The national average price for on-highway diesel fuel reached $5.348 per gallon as of August 3, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's weekly Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update. The figure marks a 3.5 cent increase from the prior week and continues a steady climb that has pushed diesel up $1.548 per gallon compared with the same week last year and $1.593 above prices recorded two years ago.
Diesel prices have risen in each of the past several weekly EIA reports, moving from just above $5 a gallon in mid-July to above $5.30 by early August. Regional prices varied widely across the country. The Gulf Coast, which includes Texas, Louisiana, and much of the priority freight corridor Southeast fleets rely on, posted an average of $5.141 per gallon, up 5.4 cents from the previous week. The Midwest averaged $5.262 per gallon, while the East Coast came in at $5.299. The West Coast remained the most expensive region at $6.130 per gallon, with California alone averaging $6.716.
For fleet operators, diesel remains one of the largest controllable operating costs behind labor, and sustained increases of this size can quickly erode margins on long-haul freight, particularly for owner-operators and smaller carriers without fuel-surcharge protections built into their contracts. EIA data show diesel costs are now running well above both the two-year and one-year comparisons, reversing a period of relative price stability earlier in 2026.
EIA's next weekly release is scheduled for August 11.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration -- https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/