The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a U.S. on-highway diesel average of $6.20 per gallon for the week ending Oct. 5, 2026, a level that the EIA says will keep adding to the diesel prices impact on trucking costs.
Higher pump diesel prices are already squeezing carrier margins and focusing attention on fuel surcharges. The Journal of Commerce noted that a federal data point showing a $6.53/gal national average published in late September has changed the cost equation for shippers and increased the prominence of fuel-surcharge mechanisms in contracts.
Trucking companies typically pass rising fuel costs to shippers through contractual fuel surcharges tied to published indices, and trade coverage says those mechanisms are under scrutiny as diesel climbs. The EIA page explaining its weekly gasoline and diesel update also includes a section titled “How do I calculate/find diesel fuel surcharges?” showing the agency provides the regional price series used in many surcharge formulas.
Shippers and fleets face regional differences: the EIA showed the West Coast on-highway diesel average at $7.23/gal for the week of Oct. 5, while the Midwest averaged $6.29/gal and the East Coast $5.95/gal, illustrating how diesel prices impact on-route cost calculations differently by region.
Industry reporting says the recent peak readings prompted more visible talk of surcharges and cost pass-throughs. The Journal of Commerce reported on Sept. 22 that the $6.53/gal national average published by federal data was shifting how carriers and shippers evaluate spot versus contract moves.
Analysts and the EIA point to crude oil movements, refinery margins and regional supply logistics as the drivers behind retail diesel levels; the EIA’s materials and data tables lay out weekly and regional price series and link to methodology for pump-price calculation, which fleets and brokers use when setting surcharges.
For shippers, the immediate effect is higher line-haul bills when carriers apply published fuel-surcharge schedules; for carriers, the persistent rise in diesel adds to operating cost pressure and could feed through to freight rates if surcharges or contract adjustments lag actual fuel costs.
As diesel remains elevated, companies that negotiate tight fuel-surcharge clauses or that lack effective pass-through mechanisms will feel the impact most directly, while firms with indexed surcharges can transfer more of the burden to customers, trade reporting shows.
Sources
- U.S. Energy Information Administration — weekly gasoline and diesel fuel update with on-highway U.S. average ($6.199/gal for week ending Oct. 5, 2026) and regional price series used in surcharge calculations.
- Journal of Commerce — reporting that a $6.53/gal national average published in late September changed the cost equation for shippers and highlighted fuel surcharges.
Further reading: see industry coverage on recent record pump prices and explanations of what’s driving supply and price trends.
Internal links: Diesel fuel prices top $6 a gallon in US, Reuters and EIA say, Diesel fuel: what’s driving prices and supply in the US
