Fuel & rates

Diesel drops 14.7 cents to $6.382 — first weekly decline in 12 weeks

EIA's national on-highway average fell to $6.382 a gallon for the week ending Sept. 28, ending an 11-week climb to record-high levels.

By CDLWire · Published October 1, 2026

Summarized from EIA, EIA Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update.

A semi truck fueling up at a truck stop with a diesel price sign

The national average on-highway diesel price fell to $6.382 a gallon for the week ending Sept. 28 — down $0.147 — the first weekly decline after 11 straight weeks of increases, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's release on Sept. 29.

The streak ran from $4.796 the week of July 13 to a peak of $6.529 for the week ending Sept. 21 — a climb of $1.733 — after what Supply Chain 24/7 described as a stretch of record highs. The average is still $2.628 higher than the same week last year.

The biggest regional drops came on the Gulf Coast, where diesel fell $0.222 to $5.955, and in the Midwest, down $0.154 to $6.526. The West Coast averaged $7.357, with California at $8.181; the Rocky Mountain region was the lone riser, up $0.067 to $6.407.

Tommy Slaymaker, director of fleet services at The Pete Store, told Supply Chain 24/7 that fleets are being "much more deliberate about costs they can control," prioritizing preventive maintenance and full-lifecycle equipment decisions, because "every dollar spent at the pump is cutting further into margins."

Why it matters: After a record three-month run, the first down week is the break drivers have been waiting for — the next question is whether fuel surcharges and spot rates follow it down.