Reefer pays up while dry van softens, and the diesel map splits by a dollar

Two of this week's openings are sitting in our own numbers; the third is coming out of Washington. Refrigerated freight is paying more while the dry side softens, the diesel map has split by more than a dollar a gallon coast to coast, and the federal government spent the week pulling fraudulent credentials and schools out of the system.

**Reefer is the trailer to have this month.** Our national refrigerated rate came in at $4.21 a mile, up 1.8% on the week and 14.7% on the year, while the dry van price index slipped 1.3% and LTL fell 4.6% on the month. If you've got a reefer sitting idle, this is the month to run it. The full segment breakdown is on our rate trends pages.

**The fuel map is worth routing around.** Diesel climbed again -- the national average hit $5.454 a gallon, up 3.7% on the week and 46.9% on the year. But it is uneven: the Gulf Coast sits at $5.237 against California's $6.785, a $1.55 gap that works out to roughly $232 on a 150-gallon fill. Same load, very different fuel bill depending on where you tank.

**Washington is pulling CDLs and shutting down schools.** DOT announced a federal crackdown targeting commercial driver training schools, skills testers and trucking businesses suspected of fraud. For carriers running clean, thinning out fraudulent credentials makes for a straighter playing field. [DOT shuts down truck driving schools in CDL fraud crackdown](https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dot-shuts-down-110-truck-driving-schools-in-cdl-fraud-crackdown) -- FreightWaves.

**Brokers are raising the bar on the carriers they hire.** After a major court ruling on broker liability, brokers are reworking how they vet and monitor carriers -- expect tighter safety, performance and paperwork checks before you get tendered a load. [A higher bar for brokers](https://www.ttnews.com/articles/broker-scotus-exposure-2026) -- Transport Topics.

**UCR fees are going up.** Despite objections from truckers, FMCSA is moving ahead with an increase to Unified Carrier Registration fees -- a fixed annual cost every interstate operator will feel. [UCR fees to increase, despite opposition](https://landline.media/ucr-fees-to-increase-20-despite-opposition/) -- Land Line (OOIDA).