Each week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) publishes the diesel number most small carriers watch: the weekly average retail price for on-highway diesel. It's a useful planning tool, but only if you read it right. Here's this week's benchmark, how far the regions spread, and a simple way to turn it into a fuel budget.
This week's benchmark
EIA released its Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update on October 14, 2026, covering the benchmark week of October 12, 2026.
U.S. average retail on-highway diesel: $6.179 per gallon
Change from the week before: down $0.020
Change from a year ago: up $2.514
Prior weeks: $6.199 (Oct 5) and $6.382 (Sept 28)
EIA's next scheduled release is October 20, 2026. EIA notes that its prices include all taxes.
National average vs. regional averages
The national figure blends very different markets. Regional averages for the same week:
Region (EIA) | Week of Oct 12, 2026 ($/gal) | Change from week ago
Lower Atlantic (PADD 1C) | 5.645 | -0.054
Gulf Coast (PADD 3) | 5.809 | -0.010
East Coast (PADD 1) | 5.908 | -0.043
Midwest (PADD 2) | 6.259 | -0.027
Rocky Mountain (PADD 4) | 6.302 | +0.035
New England (PADD 1A) | 6.441 | -0.035
Central Atlantic (PADD 1B) | 6.471 | -0.014
West Coast less California | 6.503 | +0.013
West Coast (PADD 5) | 7.240 | +0.011
California | 8.091 | +0.009
The Lower Atlantic sits nearly $1.60 a gallon below the West Coast and almost $2.45 below California. Most eastern and central regions eased this week, while the Rocky Mountain and West Coast regions ticked up. If your lanes stay in one region, that region's line is a better starting point than the national number.
Why your pump price won't match the benchmark
Even a regional average is not the price at the island you pull into:
Taxes vary by state. Prices can shift when you cross a state line.
Location within a region. Interstate exits, metro areas, and rural stops can all price differently.
Truck stop vs. retail station. Truck stop diesel islands and neighborhood stations don't always post the same price.
Discounts and fuel cards. Many carriers pay something other than the posted price through fuel card programs or negotiated discounts. Terms vary widely, so compare what you actually pay with the posted price.
Timing. EIA's figure is a weekly snapshot. Prices can move between releases.
Treat the benchmark as a reference point for planning and comparison, not a prediction of your receipt.
A simple fuel-budget method
Fuel cost = trip miles / MPG x price per gallon
Hypothetical example (illustrative numbers only, not any real trip):
Trip: 1,000 miles
Fuel economy: 7 MPG
Gallons: 1,000 / 7 = 142.857... gallons
Price assumption: $6.20 per gallon, close to this week's national average
Fuel cost: 142.857... x $6.20 = $885.71
Keep the full figure until the last step. Rounding gallons to 143 before multiplying gives $886.60, a small difference that adds up across many trips.
Make the estimate more useful
Use the right price. Start with the regional average where you'll actually fuel, then adjust toward what you've really been paying.
Use your real MPG. Loaded weight, terrain, speed, idling, and weather all move fuel economy. Track it from fill-up records instead of guessing.
Count every mile. Include empty miles to the pickup and after delivery, not just loaded miles.
Add a cushion. A small buffer protects your budget when prices move between releases.
Compare weekly. After each release, put your average price paid next to the regional benchmark. A gap that keeps growing is a signal to look at where and how you fuel.
How to read the weekly release in two minutes
Check the release date and the benchmark week. They're different dates.
Read the U.S. line for the national trend.
Read your region's line for planning.
Use the week-ago and year-ago changes for direction, not as a forecast.
Note the next release date so you know when your numbers go stale.
Make it a weekly habit: pull up the release, update your regional price, and rerun your numbers before you quote or plan the week ahead.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update (released October 14, 2026; benchmark week October 12, 2026), https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/.