The bad news: Diesel continued up in the most recent week ending March 16, 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Tuesday update, vaulting the latest national average past $5/gal.
The good news: rates adjusted upward for all equipment types over the past week.
It's clear evidence more owner-operators and carriers are doing what Hell Bent Xpress owner Jamie Hagen makes certain to do, negotiating with brokers for return runs for his 10 dry van units back toward a Dakotas home base. At this point, the rapid rise in fuel costs should be obvious to pretty much any trucking participant out there, yet head-in-the-sand attitudes around carriers' cost pressures from this or that broker are never hard to find.
[Related: Stop dealing with 'brokers who treat you like garbage']
Hagen nonetheless makes "sure to have a conversation" with any middleman about those pressures, he said. "I'm not bashful about asking for money. I mean at this point you've got to. It's either that or you're going broke."
He's been able to get some concessions from one of the biggest brokers he works with fairly regularly. "They were willing to go back to the customer and the customer was willing" to do it, he said -- that is, to boost the rate in light of recent spikes.
Not all brokers have gone for it, though. "Some will, and some won't," Hagen said. "They could be getting a fuel surcharge and then trying not to pass it along so they can make profit. We're all fighting out here to make a profit these days."
For the most part, he added, most brokers "have been pretty on-board" with the idea of negotiating upward.
Don't be afraid to ask.
If routes will necessitate a fuel purchase out West, it's especially crucial. EIA reported the highest regional average for a gallon of diesel showed up (where else) in California, at a whopping $6.43/gal, followed by other West Coast areas above $5/gal.
A snapshot of other regional averages, all up over the prior week:
- New England -- $5.24
- Central Atlantic -- $5.20
- Lower Atlantic -- $5.06
- Midwest -- $4.97
- Gulf Coast -- $4.84
- Rocky Mountain -- $4.79
The "record surge in diesel prices," according to Truckstop.com and FTR Transportation Intelligence's spot freight update for Monday, March 16, "drove sharply stronger broker-posted spot rates in the Truckstop.com system during the week."
Rates for van, reefer and flatbed freight all added 10-plus cents/mile compaared to the week prior. The gains failed to "fully offset higher fuel costs," Truckstop.com/FTR added, yet "when fuel surcharges are excluded ... only flatbed saw substantial deterioration in its rate strength versus the prior year."
In individual negotiations, upward rate adjustments should be "getting more acceptable," Hagen said, with time. "It came on so fast, I think people are just sort of in shock still.
"Once people get their minds wrapped around" the extent of the cost impacts for carriers, market dynamics "should work out" with adjustment, he added.
Game out costs and rates via Overdrive's Load Profit Analyzer tool with your own numbers at this link. Small fleet owner Hagen spoke at length to fuel's spike and negotiation impacts for his Hell Bent Xpress business in this week's edition of Overdrive Radio, embedded via Youtube below.
[Related: Diesel price hikes killing owner-op profit gains yet?]
