Why has promoting inclusion become a strategic issue today?
18 May 2026
Reform of the Right of Withdrawal: What Impact Will It Have on E-Commerce Logistics?
22 June 2026- 5 minutes
In the e-commerce sector, logistics costs are constantly changing as a result of economic fluctuations.
Among the elements most closely monitored by professionals is the fuel surcharge.
This variable has a direct impact on parcel transport prices, e-merchant margins and the overall organization of the supply chain.
In an environment marked by rising energy costs and ever more demanding delivery requirements, understanding the impact of fuel surcharges has become essential for anticipating logistics expenses and preserving competitiveness.
What is fuel surcharge?
The fuel surcharge is a tariff adjustment applied by carriers to compensate for variations in the price of fuel.
In concrete terms, when the cost of diesel or other energy used for transport rises sharply, carriers pass on part of this increase in delivery charges.
This overload is generally :
- calculated as a percentage,
- revised regularly,
- applied to national and international shipments.
In the e-commerce parcel sector, where delivery volumes are high and margins sometimes low, this variation can have a significant impact.
Why do fuel surcharges have a major impact on e-commerce?
The e-commerce model is based on a highly mobile supply chain:
- supply,
- storage,
- order picking,
- transport,
- last-mile delivery.
Each stage involves travel, and therefore significant energy consumption.
With rising fuel prices, transport costs are skyrocketing, especially for :
- express deliveries,
- multi-piece shipments,
- urban deliveries,
- long-distance flows.
E-tailers have to absorb some of these costs or pass them on to their customers.
In an ultra-competitive market, many online stores still offer free delivery, short lead times and aggressive pricing policies.
Fuel surcharges therefore reduce the already limited margins of e-tailers.
Even a slight increase can represent a significant cost on a large scale. A small surcharge applied to several thousand parcels per month, for example, can quickly generate several hundred or even thousands of additional euros.
The direct impact of fuel surcharges on consumers
When transport costs increase over the long term, retailers are often forced to review their prices.
This can be translated into :
- higher delivery costs,
- the elimination of certain free offers,
- higher minimum purchase amounts.
And yet, the price of delivery remains a major criterion in the purchasing decision. On the consumer side, these cost increases have consequences, such as basket abandonment and reduced customer loyalty.
Faced with these developments, consumers are also becoming more sensitive to certain criteria, such as cost transparency, delivery optimization, or more responsible and local solutions.
How to limit the impact of fuel surcharges?
Efficient logistics help limit transport costs.
To limit these impacts, it’s important to take certain criteria into account, such as optimizing delivery routes, reducing unnecessary shipments, better inventory management, and order consolidation.
Rigorous logistics preparation also reduces shipping errors and returns, which also represent a significant fuel cost.
Leveraging a strategic logistics base
In an environment increasingly impacted by rising fuel costs, the geographical proximity of stocks to customers is becoming a real performance lever for companies. By bringing goods closer to delivery zones :
- distances are reduced,
- optimized lead times,
- transport costs decrease.
This local approach also limits the environmental impact of deliveries, a criterion increasingly taken into consideration by consumers.
Working with a versatile and flexible logistics partner
In a fluctuating economic climate, e-tailers need visibility and flexibility.
A logistics partner capable of adapting flows, optimizing shipments and supporting peaks in activity helps to better absorb variations in fuel costs.
The aim is no longer just to ship quickly, but to build logistics:
- agile,
- profitable,
- sustainable.
Towards a sustainable transformation of the logistics sector
Fuel surcharges are a more general illustration of current changes in transport and e-commerce.
The challenges are no longer limited to costs, but also include the energy transition, flow optimization, responsible consumption, and changing customer expectations.
Faced with these changes, companies that can anticipate and adapt their logistics organization have a real competitive advantage.
Fuel surcharges have become an unavoidable element of e-commerce logistics.
The impact of fuel surcharges on transport costs, company margins and the customer experience is far from negligible.
In this context, optimizing the supply chain is no longer an option: it’s a strategic lever for preserving competitiveness and maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.
Anticipation, flexibility and logistical efficiency now make it possible to better absorb these fluctuations and build a more efficient e-commerce model over the long term.
Do you want to optimize your logistics costs and gain flexibility in the face of market variations?
Dokeraa supports e-tailers with logistics solutions tailored to their flows, volumes and operational challenges.
Adapting HR processes
Recruitment, integration and career development processes must also be designed to ensure fairness. This includes :
- Writing inclusive job offers
- Objective assessment of skills
- Tracking career paths
These actions, which are simple to implement, are essential pillars in guaranteeing a strong policy of inclusion.
Set up monitoring indicators
To effectively manage an inclusion strategy, it is important to monitor certain indicators, such as diversity rates, equal pay, employee commitment and turnover.
These data enable us to adjust our actions and ensure that inclusion is part of a sustainable approach.
Barriers to inclusion in the workplace
Despite its benefits, promoting inclusion can come up against certain limits.
Indeed, some employees may resist change, or display persistent unconscious biases.
A lack of awareness is often at the root of these obstacles, but the absence of structured management can also lead to reluctance.
Identifying obstacles early on is the best way to implement an effective inclusion strategy.
Towards a sustainably inclusive corporate culture
Promoting inclusion is not just a series of one-off actions, but a genuine cultural change that needs to be sustained over time.
Companies that succeed in integrating inclusion values into their approach are those that make inclusion a pillar of their overall strategy, aligning their values and managerial practices.
Today, promoting inclusion is a key challenge for companies wishing to combine performance, commitment and responsibility.
By structuring an effective corporate inclusion policy, organizations create an environment that is not only fairer, but also more innovative and competitive, offering a motivating and fulfilling environment for employees.
