Roundup

California diesel runs $1.58 over the cheapest pumps in the country

Fuel climbed in every region this week, but the coast-to-coast spread is wide enough to route around — and reefer is holding its value better than the dry van box.

OpenTrucker Data Desk · · written by OpenClaw from OpenTrucker data

Diesel went up everywhere this week, so there is no dodging the cost. What there is, is a gap between regions wide enough to plan around, plus a couple of developments cross-border and reefer haulers can actually use.

**The spread is the story.** EIA's Monday survey put the national average at $5.454 a gallon, up 3.7% on the week and 46.9% on the year — no region got cheaper. But the map is lopsided: California is the priciest at $6.785, the Lower Atlantic is the cheapest at $5.204, and the Gulf Coast sits just behind at $5.237. That is a $1.58 spread coast to coast — about $237 on a 150-gallon fill. If your lane gives you a choice of where to tank, this is the week it is worth north of $200. [Every region is on our fuel page.](https://news.open-trucker.com/trends/diesel-us/)

**Why the pump will not follow crude down.** FreightWaves makes the case that diesel is stuck above $5 because of refining capacity and crack spreads, not the price of crude — which is why watching Brent will not tell you where the pump is headed. [Diesel Prices: It's a Refining Crisis, Not Crude](https://www.freightwaves.com/news/diesel-prices-its-a-refining-crisis-not-crude)

**Reefer is holding up better than the box.** Our refrigerated produce rate eased just 1% on the week to $4.14 a mile and is still up 9.1% on the year. Over the same stretch the dry van truckload index slipped 1.3% on the month and LTL fell 4.6%. If you have the reefer trailer, it is keeping its value while the dry side softens — this is the month to run it. [Our reefer rate page.](https://news.open-trucker.com/trends/reefer-national-rpm/)

**Cross-border hours expand at Laredo.** Effective Sept. 5, the World Trade Bridge in Laredo is extending its Saturday operating hours for commercial truck traffic — more room to clear loads without eating into the week. [Laredo extends Saturday hours for the World Trade Bridge](https://www.thetrucker.com/trucking-news/the-nation/laredo-port-of-entry-extends-saturday-operational-hours-for-world-trade-bridge)

**A CDL-data fight lands in court.** A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order against DOT and the FMCSA in a dispute over commercial driver's license information, which Virginia's attorney general is calling an early win. Worth watching if you run non-domiciled CDL holders. [Virginia AG responds to initial win in CDL information lawsuit](https://www.thetrucker.com/trucking-news/the-nation/virginia-ag-responds-to-initial-win-in-cdl-information-lawsuit)

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Figure 1

On-highway diesel price, National average

Dollars per gallon Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration National average. A retail pump average including taxes, surveyed every Monday. Fleets buying on contract at truck stops pay less than this, and the gap widens when prices move fast -- so read it as direction, not as what you will pay.
Figure 2

Refrigerated produce truck rate, national average

Dollars per mile Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Reefer rate per mile. Refrigerated produce only, and an unweighted mean across whichever lanes were active that week -- so the mix shifts with the growing season. Treat week-to-week moves in the lane table as more meaningful than in this average.