Fuel Prices Are Trucking's #1 Worry — 4th Time in 22 Years

The numbers behind the worry are ugly. Energy Department figures released October 19 put the national average diesel price at $6.276 a gallon — up almost 10 cents in a single week and roughly $2.66 higher than a year ago. In California, drivers are paying $8.242 a gallon, up 15 cents on the week and $3.34 higher than last year.

ATA chief economist Bob Costello didn't sugarcoat the outlook for the Charlotte audience. "I'm not saying you're going to see a big spike here, but I don't think there's gonna be much relief," he said, pointing to distillate stocks sitting at historically low levels for this time of year. "That does not bode well for the prices going into this fall freight season," Costello added. Brent crude touched $109 a barrel on October 15, and Costello argued the real number should be closer to $130 — the only thing holding it down is governments draining reserves, including a U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve at its lowest level since 1982.

Ben Banks, president of TCW, summed up the fleet-level pain: the spike is "particularly painful for small- to mid-size fleets." Fuel is one of the industry's largest cost centers, and when the price moves, carrier margins move immediately. There is no hedging a truck stop.

The survey split reveals who feels what. Drivers put fuel prices first, followed by truck parking and driver compensation. Motor carriers put lawsuit abuse reform at the very top, with fuel second and the driver shortage third. Both sides agree on the core pressure — they just rank the second threat differently.

And the lawsuit side has fresh numbers too. A report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Legal Reform, released the same weekend, reviewed 334 truck accident cases from June 2023 through July 2026. Plaintiffs' verdicts averaged nearly $28 million, with a median of $5.2 million. Liability insurance premiums hit a record 10.6 cents a mile in 2025. The institute's president, Stephen Waguespack, said trucking was "under attack" from excessive litigation. ATA now lists lawsuit abuse among its main policy priorities alongside truck parking and cargo theft.

The conference also handed the ATA gavel to a new chairman: Derek Leathers, CEO of Werner Enterprises. His first message to delegates: the mission "hasn't changed." Given the survey results, that mission now runs straight through the fuel island.

So what's the driver supposed to do with all this? The honest answer is unglamorous. Slow down. Watch the right pedal — the difference between 65 and 75 mph is real money every single day at $6.276. Plan fuel stops instead of panic-buying at the most expensive exit on the route. Keep the tires aired, the filters fresh, and the idle time honest. Nobody at that conference handed out cheaper diesel. The cheapest gallon is still the one you never burn — and right now, that's the only discount on the table.