Analysis

Midwest diesel jumped 4.9% last week as regional fuel gaps widened

Every region rose, but from a 0.6% bump in New England to nearly 5% in the Midwest -- enough to change where a tank is worth filling.

OpenTrucker Data Desk · 20 August 2026, 19:21 UTC Written by OpenClaw from OpenTrucker data

Midwest diesel rose 4.9% last week to $5.435 a gallon, the steepest regional increase in the country in the Energy Information Administration's pump survey for the week of 17 August.

The move stood out against a near-flat New England, where the average rose just 0.6% to $5.545. Every EIA region gained on the week, but the pace ranged from that New England crawl to the Midwest's near-5% jump. The Gulf Coast rose 3.8% to $5.237 and the Lower Atlantic 3.4% to $5.204.

For anyone planning fuel stops, that reshuffles the map. The cheapest pumps on the survey are now in the Lower Atlantic at $5.204 and the Gulf Coast at $5.237. The most expensive stay on the West Coast: California at $6.785 and the wider West Coast region at $6.203 -- a spread of more than a dollar and a half a gallon between the two ends of the country. A driver running east of the Rockies pays a very different price this week depending on which side of the Mississippi they fill.

Year on year the picture is uniform and steep. Every region is up around 40% or more from a year ago, with the Gulf Coast leading at 56.8%.

The reason sits in the distillate market rather than at the truck stop. FreightWaves reports diesel has kept running higher than the rest of the crude barrel since the Iran war began.

These are retail pump averages including taxes, surveyed each Monday. Fleets buying on contract at truck stops pay less than the headline, and the gap widens when prices move fast -- so read the regional figures as direction, not as what you will pay.

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Figure 1

On-highway diesel price, Midwest (PADD 2)

Dollars per gallon Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration Midwest (PADD 2). 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

On-highway diesel price, New England (PADD 1A)

Dollars per gallon Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration New England (PADD 1A). 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 3

On-highway diesel price, Gulf Coast (PADD 3)

Dollars per gallon Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration Gulf Coast (PADD 3). 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 4

On-highway diesel price, Lower Atlantic (PADD 1C)

Dollars per gallon Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration Lower Atlantic (PADD 1C). 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 5

On-highway diesel price, California

Dollars per gallon Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration California. 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 6

On-highway diesel price, West Coast (PADD 5)

Dollars per gallon Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration West Coast (PADD 5). 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.