Why Diesel Prices Are Rising as Truckers Face Record Costs

U.S. Diesel Prices have reached record levels, putting new pressure on trucking companies and owner-operators while fueling online calls for truckers to park their rigs on Oct. 1.

The national average for on-highway diesel reached $6.529 per gallon on Sept. 21, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That was 24.4 cents higher than one week earlier and $2.78 per gallon above the same week in 2025.

The increase is not being driven by a single factor. EIA says elevated crude oil prices, tight global distillate supplies, high refining margins and low U.S. inventories are all contributing to the surge.

Those conditions have pushed diesel to levels never previously recorded in nominal terms in EIA’s weekly data.

Why Diesel Prices Have Climbed So High

EIA says diesel prices are built from several major components, including crude oil, refining margins, distribution costs, retail margins and taxes.

Two factors have been especially important recently: elevated crude oil prices and unusually high diesel refining margins.

Refining margins can be measured using what is known as the diesel “crack spread.” EIA calculates this by comparing the wholesale price of diesel with the price of crude oil.

When the diesel crack spread increases, refiners receive a larger margin for converting crude into diesel. EIA says the combination of a high crack spread and elevated crude oil prices has pushed retail diesel higher.

But the reasons for the high refining margins go beyond U.S. refineries.

Global Diesel Supplies Are Tight

A major part of the current problem is happening outside the United States.

According to EIA, global distillate supplies have tightened because of reduced refining activity in Russia, China and the Middle East.

Less production overseas has increased international distillate prices. That has two effects on the United States: importing diesel becomes more expensive, while international demand for U.S.-produced diesel increases.

That export demand matters because U.S. refineries are already operating at high levels.

From January through August, U.S. distillate production averaged 5.1 million barrels per day, the highest for that period since 2019. Refinery utilization reached 97% during the week ending Sept. 11.

In other words, the current price surge cannot simply be explained by U.S. refineries producing too little diesel.

U.S. Diesel Inventories Remain Low

Even with strong domestic production, the amount of distillate fuel being held in U.S. inventories has remained unusually low.

EIA says U.S. net distillate exports have remained near or above the previous five-year high since February.

As exports increased earlier this year, domestic inventories declined. Inventories normally rebuild during the summer, but EIA says they remained relatively flat this year.

By the week ending Sept. 11, U.S. distillate inventories were 15.8 million barrels, or 13%, below the five-year seasonal average.

Those low inventories have helped keep refining margins elevated.

EIA expects some of these pressures to continue. Its September Short-Term Energy Outlook assumes global distillate production will remain below 2025 levels in the coming months, contributing to high U.S. net exports, low inventories and elevated prices.

Diesel Prices Reach $6.53 Nationally

The effect is now clearly visible at truck stops.

EIA’s national diesel average increased from $5.967 on Sept. 7 to $6.285 on Sept. 14 and then to $6.529 on Sept. 21.

That means diesel increased about 56 cents per gallon in two weeks.

The Midwest recorded the largest increase in the latest weekly report, jumping 43 cents to $6.680 per gallon.

The East Coast averaged $6.268, while the Gulf Coast stood at $6.177. Rocky Mountain diesel reached $6.340.

Prices were considerably higher in the West. West Coast diesel averaged $7.456, while California reached $8.246 per gallon.

The rapidly changing prices can create another problem for carriers. American Trucking Associations Chief Economist Bob Costello told The Washington Post that most fuel surcharges are adjusted weekly using EIA’s diesel benchmark. Rapid price changes between adjustments can make it harder for carriers to recover the full increase.

High Fuel Costs Spark Oct. 1 Trucker Strike Discussion

The record prices have also contributed to growing frustration among truckers.

Calls for drivers to park their trucks beginning Oct. 1 have spread through social media. However, available evidence does not support widely circulated claims that 50,000 truckers have formally committed to a nationwide strike.

Overdrive investigated the claim and found considerable discussion among drivers but no evidence supporting the 50,000-driver figure.

OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh acknowledged the difficulties facing truckers and the calls for a shutdown. However, OOIDA has not called a strike. The organization says there are practical and legal issues that prevent it from organizing such an action.

Other reporting has reached similar conclusions. A fact-check published Sept. 17 found no confirmed national organizer, union authorization or documented list of carriers participating in an Oct. 1 shutdown. OOIDA described what it was seeing at that point as social-media chatter.

That does not mean no truckers will choose to park their trucks. Recent reporting from Georgia, for example, found independent drivers discussing participation as fuel expenses strain their businesses. But there is a major difference between individual drivers deciding not to haul freight and a coordinated nationwide strike.

Fuel Costs Add Pressure to an Already Difficult Market

The anger behind the Oct. 1 discussion comes as fuel expenses are rising much faster than many trucking operations can easily absorb.

The latest Spot Market results illustrate the problem. Broker-posted rates remain significantly above their levels from a year ago, but part of that increase is needed simply to compensate for higher fuel expenses.

The issue can be especially important for owner-operators working the spot market, where fuel costs may have to be recovered through an all-in negotiated rate rather than a separate fuel surcharge.

EIA also warns that the consequences extend beyond individual trucking businesses. High diesel prices can increase the cost of moving goods by both road and rail.

For now, the economic pressure behind the strike discussion is measurable even if the size of any Oct. 1 shutdown is not.

Diesel has risen above $6.50 nationally, inventories remain below normal levels, and EIA expects global distillate supplies to remain tight in the coming months. Whether those conditions produce a significant organized shutdown on Oct. 1 remains uncertain, but the fuel-cost problem driving the discussion is already affecting trucking operations across the country.