Questions
Frequently asked
What this is, where the numbers come from, and what we will not say.
Where does the data come from?
One public source: the US Energy Information Administration's open data API. The weekly on-highway diesel price survey (the DOE number and its regional breakouts) and the daily ULSD spot series for New York Harbor and the Gulf Coast. Every page names its source, and every derived figure on this site is arithmetic on those series.
When does the number update?
EIA releases the on-highway diesel price on Monday afternoons, Eastern time, covering that week. Our pipeline pulls it after the release and the pages update the same day. The spot series update daily on business days. Federal holidays can slip the Monday release a day; the page dates every figure to its own data week either way.
What is the DOE number and why does my broker quote it?
It is EIA's weekly US average retail price for on-highway diesel. Most fuel surcharge schedules in US trucking are written against this exact index, so carriers, brokers and shippers all read the same Monday release. The front page of this site is that number, its move and its history.
Do you tell me what surcharge to charge, or when to buy fuel?
No, and we never will. We report what the index did and translate it to per-mile terms at a stated reference. Surcharge schedules are a matter of contract between you and your counterparty, and buying decisions are yours. Nothing here is advice.
Why 6.5 miles per gallon?
It is a plain mid-fleet reference for a loaded Class 8 truck, chosen so the per-mile figures are comparable week to week. It is stated on every page that shows a per-mile number. Your truck differs with spec, load, terrain and weather; scale accordingly.
Why regions and not my state?
EIA's weekly diesel survey publishes the US average, the five PADDs, three East Coast subregions, California, and PADD 5 without California. That is the complete public set, and we carry all of it. California is the only state broken out; there is no weekly public per-state diesel series to report for the rest.
Is the spot price what I pay at the rack?
No. Spot is a bulk cargo price at a trading hub, untaxed. Rack prices sit above spot and vary by terminal, and EIA does not publish them daily. We carry spot because it is the public wholesale layer that pump prices follow; read it for direction, not as a quote.
What does "above normal" mean on a page?
Normal is the median value for the same calendar week over the prior five years. Above normal means today's value is over that median, and the exact percent is on the page. For a fuel buyer that is the expensive direction, which is why the colored tags read hot when prices run above normal.
Is this investment or purchasing advice?
No. Monday Diesel is a reading of public data for people who run on diesel. It is not investment, hedging, purchasing or rate-setting advice. Decisions are yours to make with your own counsel and the primary data.
Can I get the weekly brief by email?
Yes. The brief is free and follows the Monday release. Subscribing is the best way to catch the number and what moved without checking the board yourself.