The US average retail price of diesel fuel reached a record $5.97 a gallon in the Department of Energy weekly report released September 9, 2026, passing the previous high of $5.81 set in June 2022. The Energy Information Administration figure is up 3.7 cents from a week earlier, $1.97 higher than a year ago and $2.41 higher than two years ago.
AAA reported an average diesel price of $5.94 on the same date, close to the federal reading. AAA had already flagged a record national diesel average during the prior week, before the federal number arrived. The weekly Department of Energy release was delayed by the Labor Day holiday.
Regional spreads are wide. EIA put the California average at $7.76 a gallon, 55 cents higher than the prior week, $2.81 above the year-ago level and $3.03 above the price two years ago.
Crude oil costs and refining conditions sit behind the increase. US refineries have been running near 98 percent of capacity, which limits the room to add product supply. Crude oil prices have held between $90 and $100 a barrel.
Drone attacks on Russian refineries have cut diesel volumes reaching global markets, and Chinese refiners have reported falling output. Any hurricane disruption along the Gulf Coast would tighten domestic fuel supply further.
Diesel and gasoline prices are expected to stay elevated while shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted.
Source: Heavy Duty Trucking - https://www.truckinginfo.com/news/record-diesel-prices-squeeze-trucking-fleets