Diesel still unstable
National diesel averages showed a slight drop this week, but regional fuel costs remain volatile and extreme in places. ( ) Some reporting notes a roughly 50% diesel spike tied to Middle East tensions and regional records — for example Seattle briefly topped $7 per gallon — so the small national dip doesn’t erase lane‑level pain. ( )
Diesel prices eased a little this week, but truckers are still paying near-record amounts on some routes and in some West Coast markets. (fleetowner.com) The U.S. Energy Information Administration put the national on-highway diesel average at $5.64 a gallon for the week of April 6, up 24.2 cents from the prior week. The West Coast average hit $6.92, and California reached $7.57. (eia.gov) FleetOwner reported on April 16 that the national average then slipped by 4 cents, a small pullback after the earlier jump. The same report said regional spreads stayed wide, with lane-by-lane costs still moving unevenly. (fleetowner.com) In Washington state, the pressure was sharper. The Seattle Times reported Seattle diesel briefly touched $7.10 a gallon, then eased to $7.05, while Washington’s statewide average reached $6.96. (seattletimes.com) AAA’s state averages on April 14 showed how concentrated the pain was: California diesel at $7.67, Hawaii at $7.08, Washington at $6.95 and Pennsylvania at $6.08, while Texas was $5.31 and Oklahoma was $4.78. (aaa.com) The gap matters for trucking because diesel is one of the biggest operating costs after labor and equipment. Overdrive reported April 16 that stronger freight rates in early 2026 have helped some owner-operators absorb part of the fuel shock, but not erase it. (overdriveonline.com) Large shippers are also warning that fuel is feeding broader transportation inflation. C.H. Robinson said on April 9 that North American truckload costs are now projected to rise 16% to 17% year over year as capacity tightens and operating costs climb. (chrobinson.com) The latest spike has been tied in multiple reports to Middle East shipping risk and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil transit route. That link helps explain why a small national dip has not translated into relief at the pump in coastal and import-dependent markets. (chronline.com, chrobinson.com) For carriers buying fuel this week, the headline is not that diesel got cheap again. It is that the U.S. average moved down slightly while the most expensive regions stayed far above it. (fleetowner.com), (aaa.com)
