Trucking News Roundup: Diesel Climbs to $6.276, Truck Tonnage Edges Up as Capacity Shrinks, Trailer Orders Jump 311%, Cargo Theft Is the "New Normal" (Oct 21, 2026)

Diesel climbs to $6.276, first weekly rise in a month

EIA (released Oct. 20, 2026): the U.S. average on-highway diesel price for the week of Oct. 19 was $6.276 a gallon, up 9.7 cents from $6.179 the week before and $2.656 higher than a year ago. The Gulf Coast region, which includes Texas, averaged $5.903; California hit $8.242 and the West Coast $7.394. Logistics Management noted the national average has now been above $5 for 14 straight weeks, and quoted DAT principal analyst Dean Croke expecting fuel surcharges and retail diesel to stay high through next year. On the crude side, TT/AP reported Brent rose 0.9% to $110.59 a barrel on Oct. 20, near its highest level since the Iran war began in late February. EIA's next weekly update is Oct. 27.

What it means: Fuel surcharges built off the weekly EIA number will step up again this week. Shippers — compare the base rate and the fuel line separately: how freight quotes are priced. Owner-operators — run every load on net-after-fuel math; Maas OO keep 87–90% of gross with non-forced dispatch: owner-operators.

• Source: EIA — Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update
• Source: Logistics Management — national diesel average heads up
• Source: Transport Topics — oil prices rise sharply

ATA: tonnage edges up in September while capacity keeps shrinking

Transport Topics (Oct 20, 2026): ATA's For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index rose 0.8% in September to 114, up from 113.1 in August and flat with September 2025. Weak July and August still pushed the third quarter negative both sequentially and year over year, though tonnage for the first nine months is up 0.9% from 2025 thanks to strong growth from February through April. ATA chief economist Bob Costello said tonnage is soft but capacity is still contracting, which is making for a better market for motor carriers — the same supply-driven story he told ATA's convention this week (see yesterday's roundup).

What it means: Flat volume with fewer trucks means coverage gets harder before it gets easier. Work with carriers who run their own equipment — Maas is asset-based and never re-brokers: asset-based carrier vs freight broker · get a freight quote.

• Source: Transport Topics — ATA tonnage September 2026

Trailer orders jump 311% as fleets cite tighter driver supply

Transport Topics (Oct 20, 2026): ACT Research's preliminary data show U.S. trailer orders reached 42,700 units in September — up 311% from a low year-earlier month and 75% from August. Seasonally adjusted orders of 36,700 were the third best in 55 months. ACT's Jennifer McNealy called it a "four-fold" event: buying ahead of tariff-related price increases, healthier long-term carrier profitability, pent-up replacement demand and a sharply tighter driver supply. She said carriers now have both the willingness and the ability to buy, and expects industry backlogs to rise by roughly 18,000 units.

What it means: When the equipment analysts list a tighter driver supply as a reason fleets are ordering, qualified Class A drivers are in demand. Maas company drivers earn 50+ CPM dry van / 60+ CPM reefer, OTR 48 states out of Melissa / DFW — how CPM works: CPM pay explained · apply: company driver openings.

• Source: Transport Topics — trailer orders surge

Cargo theft is the "new normal," expert tells ATA's MCE

Transport Topics (Oct 20, 2026): At ATA's Management Conference & Exhibition in Charlotte, Scott Cornell of SPG Cargo & Logistics, who chairs the Transported Asset Protection Association, said companies should not expect theft to fall back to old levels. Straight theft — taking freight from truck stops, drop lots, parking areas and distribution centers — is still about 70% of cases, while strategic theft (identity theft, fictitious pickups, double brokering) rose 1,475% from 2021 to 2024 and now runs about a quarter to a third of thefts. Reported 2025 thefts — nearly 3,600 with $724 million in declared value — are only a fraction of the true cost, he said, since CargoNet likely captures about 1 in 10 truckload thefts. Food and beverages remain long-time targets. His top advice: train frontline staff and verify that the driver and truck at the dock are actually authorized to take the load. ATA is backing the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (H.R. 2853 / S. 1404), which would create a federal theft-reporting repository at DHS.

What it means: Fictitious pickups and double brokering thrive when nobody knows whose truck is at the dock. Know the company and the equipment hauling your freight — use the carrier vetting checklist. Maas hauls dry van and reefer freight in its own trucks and never re-brokers: dry van trucking · refrigerated trucking.

• Source: Transport Topics — cargo theft new normal at MCE

Holiday note: Amazon plans 300,000 hires as online sales grow

Transport Topics/Bloomberg (Oct 20, 2026): Amazon plans to hire more than 300,000 workers for the holiday season, up 20% from last year, while Challenger, Gray & Christmas expects overall seasonal retail hiring to come in below 450,000, possibly the lowest since 2008. Adobe projects U.S. online spending of $275.1 billion in November and December, up 6.7%. UPS earlier announced plans for more than 100,000 seasonal hires.

What it means: Peak-season freight is starting to build on a tighter truck pool. Book dry van and reefer coverage out of DFW early: get a freight quote.

• Source: Transport Topics — Amazon to hire 300,000 for holidays

For shippers and drivers (Wednesday note)

Shippers: diesel is up again, capacity keeps shrinking and theft schemes target the handoff — work with a carrier that owns its trucks. Asset-based dry van and reefer FTL, OTR 48 states, out of Melissa / DFW, 24/7 dispatch: get a freight quote.

Drivers: fleets are ordering equipment partly because drivers are harder to find. Company drivers: 50+ CPM dry van / 60+ CPM reefer — company driver openings. Owner-operators: 87–90% of gross, non-forced dispatch — lease on with Maas.

What it means: Need a truck: get a freight quote. Hiring CDL-A company drivers: company drivers. Owner-operators: owner-operators. Phone: (916) 770-7323 | Melissa, TX / DFW | USDOT 3179194 | MC 124881.