The U.S. average diesel price rose 9.7 cents to $6.276 per gallon for the week of 2026-10-19. That breaks a cooling trend and squeezes per-mile margins again.
Diesel Bounces Back Up
- $6.276 per gallon is the U.S. average diesel price for the week of 2026-10-19, per EIA.
- Up 9.7 cents (1.6%) week over week, so check that fuel surcharges are keeping pace on every load.
- Still down 25.3 cents over four weeks, but last week's jump shows relief is not locked in.
- Reefer operators burn fuel in both truck and trailer unit, so they feel each increase twice.
Source: EIA: Weekly U.S. diesel price, week of 2026-10-19
Contract Rate Gains Hold Steady
- Above 10% is where truckload contract rate increases keep landing, according to a new SONAR index.
- Carriers are winning in one cycle what would normally take several years of increases.
- Small fleets renewing lanes now have leverage to push for higher contract rates.
Source: FreightWaves: Truckload contract rate increases riding steady above 10%
CSX Courts Truckload Shippers
- CSX is reviewing shippers' truckload files to offer service and cost comparisons for intermodal.
- The railroad sees a chance to pull freight from a battered trucking market onto rail.
- Long-haul dry van carriers should watch for shippers testing rail on longer lanes.
Source: Supply Chain Dive: CSX sees rail conversion opportunities from battered trucking market
Rate Hikes and Cross-Border Moves
- 5.9% general rate increase from Roadrunner takes effect Nov. 2, alongside a new Canada-to-U.S. LTL service.
- 5.9% average rate increase from UPS starts Dec. 21, matching FedEx's coming bump.
- Oct. 30: plywood and certain packaging materials will no longer face the 50% Canada tariff, which could lift those flows.
- $641M in U.S. trucking and warehousing activity comes from avocado imports out of Mexico.
Source: FreightWaves: Roadrunner announces Canada-outbound service · Supply Chain Dive: UPS plans 5.9% rate increase on Dec. 21 · Supply Chain Dive: Trump tweaks Canada tariffs, removing certain goods while adding others · FreightWaves: Borderlands Mexico: Avocado imports generate $641M for US trucking, warehousing
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