Trucking news & briefs for June 10, 2026:
- Dry, reefer spot rates moderate alongside yet another record flatbed week, and continuing good news for diesel prices.
- OOIDA hauls the Vietnam Vets' memorial "Wall That Heals."
- New ELD/telematics integration for mobile fuel payments network.
5 straight weeks of diesel price drops
This week's gas and diesel update from the Energy Information Administration showed another 14 cents sheared from the national average per-gallon price of diesel.
It comes against the backdrop of freight rates marching upward, a trend that continued overall in spot markets last week, though refrigerated and dry van rates ticked down a bit as fuel pressure fell.
Diesel was down in every region EIA tracks, with the Midwest getting the biggest average cut at 21 cents/gal to $5.18.
Prices in other regions, according to EIA:
- New England -- $5.62
- Central Atlantic -- $5.56
- Lower Atlantic -- $4.94
- Gulf Coast -- $4.79
- Rocky Mountain -- $5.20
- West Coast less California -- $5.73
- California -- $6.94
ProMiles’ diesel averages during the same week fell by 16.6 cents to $5.26/gal. nationwide. According to the ProMiles Fuel Surcharge Index, the most expensive diesel can be found in California at $7.13/gal., and the cheapest along the Gulf Coast at $4.82/gal.
[Related: Trucking 'gold fever' brewing? Don't let rates rah-rah blur costs]
A South Dakota haul for 'The Wall That Heals'
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association's Spirit of the American Trucker tour rig on June 9 delivered The Wall That Heals memorial to Brookings, South Dakota.
OOIDA driver Marty Ellis posted this quick walkaround of the display hooked to the truck to social media:
OOIDA's Norita Taylor noted the association was "very excited to step up and help haul The Wall That Heals. Our driver Marty Ellis is a veteran, and drove the display from Reynolds, Indiana, to its final destination at the Fishback Soccer Complex" in Brookings.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund owns the rolling memorial, which travels routinely to cities throughout the U.S.
The town of Brookings provided motorcade escort along 6th Street, 22nd Avenue, 8th Street South, and Medary Avenue to the destination at Fishback Soccer Complex.
Overdrive's 2025 Small Fleet Champ finalist Clifford Hay has used his mostly retired, extra-special 2007 Peterbilt 379 Legacy hauling the memorial Wall, too, a story told in brief in this feature profile about him last year.
2026 Small Fleet Champ entries are open to fleets of 3-30 trucks now at this link, with a final deadline of July 31.
[Related: How to guard against fuel theft]
Relay Payments now within Platform Science ELD/telematics network
The Relay Payments digital payments platform and electronic-logging-device and TMS system provider Platform Science announced a new integration bringing Relay’s fueling/payment solutions to the Platform Science Virtual Vehicle Marketplace.
Platform Science joins 300-plus third-party systems that integrate with Relay. Mutual customer Cheema Freightlines LLC is already seeing impact across operations, the companies said. Cheema's benefiting with Relay's expanded controls for fuel spend and fraud protection, particularly.
“Fuel is one of our largest expenses, and fraud has always been a concern,” said Harman Cheema, company CEO. “With Relay and Platform Science now integrated, our 400-plus drivers have a much simpler experience, and Relay Pulse gives us confidence that every transaction is verified against real-time data. It’s been a meaningful step forward for both efficiency and security.”
Relay Pulse is the company's fraud prevention tool, Relay said. It verifies key data points before authorizing fuel transactions, helping reduce risk.
Setup of Relay Payments within the Platform Science ecosystem should be simple, the companies said. Truckers can deploy the Relay app directly to Platform Science tablets via the Virtual Vehicle Marketplace, enabling drivers to log in using Platform Science Single Sign-On (SSO) for access to Relay’s digital payment capabilities from the cab.
Relay said its platform is used now by more than 500,000 drivers and carriers across a network of 3,000-plus fueling locations nationwide, offering broad acceptance and 24/7 U.S.-based support at no additional cost.
