What the EIA reported this week
The U.S. Energy Information Administration's Weekly On-Highway Diesel Fuel Prices report for the week of May 5, 2026 puts the national retail average at $3.78 per gallon, up four cents from the prior week and eleven cents above the same week in 2025.
The increase tracks crude oil's move above $79/bbl WTI on the back of OPEC+ extending voluntary cuts through Q3 and a U.S. distillate inventory draw of 2.4 million barrels reported by the EIA Wednesday.
Regional breakdown
| PADD Region | Avg $/gal | Week-over-week |
|---|---|---|
| West Coast (PADD 5) | $4.61 | +$0.05 |
| West Coast less California | $4.18 | +$0.04 |
| California | $4.94 | +$0.06 |
| New England (PADD 1A) | $3.95 | +$0.04 |
| Central Atlantic (PADD 1B) | $3.86 | +$0.04 |
| Lower Atlantic (PADD 1C) | $3.59 | +$0.03 |
| Midwest (PADD 2) | $3.69 | +$0.04 |
| Gulf Coast (PADD 3) | $3.41 | +$0.03 |
| Rocky Mountain (PADD 4) | $3.74 | +$0.04 |
The Gulf Coast remains the cheapest region by 37 cents below the national average. California remains the most expensive at $1.16 above. Spread between cheapest and most expensive: $1.53/gal — wider than the five-year average of $1.28.
What it means for cost-per-mile
At a national diesel average of $3.78/gal:
- Sleeper getting 6.5 mpg loaded: $0.582/mile in fuel
- Sleeper getting 6.0 mpg: $0.630/mile
- Sleeper getting 7.0 mpg: $0.540/mile
That five-cent week-over-week move adds roughly $7-8 per 1,000 miles run. Across a typical 11,000-mile month, that's $80-90 in additional fuel cost a single bump can extract before any other operating cost moves.
30-day trend
Over the past 30 days the national average has moved $3.66 → $3.71 → $3.74 → $3.78. Steady, not spiky — but the direction is clear and the seasonal driving-season uptick is on schedule. Expect refinery turnaround season to wrap by late May; if crude stays above $78, $3.85+ is realistic by mid-June.
What to do about it
Three things owner-ops can act on this week:
- Pull your IFTA fuel summary year-to-date and check your average miles-per-gallon. If you're under 6.0 mpg sleeper, idle reduction and tire pressure are the cheapest levers.
- Check your fuel card discount visibility. Most fleet cards run 5-15 cents per gallon back at in-network truck stops. If you don't have one, compare fuel cards built for owner-operators — that's potentially $50-150/month back on a typical fuel spend.
- Watch the regional spread. If you have flex on lane choice, fueling in PADD 3 instead of PADD 5 can save real money on a coast-to-coast run.
Sources
- EIA Weekly On-Highway Diesel Fuel Prices, week of May 5, 2026
- EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Report, May 7, 2026
We update this trend read every Monday after the EIA release. For the broader market context — what soft spot rates do to your effective fuel margin — see our freight rates coverage.