Diesel prices reach record $5.85 a gallon, raising cost worries for food and goods
57 sourcesUpdated Sep 7, 2026
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U.S. gasoline prices reached a Labor Day weekend record, averaging about $4.14 to $4.15 per gallon—nearly $1 above last year and higher than the previous holiday record of $3.82 set in 2012. Diesel prices also hit a record of roughly $5.85 to $5.90 per gallon, raising transportation costs that could increase prices for groceries, deliveries and other consumer goods. Reports attribute the surge to higher crude prices and supply disruptions linked to the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, including sharply reduced oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. About 40 million people were expected to drive over the holiday weekend, although elevated fuel prices were discouraging some families from traveling. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the administration was working to lower prices and pointed to futures markets suggesting gasoline could become cheaper in coming months, while markets remained sensitive to the conflict and OPEC’s decision to keep October output steady.
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Center· 13 sources
“Southland Gas Prices at Record Highs for Labor Day”Right· 6 sources
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Everything I buy gets trucked in, so this hits my grocery bill twice - once from shipping and again when farmers pass on their fuel costs.
Refinery capacity is the real bottleneck here, not just crude prices. We shut down too much capacity over the years and now we're paying for it.
