Trucking News · Nationwide · October 27, 2026

Diesel Now Costs Truckers About $181 More a Day, DAT Analyst Says

By Big Rig Daily Staff

Diesel is costing truckers running 500 miles a day at 6 mpg about $181 more a day than in late February and early March, about $539 a day versus $358, according to DAT analyst Dean Croke, as reported by The Trucker on Monday, Oct. 26. At the same time, DAT's van, reefer and flatbed spot rates each slipped 2 to 3 cents a mile.

The math behind $181 a day

All figures in this story are Croke's, as reported by The Trucker, unless noted. Croke used Pilot Flying J's average diesel price, which was $6.47 a gallon on Oct. 24. That was up 13 cents, or 2%, from Oct. 17, and $2.17, or 51%, above the baseline of $4.30 from late February and early March.

Here is how the daily figure adds up:

• A truck running 500 miles a day at 6 miles per gallon burns about 83 gallons.
• At late February and early March prices, that fuel cost about $358 a day.
• At the Oct. 24 average, it costs about $539 a day.
• The difference is about $181 a day.

For a spot dry van carrier tracked by DAT, diesel now costs about 92 cents a mile, or 43% of operating costs. In late February and early March it was 59 cents a mile, or 32%.

You can run your own numbers with the truck fuel cost calculator.

Where the pump price swings the most

Where a trucker fills up makes a big difference. The Trucker reported prices as high as $8.50 a gallon in Palmdale, Calif., and as low as $5.40 in Albany and Dalton, Ga., and McLeansville, N.C. Georgia's diesel tax is suspended through Nov. 30, and in California, Port of Oakland owner-operators say diesel over $8 a gallon has cut what they take home.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration's national average was $6.276 a gallon for the week of Oct. 19, up 9.7 cents and the first increase in four weeks, The Trucker reported.

Spot rates slipped

While fuel went up, spot rates dipped. DAT's national average spot rates were:

• Van: $3.07 a mile, down 2 cents.
• Reefer: $3.63 a mile, down 3 cents.
• Flatbed: $3.61 a mile, down 3 cents.

Load posts totaled 2.58 million for the week of Oct. 17 to 23, down 2%, and truck posts were 20% to 26% below a year ago, The Trucker reported.

Owner-operators comparing a load offer against fuel costs can check the rate with the trucking load rate calculator, and the owner-operator profit calculator adds up cost per mile.

Deadlines to watch

Two filing dates are coming up, The Trucker noted:

• Third quarter IFTA returns are due Monday, Nov. 2. The usual Oct. 31 due date falls on a Saturday this year.
• UCR registration for 2027 is due Dec. 31. A small-carrier group has filed a court challenge to the 2027 UCR fees, but the fees still apply for now.

More on IFTA timing is in the Big Rig Daily guide to IFTA due dates and rate changes, and the IFTA fuel tax calculator can help with the math.

Quick facts

• Pilot Flying J diesel average: $6.47 a gallon on Oct. 24.
• Late February and early March baseline: $4.30 a gallon.
• Extra fuel cost for a 500-mile day: about $181.
• Diesel cost for a spot dry van carrier: about 92 cents a mile, or 43% of operating costs, up from 59 cents and 32%.
• Spot rates: van $3.07, reefer $3.63, flatbed $3.61.

A question for readers

What is the most you have paid for a gallon of diesel this year, and where were you when you paid it?

Save this story for later

Save this to Pinterest