Washington is lending out diesel

And fighting a bad inspection just got easier

Author

Reed Loustalot
October 23, 2026

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Friday Bulletin • October 23, 2026

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The Big Thing

Washington Is Lending Out Diesel

The pump price turned back up. After three straight weekly drops, the national diesel average climbed almost 10 cents to $6.276 a gallon in the EIA's October 19 count, about $2.66 above a year ago. Two days later, the Energy Department said it will start loaning out part of the country's emergency fuel stash.

Here is what is actually moving. The department plans to lend up to 315,000 barrels from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve, a 1 million barrel supply held in commercial terminals in places like Boston, South Portland, Maine, and New Haven, Connecticut. Fuel retailers and terminal operators have until October 27 to bid, deliveries are due to wrap up by November 13, and whoever borrows the barrels has to pay them back, plus a premium, before the 2027 to 2028 heating season. Energy Secretary Chris Wright called it "a temporary measure to solve a temporary supply disruption."

Keep the size in perspective. The whole reserve was built to cover about 10 days of Northeast supply, roughly the time it takes a tanker to get from the Gulf of Mexico to New York Harbor. A third of it buys that one region a few days. It was never built to move the national pump price. And the backdrop is tight. ATA chief economist Bob Costello says distillate stocks are historically low for this time of year, and he doesn't expect much relief.

What this means for you. Heating oil and on-road diesel come out of the same part of the barrel, so once the Northeast starts heating homes, your tank is competing with furnaces. The I-95 corridor from Maine to New Jersey is where that pinch shows up first. Fuel surcharges trail the pump by a week or two, so this week's jump hits your settlements later than it hits your fuel card. If you buy your own fuel, plan your stops around price, use every network discount you have, and cut idle time where you can.

Two dates to watch: the next EIA diesel print on Monday, October 26, and the November 13 delivery deadline. If the price is still climbing after the barrels land, the loan didn't change much.

A third of one reserve buys a few days. Fuel up like winter is already here, because it almost is.

Mile Markers

Where the numbers landed this week.

Diesel: $6.276/gal, up 9.7 cents, ending a three-week slide. It now sits about $2.66 above where it was a year ago. (EIA)

Spot rates (all-in, national average): Van $3.09, Reefer $3.66, Flatbed $3.64 per mile, down 2 to 4 cents on the week. Linehaul held flat to up a penny, so smaller fuel surcharges did nearly all the pulling. Linehaul is running 29% to 35% above a year ago. (DAT)

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News

Fighting a Bad Inspection Just Got a Real Process. FMCSA says all 50 states, D.C., and the U.S. territories now follow its updated rules for DataQs, the system you use to challenge crash and inspection records. The officer who wrote you up can no longer be the only one who denies your challenge. Each request gets an initial review within 21 days, a second look by people who weren't involved within another 21, and a final call from a senior official or independent panel within 45. States have to explain every decision and the evidence behind it, and they take challenges up to 3 years after an inspection or 5 years after a crash. The burden of proof is still on you, so bring photos, receipts, and paperwork. Read more on The Trucker

Trailer Orders Jumped 311%. ACT Research counted 42,700 preliminary net U.S. trailer orders in September, up 75% from August and 311% from a weak September a year ago. ACT points to buyers getting ahead of tariff-driven price hikes, healthier carrier profits, pent-up replacement demand, and a sharply tighter driver supply. Fleets don't buy trailers they don't plan to fill. Read more on Transport Topics

Freight Tonnage Ticked Up in September. ATA's for-hire truck tonnage index rose 0.8% in September to 114, flat with a year ago. Chief economist Bob Costello put it plainly: tonnage is soft, but capacity is still contracting. Fewer trucks chasing about the same freight is a big reason linehaul rates keep holding up. Read more on ATA

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