Trucking News Roundup: Industry Doubts Dyed-Diesel Relief, Rates Rise as Capacity Exits, Diesel Eases to $6.199, Spot Van Hits $3.08, Massachusetts Proposes a Fuel-Tax Holiday (Oct 12, 2026)

Truckers doubt the dyed-diesel order will lower what they pay at the pump

Louisiana Illuminator, Greg LaRose (Oct 12, 2026): Last week's executive order lets anyone buy red-dyed off-road diesel, normally tax-free and limited to farms and other off-highway use, through the end of the year. But the order only tells the Treasury to defer certain federal diesel tax payments — it does not waive the 24.4-cent-per-gallon federal tax. With U.S. highway diesel averaging about $6.20 a gallon going into the weekend (close to $2.50 more than a year ago, per EIA) and Louisiana's AAA average near $5.81, state trucking groups are urging caution.

Nebraska Trucking Association CEO Kent Grisham told members not to fill tanks with dyed fuel yet. Mississippi Trucking Association president Todd Bates advised carriers to set aside the 24 cents a gallon until Treasury says who owes it and when. ATA's Henry Hanscom said penalty relief and possible deferral are not the same thing as forgiveness, and the industry needs IRS guidance.

GasBuddy's Patrick DeHaan warned that dyed diesel moves through a much smaller distribution network, so a rush of buyers could squeeze supply; roughly three-quarters of U.S. diesel goes to transportation, compared with less than 10% for agriculture. Karl Means, who runs a 10-truck aggregate hauling company in Louisiana, said he will skip dyed fuel because he would have to flush his tanks when the order ends — Louisiana fines dyed-diesel violations $10 per gallon of tank capacity. He added that his fuel surcharge used to cover about 90% of his fuel bill and now covers about 75%.

What it means: Until the IRS and your state put rules in writing, treat dyed diesel as a tax bill you may still owe, not a discount. Keep clean on-road ULSD receipts for IFTA. Owner-operators who buy their own fuel — owner-operators; how dispatch style affects your fuel and lane choices. Shippers watching fuel surcharges — get a freight quote.

• Source: Louisiana Illuminator — Truckers doubt dyed-diesel order will lower pump prices

Truckload rates are rising without a freight boom — capacity is leaving

FreightWaves, Julie Van de Kamp (Oct 9, 2026), on the SONAR Sitrep "The Repricing Isn't Finished": Rates are moving because trucks are exiting faster than freight is shrinking. SONAR's tender rejection index has climbed 268% since October 2023, while tender volume is up only about 9% over the same stretch. For-hire tractor counts dropped by roughly 51,000 in a single month, and ATRI found carriers trimmed effective capacity 5.5% in 2025.

Even so, dry van contract linehaul averaged $2.69 a mile in Q3 2026 — still under 2021 levels while carriers' costs run about 30% higher. By the Sitrep's math, a typical dry van truck at Q3 benchmark rates covers its marginal costs but sends only about 15% of revenue toward overhead, against the roughly 26% ATRI's carriers needed in 2025, which works out to rates needing to rise about 14% to close the gap.

What it means: Shippers should budget for higher contract renewals rather than waiting for a freight surge to set prices. Request a dry van or reefer quote: get a freight quote. Drivers shopping carriers while the market reprices — here's how cents-per-mile pay works. Company drivers start at 50+ CPM dry van and 60+ CPM reefer — company drivers; owner-operators — owner-operators.

• Source: FreightWaves — Why trucking rates are rising without more freight

U.S. retail diesel eases to $6.199 for a second straight week

FuelGo diesel price report, using EIA data (retrieved Oct 11, 2026): The national retail diesel average fell 18.3 cents to $6.199 a gallon for the week of Oct. 5, the second straight week of declines since the Sept. 21 high of $6.529. It is still $2.49 above a year ago. Every region came down, led by the Lower Atlantic (down 25.4 cents) and the Midwest (down 24.0 cents), while New England and the Central Atlantic slipped by less than 5 cents. California still averages $8.082.

On the wholesale side, New York Harbor ULSD spot averaged $4.671 early in the week, 20.1 cents under the prior week's average, and Gulf Coast spot fell 19.4 cents to $4.537. Distillate stocks held flat at 105.1 million barrels for the week ending Oct. 2, about 11% below the five-year average, and EIA's October Short-Term Energy Outlook put East Coast distillate inventories 32% below their five-year seasonal average in September.

What it means: The relief is real but thin, and low inventories leave room for prices to bounce. Owner-operators should keep tracking every gallon — owner-operators. Company drivers on CPM don't pay for fuel, but shippers still feel it through fuel surcharges — get a freight quote.

• Source: FuelGo — Diesel price report

National spot rates (all-in): dry van $3.08, reefer $3.63, flatbed $3.65

FreightFA truck rate index, built on DAT and EIA data (as of Oct 11, for the week of Oct 5, 2026): The national dry van spot average rose 1.6% week over week to $3.08 a mile all-in, which breaks down to about $2.25 linehaul plus $0.83 fuel surcharge. Reefer averaged $3.63 and flatbed $3.65 (industry DAT averages). The week before (Sept. 28), van was $3.03, reefer $3.65 and flatbed $3.63. The index's diesel column read $6.20.

What it means: Spot is still running above summer levels, so shippers should compare contract and spot before committing — get a dry van or reefer quote: get a freight quote. Drivers comparing offers can use our CPM pay guide. Maas Logistics runs dry van and reefer only — company drivers start at 50+ CPM dry van and 60+ CPM reefer: company drivers.

• Source: FreightFA — Truck rate index

Massachusetts governor asks for a two-month state fuel-tax holiday

Land Line, Keith Goble (Oct 9, 2026): Gov. Maura Healey has filed a bill to suspend Massachusetts' fuel tax for two months. The state charges 24 cents a gallon on both gasoline and diesel, and the estimated $120 million cost would come out of surplus revenue from the state's millionaires tax. Lawmakers still have to approve it, so nothing has changed at the pump yet.

Land Line notes other states are weighing holidays too, including Michigan's 52.4-cent tax and Pennsylvania, whose 74.1-cent diesel tax is the highest in the country and is the target of several bills. Even where a holiday takes effect, IFTA still requires carriers to track and report miles and gallons in that state.

What it means: If the bill passes, diesel bought in Massachusetts would be 24 cents a gallon cheaper for two months — keep those receipts, because the holiday doesn't remove the IFTA filing. Owner-operators running the Northeast — owner-operators. Shippers — get a freight quote.

• Source: Land Line — Fuel taxes are getting cut, but will truckers see the savings?

For drivers and shippers (Monday note)

Drivers: fuel rules are in flux and the market is repricing, so check any offer in writing. If you hold a valid Class A CDL and a current DOT medical card, Maas Logistics runs dry van and reefer full truckload OTR in all 48 states out of Melissa, Texas, serving DFW, with 24/7 dispatch. Company drivers start at 50+ CPM dry van and 60+ CPM reefer. Owner-operators keep 87–90% of gross with non-forced dispatch.

Shippers: contract renewals are heading higher as capacity exits. Maas is an asset-based carrier and never re-brokers your load — dry van and reefer full truckload.

What it means: Company drivers — company drivers. Owner-operators — owner-operators. Shippers — before you tender, run any carrier through our vetting checklist, then get a freight quote.