Diesel at $6.28: what it does to your cost per mile, and which loads still pay

The U.S. Energy Information Administration's weekly average for on-highway diesel was $6.276 a gallon for the week of Monday, October 19, 2026 (released October 20). A year earlier, the week of October 20, 2025, it was $3.620. That's $2.656 more on every gallon.

When fuel moves like that, the rate that paid fine last fall might not pay now. So let's do the shop math.

Fuel cost per mile

Fuel cost per mile is simple: diesel price divided by your MPG.

At $6.276 a gallon:

• 5.5 MPG: $1.141 a mile (it was $0.658 at $3.620 diesel in October 2025)
• 6.0 MPG: $1.046 a mile (was $0.603)
• 6.5 MPG: $0.966 a mile (was $0.557)
• 7.0 MPG: $0.897 a mile (was $0.517)
• 7.5 MPG: $0.837 a mile (was $0.483)

At 6.5 MPG you're spending about 97 cents a mile on fuel alone, roughly 41 cents a mile more than a year ago.

MPG is worth chasing at this price. Going from 6.5 to 7.0 MPG saves about 7 cents a mile. Over 100,000 miles, that's roughly $6,900 at $6.276 diesel. Speed, idle time, tire pressure, and how you spec the truck all show up right here.

Your own pump price won't match the national average. Regions run higher or lower, and so does every fuel stop. Use what you actually paid.

Three example loads

These are made-up example numbers, not market rates. Every truck is different. To keep it simple, every mile below burns at 6.5 MPG and $6.276 diesel, loaded or empty, and everything else it costs to run the truck (payment, insurance, maintenance, tires, and the rest) is lumped into one example $0.80 a mile. Put your own numbers in.

Example load 1: the long one. $2,500 for 900 loaded miles, with 75 miles of deadhead to get there.

That's 975 total miles. Fuel comes to 150 gallons, or $941.40, and other costs at the example $0.80 a mile add $780.00. That leaves $778.60, so this one still pays.

Example load 2: the short one that looks great per loaded mile. $650 for 200 loaded miles, but 100 miles of deadhead.

It's $3.25 a loaded mile, but only $2.17 a mile once you count the empty ones. That's 300 total miles. Fuel is about 46.2 gallons, or $289.66, and other costs are $240.00. That leaves $120.34, which is barely worth the day. The deadhead ate most of it.

Example load 3: the cheap long one. $1,700 for 850 loaded miles, with 150 miles of deadhead.

That's 1,000 total miles. Fuel is about 153.8 gallons, or $965.54, and other costs are $800.00. That leaves you at negative $65.54, so you'd pay to haul it.

On example load 3, break-even works out to about $2.08 a loaded mile. That's your total cost divided by the loaded miles, deadhead included. Anything under that loses money with these example costs.

What to take from it

1. Count every mile, not just loaded miles. Deadhead burns the same diesel and gets paid nothing.
2. Know your break-even before you call back. Your cost per mile times total miles, divided by loaded miles, is the floor for that load.
3. Ask about fuel surcharge. If a rate is flat or "all in," ask how fuel is covered. Write down what the broker or shipper says.
4. Use your real MPG. One MPG is roughly 15 cents a mile at these prices for a truck in the 6 to 7 MPG range.

Run your own numbers

The DueHaul Load Profit Calculator does this math with your truck's real costs, a separate empty-mile MPG, DEF, tolls, scales, and driver pay if you pay one. Open it with $6.28 diesel and 6.5 MPG filled in. Your standing costs, like the payment, insurance, upkeep, and tires, go in your truck profile once, and every load after that is just the pay, pickup, and delivery.

Start your 30-day free trial to set up your own truck and check load profitability before you say yes. No card needed.

Sources

• U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly U.S. No 2 Diesel Retail Prices (on-highway, all types): $6.276 a gallon for the week of October 19, 2026 (released October 20, 2026; next release October 27, 2026); $3.620 for the week of October 20, 2025. Checked October 21, 2026.
• EIA, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update: weekly national and regional averages.

Access date for linked pages: October 21, 2026. Example loads use made-up numbers for illustration, not market rates or industry averages. This is planning math, not tax, accounting, or legal advice.