The national average price of on-highway diesel in the United States rose to $4.796 per gallon for the week ending July 13, 2026, according to price reporting drawn from federal fuel data. The reading marked a notable jump from earlier in the month, when the Energy Information Administration reported a national on-highway diesel average of $4.57 per gallon on July 6. The roughly 23 cent increase over about a week added fresh cost pressure for carriers already managing tight margins.
Regional differences remained wide during the period. The Gulf Coast recorded the lowest diesel price at $4.546 per gallon, followed by the Midwest at $4.659. The East Coast averaged $4.894, while California posted the highest regional price at $6.126 per gallon, well above the national figure.
Diesel is one of the largest variable costs in over-the-road freight, so weekly swings of this size feed directly into carrier operating budgets and shipper rates. Fleets running national lanes see the effect compound as trucks cross between low-cost and high-cost regions. The mid-July climb comes as refined product supplies stay tight heading into the back half of the year, a factor that keeps upward pressure on pump prices for both diesel and gasoline.
Source: IndexBox - https://www.indexbox.io/blog/usda-diesel-price-report-national-average-at-4796-california-highest-at-6126-week-ending-july-13-2026/