Diesel prices finally gave truckers a small break this week. The national average for on-highway diesel fell 6 cents to $6.292 a gallon for the week of Nov. 2, 2026, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. That ends a three-week run of increases that took the average to $6.352 the week before.
Prices are still painfully high, though. Diesel is $2.54 a gallon more than a year ago.
Every region moved lower
All of the regions the EIA tracks posted lower diesel prices this week, though the size of the drop varied a lot — from half a cent in New England to nearly 8 cents in California and the Midwest.
| Region | Week of Nov. 2 | Week of Oct. 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. average | $6.292 | $6.352 | −6.0¢ |
| East Coast | $6.025 | $6.079 | −5.4¢ |
| New England | $6.416 | $6.421 | −0.5¢ |
| Central Atlantic | $6.486 | $6.496 | −1.0¢ |
| Lower Atlantic | $5.814 | $5.890 | −7.6¢ |
| Midwest | $6.402 | $6.480 | −7.8¢ |
| Gulf Coast | $5.912 | $5.951 | −3.9¢ |
| Rocky Mountain | $6.445 | $6.521 | −7.6¢ |
| West Coast | $7.272 | $7.329 | −5.7¢ |
| California | $8.076 | $8.155 | −7.9¢ |
California is still the only region above $8 a gallon, even after the biggest weekly drop in the survey, and it has climbed $3.14 from a year ago. The Lower Atlantic remains the cheapest place to fuel up at $5.814 — good timing for carriers hauling Florida’s fall and winter vegetable crops. Outside the West Coast, the Central Atlantic is now the most expensive region.
What a 6-cent drop is worth
Six cents won’t change anyone’s month, but it adds up. Using a simple example — a truck running 500 miles a day at 6 miles per gallon burns about 83 gallons — this week’s price works out to roughly $524 a day in fuel, about $5 a day less than last week. Over a 25-day month that’s around $125.
The bigger picture hasn’t changed: with diesel still well above $6, fuel surcharges and rate negotiations matter more than ever. Check that your rates still cover your real cost per mile, and use a load board with rate data to see what lanes are paying.
Gasoline drops even faster
Regular gasoline fell 11.6 cents to a national average of $4.153 a gallon, so diesel now costs about $2.14 a gallon more than gas.
What’s next
The EIA’s next weekly update is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 10. For last week’s numbers, see our report on diesel climbing to $6.352, and follow our fuel and diesel coverage every week.
