Fuel & Fleet Economics
National diesel average rises 9.7 cents as regional costs remain widely separated
· Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration
The U.S. Energy Information Administration put the national on-highway diesel average at $6.276 per gallon for October 19, up 9.7 cents from the prior week and $2.656 above a year earlier. The West Coast averaged $7.394 while the Gulf Coast averaged $5.903, a regional gap of nearly $1.50 per gallon.
Summary and practical context by RoadHouse Recruiting · Reviewed
Every major petroleum region moved higher
EIA's tax-inclusive averages rose 7.6 cents on the East Coast, 9.3 cents in the Midwest, 9.4 cents on the Gulf Coast, 12 cents in the Rocky Mountain region and 15.4 cents on the West Coast. California remained the highest reported state average at $8.242 per gallon. The national increase followed a decline from $6.199 on October 5 to $6.179 on October 12.
The benchmark is an input, not a fleet's actual fuel bill
Fuel-surcharge programs often reference EIA prices, but recovery depends on the customer's formula, base price, mileage assumptions and payment timing. A fleet's cost also varies with purchasing networks, discounts, geography and deadhead. A weekly benchmark increase therefore does not translate dollar-for-dollar into every carrier's margin.
Understanding the update
This is the federal weekly retail diesel benchmark, including taxes. It is separate from RoadHouse's DAT linehaul-rate snapshot, which excludes fuel and fuel surcharges.
What it means for drivers and carriers
Recalculate surcharge recovery by lane and region, especially for West Coast freight, and monitor the lag between fuel purchases and customer reimbursement.
Questions to consider
- Does the surcharge formula reflect the region where fuel is actually purchased?
- How many days pass between buying fuel and collecting the corresponding surcharge?
Read the original reporting
This page provides an original summary and practical commentary. The linked source contains the full reporting. Older stories reflect information available on their published dates.
Read the source at U.S. Energy Information Administration ↗ (opens in a new tab)