode, booking, or cost-line amendment.
• Retrieve the next notice after September 28.

Frequently asked questions:

Does Truck 12% mean the total shipment price rises by 12%? No. The notice applies 12% to IHI/IHE, not to the entire ocean-freight invoice.

Can the 6% RCO rate be used after September 28? Not without a current check. The published window ends September 28 and the fee is reviewed bi-weekly.

Do FMC shipments use the September 14 start date? No. The notice states that the Intermodal Fuel Fee applies to FMC shipments from October 13, 2026.

Official source and calculation resource

The primary source is Maersk’s September 9, 2026 Intermodal Fuel Fee update in Poland. Use the current booking confirmation, IHI/IHE line, tariff classification, and invoice when making a commercial decision because the published adjustment is temporary and reviewed bi-weekly.

A reusable calculation sheet should contain the booking number, mode, IHI/IHE code, base amount, currency, FMC status, Multi Carrier status, PCD event, PCD date, rate window, percentage, result, source URL, and review date. YANCHAO can support document organization and discrepancy follow-up while the carrier remains the authority for the tariff and billed amount.