THONOTOSASSA, FLORIDA — Diesel fuel prices have surged at one of the fastest rates in years following U.S. strikes on Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with truck drivers across the country already feeling the financial squeeze and economists warning that consumers could soon follow.

The national average cost of a gallon of diesel has jumped by 85.9 cents in a single week, reaching approximately $4.599 per gallon as of March 9, 2026, according to fuel pricing app GasBuddy, which described the week-over-week increase as "near historic." AAA separately reported that diesel prices have jumped at least 23% from one week ago — outpacing the rise in regular gasoline. The states with the highest diesel prices are California at $5.87 per gallon, Washington at $5.46, and Hawaii at $5.18.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said the spike is directly tied to the escalating conflict in the Middle East. "In just a week, consumers have seen gasoline prices surge at one of the fastest rates in years after oil prices spiked following U.S. strikes on Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. With additional attacks across the Middle East over the weekend pushing oil above $100 per barrel for the first time in years, fuel markets are now rapidly recalibrating to the risk of prolonged disruption to global supply flows." De Haan added that gasoline prices in many states could climb another 20 to 50 cents per gallon, while diesel may rise even more sharply, with increases of 35 to 75 cents per gallon possible as global distillate markets react.

For truck drivers, the impact is immediate and personal. At a truck stop in Thonotosassa, Florida, drivers expressed frustration at the pace of the increases. "It feels like they're killing us," said truck driver Enoch Jones. "You kind of expect stuff to go up a little bit, but not just skyrocketing." Truck driver Anthony Carroll said diesel fuel could now account for up to 40% of his gross income, up from about 22% before the spike. "Once you do your math, some of these guys are going to hang up their keys. They're not going to roll," Carroll said. "For the consumers, it's going to get tighter. That just means everything's going to get more expensive."

The effects are being felt beyond Florida. In Washington City, Utah, gas and diesel prices have jumped by more than 50 cents a gallon in most places in just one week. Lauren Fletcher, editor of the trade publication Automotive Fleet, noted that even a five-cent increase adds up rapidly at scale, estimating that a company operating a 50-vehicle fleet is now seeing fuel costs rise by approximately $500 per day. Bus driver Redian Celaj, who has been behind the wheel for nine years, said the current jump is unlike anything he has experienced. "I'm not going to say lost revenue, but it's tight. In my experience, this is the biggest jump that I've seen." Veteran trucker Burke Hafen, who has driven big rigs for three decades, offered some perspective, noting the current situation is still not as severe as the fuel price spikes seen during the Iraq War in 2008 and 2009. "It happens every time there's a disturbance somewhere in the world," Hafen said.

Economist Dr. Abby Hall of the University of Tampa explained that the Strait of Hormuz is a critical pressure point, as millions of barrels of oil pass through it daily. Any threat to the route can disrupt supply and drive prices higher across the entire economy. "When we think about the places where we use oil or petroleum, we think about putting it in our own cars, but people forget that when the price of crude oil increases, that increases the price of shipping goods and services across the country," Hall said. She added that companies may also factor in a risk premium for potential delays or disruptions, further raising the cost of goods and services, and that insurance rates on freight are an additional concern. The timeline for relief remains uncertain as long as instability persists in the Middle East, though Hall noted that markets tend to react quickly given the interconnected nature of global trade.

Fletcher suggested that truckers and commercial drivers do have some remedies available in the short term, including reducing idling and adopting better eco-driving habits such as maintaining a steady speed and avoiding aggressive acceleration.

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