Diesel squeeze hits food logistics

Diesel is a single point of failure in the food system: it moves freight, runs farm equipment and often backs up warehouse power. (eia.gov) In 2024, trucks moved about 72.7% of United States freight by weight, according to American Trucking Associations. The group put domestic truck tonnage at 11.27 billion tons and trucking revenue at $906 billion. (trucking.org) The United States Energy Information Administration says diesel engines help transport “nearly all products people consume,” and that diesel powers most farm and construction equipment. The same agency says diesel generators are widely used for backup and emergency power at industrial sites and large buildings. (eia.gov) That overlap shows up fast in food logistics. The United States Department of Agriculture’s transport dashboard says the Energy Information Administration’s weekly diesel survey is a benchmark for fuel surcharges in trucking and rail, which means higher diesel prices can move directly into shipping contracts. (usda.gov) Diesel prices were already elevated in early April 2026. The Energy Information Administration put the national average on-highway diesel price at $3.961 a gallon for the week of April 6, while California was at $5.769 and the West Coast average was $5.262. (eia.gov) Retail food and warehouse operators face a second exposure when power fails. The Food and Drug Administration says refrigerators should stay at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit and freezers at or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, which is why cold-chain sites rely on contingency power plans. (fda.gov) The clock is short once refrigeration stops. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says food stays safe for up to 4 hours in a refrigerator without power, 48 hours in a full freezer and 24 hours in a half-full freezer if doors stay closed. (cdc.gov) Agriculture has its own diesel exposure before food ever reaches a dock. An Environmental Protection Agency fact sheet citing federal data says diesel used in on-farm equipment such as tractors accounted for more than 500 billion British thermal units of farm energy use in 2016. (epa.gov) Perishable freight adds another constraint because time and temperature are linked. A United States Department of Agriculture transport handbook says protecting fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy in transit depends on maintaining the cold chain from loading through delivery. (hubspotusercontent10.net) The practical lesson is less about one fuel market than about stacked dependencies. If diesel gets tight or expensive, the first bottlenecks are likely to show up in hauling, harvesting, backup power and refrigerated throughput long before grocery shelves show the full effect. (eia.gov)