U.S. diesel prices rose again in the latest week, to an average of $6.28 a gallon, reversing two weeks of declines and staying near record highs, according to Energy Information Administration (EIA) figures reported by Reuters on October 23. The weekly EIA table puts the price for the week of October 19 at $6.276 a gallon, up 9.7 cents on the week — yaani, about $628 to fill a 100-gallon truck tank, against about $362 a year earlier, when the national average was $3.62.

Source: Reuters (via WNCY)

The pain is uneven across the country. California remained the most expensive region in the EIA survey at $8.242 a gallon, up 15.1 cents on the week, while the Lower Atlantic was the cheapest at $5.740. The West Coast average rose to $7.394.

Source: EIA weekly data (via Small Fleet HQ)

$6.28U.S. average diesel price, week of Oct 19 (EIA)
+9.7¢Rise on the week
$8.242California average — the highest region (EIA)
$3.62U.S. average a year earlier

Relief measures pile up, prices do not fall

Reuters reports that, with the November midterm elections approaching, President Donald Trump's administration has offered billions of dollars to farmers, relaxed rules for truckers, eased sanctions on Russian fuel and pressured European allies to release emergency stocks — yet diesel rose again last week. Republicans are defending narrow majorities in Congress, and an October Reuters/Ipsos poll found nearly 80 per cent of Americans blame Trump for higher costs, Reuters said.

Among the measures already announced: an executive order, signed onstage at a rally in Nebraska, allowing red-dyed diesel to be used in highway vehicles, and $8 billion in new farm aid — a "harvest fuel relief" program — announced at a rally in Kansas on Monday. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the $8 billion would "help bring certainty to our farmers during this harvest," in remarks reported by The Center Square.

Source: The Center Square (via The Answer Detroit)

Reuters' analysis says the measures carry trade-offs: the new aid adds strain on federal spending, the Russian fuel move risks helping Moscow finance its war in Ukraine, and pressure on European allies — backed by a threat to restrict U.S. diesel exports — has created diplomatic friction. The political pressure is sharpest in Farm Belt states such as Iowa and Kansas, where fuel and fertilizer costs are squeezing farm incomes, Reuters reports.

What it means for truckers

Diesel is the biggest running cost for owner-operators. At $6.28 a gallon nationally — and $8.242 in California, where many Punjabi truckers run I-5 and Central Valley routes — a single long-haul fill can cost hundreds of dollars more than a year ago, before insurance, maintenance and truck payments.

What is solid

  • The EIA weekly U.S. average diesel price was $6.276 a gallon for the week of October 19, 2026, up 9.7 cents on the week (EIA data, confirmed in two independent compilations).
  • California had the highest regional average at $8.242 a gallon in the same EIA survey.
  • The administration has announced an $8 billion harvest fuel relief program for farmers and an executive order on red-dyed diesel (Reuters; The Center Square).

What is only claimed

  • Who voters blame for high costs — the nearly 80 per cent figure is an October Reuters/Ipsos poll of public perception, reported by Reuters.
  • Whether the relief measures will bring pump prices down — Reuters' analysis says they have not done so yet; that is the news agency's assessment, not an official finding.