Key findings
On-highway diesel averaged $6.29 a gallon in September 2026, up 83 cents from August's $5.46, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration1.
The BLS producer price index for long-distance truckload trucking rose 4.6% to 219.4 in September, a preliminary reading subject to revision2.
DAT's Truckload Volume Index showed dry van volume at 252 in September, down 1% from August and down 1% year over year, while reefer volume fell to 178, down 5% from August and down 10% year over year5.
The Cass Freight Index for shipments rose 1.9% year over year in September, the second straight annual increase after a 3.5-year downturn, while the Cass Freight Index for expenditures rose 20.4% year over year4.
ATA's advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index fell 0.5% in August after falling 1.2% in July6.
1
Truckload: rates, capacity and fuel
On-highway diesel averaged $6.29 a gallon in September 2026, up 83 cents from August's $5.46, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration1. In its October 2026 Short-Term Energy Outlook, the EIA forecast that retail diesel prices would stay above $6 a gallon in October before gradually declining to an average of about $4.50 a gallon in 20277.
The BLS producer price index for general freight trucking, long-distance truckload, rose 4.6% to 219.4 in September from 209.8 in August, a preliminary figure that may be revised2. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics' Freight Transportation Services Index fell 0.4% to 134.4 in August, from 134.9 in July3.
DAT Freight & Analytics reported its Truckload Volume Index for dry van at 252 in September, down 1% from August and down 1% year over year5. DAT's reefer volume index fell to 178, down 5% from August and down 10% year over year5. DAT also estimated the average fuel surcharge portion of dry van rates reached a record 84 cents a mile in September5.
Cass Information Systems reported its Cass Freight Index for shipments at 1.062, up 1.9% year over year in September, the second straight annual increase after a 3.5-year downturn4. The Cass Freight Index for expenditures rose 20.4% year over year4, and the Cass Truckload Linehaul Index rose 10.1% year over year4.
The American Trucking Associations' advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index fell 0.5% in August after falling 1.2% in July6. ATA's not seasonally adjusted tonnage index was 116.1 in August6.
2
Policy and regulation
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration published a final rule in the Federal Register on September 1, 2026, raising annual Unified Carrier Registration fees for motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders and leasing companies, with an effective date of October 1, 20268. The fee increase is scheduled to average 20 percent, starting with the 2027 registration year8.
Under the rule, fee increases are scheduled to range from $9 to $9,329 per entity depending on the applicable fee bracket, with the smallest increase applying to the smallest motor carriers and small brokers and the largest applying to entities in higher fee brackets8.
3
Equipment and industry
ACT Research reported preliminary North America Class 8 net orders of 18,700 units in September 2026, down 9.5% year over year9. Preliminary North America Classes 5-7 net orders rose 27% year over year to 20,200 units in September, according to ACT Research9.
As reported by Transport Topics, ACT Research said used Class 8 truck sales fell 8.8% in August 2026 to 23,800 units10.
4
What it means for shippers
Budget for higher fuel surcharges
On-highway diesel averaged $6.29 a gallon in September, up 83 cents from August, and DAT estimated the fuel surcharge portion of dry van rates hit a record 84 cents a mile1, 5. Shippers should revisit fuel surcharge tables and routing guides now rather than after invoices arrive.
Freight cost measures rose
The BLS preliminary producer price index for long-distance truckload trucking rose 4.6% in September, and the Cass Freight Index for expenditures rose 20.4% year over year2, 4. Shippers with contracts up for renewal should review budgets and discuss rate and capacity terms with carrier partners.
Watch for UCR fee pass-through
FMCSA's Unified Carrier Registration fee increase is scheduled to average 20 percent and take effect October 1, 2026, starting with the 2027 registration year, which could affect carrier and broker cost structures8. Shippers should ask carrier partners how they plan to absorb or pass along the new fees, with scheduled increases ranging from $9 to $9,329 per entity8.
Reefer volumes declined
DAT's Truckload Volume Index for reefer fell to 178 in September, down 5% from August and down 10% year over year5. Shippers moving temperature-controlled freight should monitor conditions as they plan procurement.
Methodology
The government figures (diesel, truckload producer prices and the freight services index) come straight from the agencies' published data. Every other figure comes from its publisher and is cited by name, the period it covers and its release date. Changes between two months are computed from the two published figures. Figures marked "as reported" come from press coverage of research that is not public; we cite the coverage and have not checked the underlying data.
How this report is made
Research is gathered with AI tools that follow written sourcing rules. Every figure that isn't government data is checked against the page it cites before it can be used, figures seen only in news coverage are labelled “as reported”, and each edition is approved before it is published.
Sources
- 1.U.S. Energy Information Administration, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update, U.S. on-highway diesel, weekly (EMD_EPD2D_PTE_NUS_DPG). September 2026; retrieved Oct 17, 2026. eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/ (opens in a new tab)
- 2.U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Producer Price Index, general freight trucking, long-distance truckload (PCU484121484121). September 2026 (preliminary); retrieved Oct 17, 2026. data.bls.gov/timeseries/PCU484121484121 (opens in a new tab)
- 3.U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Freight Transportation Services Index, seasonally adjusted. August 2026; retrieved Oct 17, 2026. data.bts.gov/Research-and-Statistics/Transportation-Services-Index-and-Seasonally-Adjus/bw6n-ddqk (opens in a new tab)
- 4.Cass Information Systems. September 2026. cassinfo.com/freight-audit-payment/cass-transportation-indexes/september-2026 (opens in a new tab)
- 5.DAT Freight & Analytics. September 2026; published Oct 13, 2026. dat.com/company/news-events/news-releases/dat-truckload-rates-rise-in-september-as-diesel-tops-6-a-gallon (opens in a new tab)
- 6.American Trucking Associations. August 2026; published Sep 22, 2026. trucking.org/news-insights/ata-truck-tonnage-index-fell-05-august (opens in a new tab)
- 7.U.S. Energy Information Administration. 2027; published Oct 6, 2026. eia.gov/pressroom/releases/press593.php (opens in a new tab)
- 8.Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (Federal Register). Published Sep 1, 2026. federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/01/2026-17893/fees-for-the-unified-carrier-registration-plan-and-agreement (opens in a new tab)
- 9.ACT Research. September 2026; published Oct 2, 2026. actresearch.net/resources/blog/north-america-class-8-blog (opens in a new tab)
- 10.ACT Research, as reported by ttnews.com. August 2026; published Oct 5, 2026. The underlying research is not public. ttnews.com/articles/used-truck-sales-august-2026 (opens in a new tab)
The sources link to outside websites. Freight Sidekick doesn't control them and isn't responsible for their content or for whether they stay available. Each figure belongs to the organization that published it, and citing it doesn't mean that organization endorses this report or Freight Sidekick.
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