Diesel averaged $6.276 per gallon in the week of 2026-10-19, up 9.7 cents from the prior week. That reverses part of a four-week slide and squeezes margins again.
Diesel Bounces Back Up
- $6.276 per gallon: EIA's U.S. retail diesel average for the week of 2026-10-19.
- Up 9.7 cents (1.6%) week over week, a sharp hit to per-mile fuel costs.
- Still down 25.3 cents over four weeks, so recent relief has only partly eroded.
- A first Russian diesel shipment is heading to the U.S. after a Trump-Putin deal; any pump impact is unclear.
Source: EIA: Weekly U.S. diesel price, week of 2026-10-19 · FreightWaves: Russian diesel tanker heads for U.S. following Trump-Putin deal
Contract Rate Hikes Stay Strong
- Above 10%: truckload contract rate increases are holding steady, per a new SONAR index.
- Carriers are landing increases roughly equal to several years' worth in one cycle.
- Small fleets renewing lanes now have firmer ground to push for higher rates.
Source: FreightWaves: Truckload contract rate increases riding steady above 10%
Costs Bite a Reefer Carrier
- 7%: Marten Transport shares fell after a weak third quarter.
- Rising fuel and health insurance costs outweighed better supply-demand conditions.
- Small reefer operators face the same cost squeeze even as the market tightens.
Source: FreightWaves: Cost pressures sink Marten Transport’s Q3
Cross-Border Shifts
- Oct. 30: plywood and some packaging materials drop off the 50% Canada tariff list, while other goods are added.
- Roadrunner launches Canada-to-U.S. LTL service with a 5.9% general rate increase effective Nov. 2.
- $641M: avocado imports' value to U.S. trucking and warehousing, supporting Texas border freight.
Source: Supply Chain Dive: Trump tweaks Canada tariffs, removing certain goods while adding others · FreightWaves: Roadrunner announces Canada-outbound service · FreightWaves: Borderlands Mexico: Avocado imports generate $641M for US trucking, warehousing
Freight Demand Signals
- Drewry's World Container Index rose on trans-Pacific gains, pointing to firmer import demand.
- More than $1.6B: five shippers' new or expanded U.S. plants, including trailer and bus production.
- Nestlé will close an Ohio factory by end of 2027, shifting production to South Carolina.
Source: FreightWaves: New Drewry data shows import demand boosting trans-Pacific rates · FreightWaves: 5 US manufacturing projects bring more than $1.6B in investments · Supply Chain Dive: Nestlé to close Ohio factory by end of 2027
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