Freight Market Pulse & Operational Indicators
Grounded in official U.S. government public datasets (EIA, DOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics). We do not scrape proprietary load-board rate indices or publish speculative rate forecasts.
U.S. National Average Diesel
$6.179
Retail On-Highway Diesel Price per gallon (all formulations).
Official Source: U.S. EIA Weekly On-Highway Diesel
Observation Period: 2026-10-12
Methodology: EIA-888 weekly survey of retail service stations.
Observation Period: 2026-10-12
Methodology: EIA-888 weekly survey of retail service stations.
National Fuel CPM Floor (6.5 MPG)
$0.951/mi
Estimated baseline fuel expense per total mile at standard Class 8 aerodynamic tractor fuel efficiency.
Formula: Diesel Price / 6.5 MPG
Note: Varies by terrain, gross cargo weight (GCW), idling, and auxiliary power unit (APU) efficiency.
Note: Varies by terrain, gross cargo weight (GCW), idling, and auxiliary power unit (APU) efficiency.
Estimated Operating CPM Benchmark
$1.75 – $2.15/mi
Estimated national average total cost per mile (all-miles including deadhead) for solo independent owner-operators.
Source: Operational cost synthesis from ATRI operational studies.
Includes: Equipment finance, fuel, insurance, tires, maintenance, and basic operating permits.
Includes: Equipment finance, fuel, insurance, tires, maintenance, and basic operating permits.
Public Data Architecture & Editorial Standards
APR Logistics believes in grounded, auditable numbers. We explicitly do not scrape or republish proprietary load board spot rates from subscription platforms. All freight telemetry published in this section is retrieved directly from official government reports (U.S. Energy Information Administration, Federal Highway Administration, and Bureau of Transportation Statistics).
Data questions or source corrections? Read our Sources & Corrections Policy or email info@aprlogistics.org.