\n Texas Diesel Hits Record as U.S. Average Reaches $6.40 | Image posted 09\/16\/26 by The Hormuz Letter @HormuzLetter\/X <\/p>\n
Buying 30 gallons of diesel in Texas cost nearly<\/a> $179 on Thursday, about $82 more than a year earlier.<\/p>\n AAA\u2019s national average reached<\/a> a record $6.3956 per gallon on Thursday, September 17, or $6.40 rounded to the nearest cent. Wednesday\u2019s average was $6.3103. Diesel was up about 42 cents nationally from a week earlier ($5.9773) and $2.69 from a year earlier ($3.7075).<\/p>\n Are Stations Running Out?<\/p>\n Claims that North Texas stations are displaying<\/a> \u201cOUT,\u201d that an Orlando station is showing $0.00 with dry pumps, and that California stations began posting outage signs Sunday could not be independently verified in this review.<\/p>\n Federal data shows a strained supply cushion.<\/p>\n In its September 16 petroleum report<\/a>, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said distillate inventories (a category that includes diesel and heating oil) were 13% below their five-year average for the week ending September 11.<\/p>\n Those inventories still increased by 1.6 million barrels that week. Distillate production averaged about 5.2 million barrels a day.<\/p>\n A station outage and a national supply shortage are different measures. The federal figures document continued production and below-normal reserves; they do not establish how many individual stations have empty diesel tanks.<\/p>\n What Texans Are Paying<\/p>\n AAA\u2019s Texas data put Thursday\u2019s statewide diesel average<\/a> at $5.9604 per gallon, compared with $3.2139 a year earlier, an increase of approximately 85%.<\/p>\n Dallas averaged $5.9846, while Fort Worth-Arlington averaged $5.9717.<\/p>\n At the statewide average, a 100-gallon purchase costs about $596, versus $321 a year ago. These are illustrative calculations using retail averages; actual prices vary by station, volume, and discounts.<\/p>\n The strain is already visible locally. On September 15, diesel reportedly cost<\/a> $6.25 at an Interstate 20 truck stop, where some drivers said they could not afford to fill up, per Fox 4.<\/p>\n How Today\u2019s Prices Compare With History<\/p>\n Diesel has experienced sharp swings before. EIA\u2019s historical series<\/a> shows these national annual averages:<\/p>\n Year 2008 2020 2022 2023 2024 2025 The agency\u2019s separate weekly survey reached<\/a> $6.285 on September 14, up from $5.599 on August 31.<\/p>\n Annual averages, weekly readings and AAA\u2019s daily prices cover different periods and use different methodologies. These dollar figures are not adjusted for inflation.<\/p>\n Why The Cost Reaches Beyond Truck Owners<\/p>\n Diesel powers freight transportation, agricultural equipment and construction machinery. Higher fuel bills can raise the cost of moving food, delivering supplies, and completing building projects.<\/p>\n The Dallas Express previously reported that the producer-price measure for diesel jumped<\/a> 24.1% in August, while overall wholesale prices rose 5.4% from a year earlier.<\/p>\n That producer-price increase is distinct from the retail pump averages. It nevertheless shows fuel pressure reaching businesses before consumers see the final bill.<\/p>\n Why Prices Are Rising \u2014 And When Relief Could Come<\/p>\n
\nAverage diesel price per gallon<\/p>\n
\n$3.80<\/p>\n
\n$2.55<\/p>\n
\n$4.99<\/p>\n
\n$4.21<\/p>\n
\n$3.76<\/p>\n
\n$3.66<\/p>\n