Magnus Technologies Releases September 2026 Diesel Fuel Snapshot, Highlighting Record Diesel Prices and the Margin Carriers Lose When Fuel Surcharges Fall Behind
Diesel prices averaged $6.29 a gallon in September, the highest monthly average on record and 67.82% above September
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AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Magnus Technologies (“Magnus”), a leading Transportation Management System (TMS) software provider, today released its September 2026 Diesel Fuel Snapshot, a monthly report tracking diesel fuel prices and how price shifts impact carriers managing fuel costs and surcharge programs.
The September snapshot found that the U.S. average retail diesel price rose to $6.29 a gallon in September, up $0.78 from the end of August and 68% above September 2025 levels. September 2026 marked the highest monthly average in U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) weekly data dating back to 1994. All four September weeks priced above $5.00, bringing the 2026 total to 25 weeks above that threshold.
“A fuel surcharge is supposed to make fuel neutral, it’s not supposed to be a profit builder for either side or a huge cost burden for the carrier,” said Matt Cartwright, founder and CEO of Magnus Technologies. “September showed how fast that balance breaks when diesel sets a new record hitting above $6.00. If your surcharge resets based off of last month’s price, you’re paying September’s price at the pump while only getting paid on August’s price. The fix is to re-rate against the published index every week, so both sides know what’s reasonable.”
Weekly EIA data shows that diesel crossed $6.00 a gallon for the first time the week of September 14 and peaked at $6.53 the week of September 21, surpassing the previous record of $5.81 set in June 2022. This new peak marked a notable shift in the diesel market, erasing the relief carriers saw in June and July, where diesel dropped to $4.58 a gallon the week of July 6, then climbed nearly two dollars by September. FreightWaves has tied the spike to several supply disruptions hitting at once, including a major U.S. refinery outage, damage to Middle East oil infrastructure and shrinking oil inventories.
The speed of the price increase from August to September matters most for carriers whose surcharge programs reset monthly or are based on prior-period averages. When prices rise this fast, a surcharge priced off last month’s average trails what trucks are actually paying at the pump, and the difference comes out of carrier margin on every load until the surcharge table catches up. At 6.5 miles per gallon, a surcharge that trails the pump by $0.78 a gallon costs a carrier 12 cents a mile, or about $300 per truck on a 2,500-mile week.
Magnus publishes the Diesel Fuel Snapshot each month from the same weekly EIA data most fleets already follow, allowing carriers to check whether their surcharge program is keeping pace with the pump.
The full September 2026 Diesel Fuel Snapshot is available here.
To learn more about how Magnus Technologies automates index-based fuel surcharges, visit magnustech.com.
About Magnus Technologies
Magnus Technologies, headquartered in Austin, Texas, has more than 20 years of experience designing, developing, and delivering enterprise Transportation Management System (TMS) software. Magnus offers an enterprise SaaS-based TMS that is affordable and scalable to fleets of all sizes. The modular platform works seamlessly with the Magnus Driver App and Magnus Carrier Advantage network to deliver a complete, end-to-end mobile dispatch and order fulfillment solution to maximize profitability and growth.
To learn more, visit www.magnustech.com.
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