Brent Crude Falls to $111.43 as Hormuz Closure Drags On
International benchmark drops 2.7% despite strait remaining largely shut — diesel and fuel surcharge implications for small fleets.
Tess Crawford
Markets, Rates & Carrier Business
Tess Crawford tracks the money in trucking — spot and contract rates, diesel cost trends, lane capacity, freight demand, carrier earnings, bankruptcies, M&A, layoffs, and insurance pricing. She writes for the dispatcher checking the load board between calls and the small-fleet owner reading the P&L over coffee.
Renewable Diesel and RNG Gain Ground as Crude Tops $110
With Brent at $110 and diesel costs climbing, renewable diesel, high-blend biodiesel, and renewable natural gas are drawing more small-fleet interest for cost…
Operating Costs Hit $2.26 Per Mile — Highest Non-Fuel Cost on Record
Dispatch teams are making load decisions without margin visibility while rates fail to keep pace with the highest operating costs ever recorded.
Brent Crude Hits $110.37 — Up 2% on Strait of Hormuz Tensions
International oil benchmark climbs to $110.37 per barrel as geopolitical risk tightens supply. What the move means for diesel costs and small-fleet fuel bills.
LTL Rates Jump 12.5% Year-Over-Year — Sharpest Climb Since Yellow Exit
Less-than-truckload pricing momentum hits highest level since summer 2023 as new bids and general rate increases work through the market.
Manufacturing Input Costs Hit Four-Year High at 84.6
ISM prices-paid gauge climbed for the fourth straight month — the highest reading since May 2022 — as manufacturers face sustained cost pressure that flows…
Brent Crude Up 11% for the Week — Closes at $109.88
International oil benchmark gained roughly 11% over five trading days despite Friday slip, keeping diesel costs elevated for small fleets.
Traffix Sees Double-Digit Rate Hikes Holding Through 2026
Ontario brokerage reports spot and contract rates surging in March and April as capacity exits and freight volumes climb — a new cycle that could reshape…
Why Small Fleets Should Diversify Fuel — Even With Diesel Stable
Natural gas, renewable diesel, and electric all hedge different risks than diesel. Fleets with multiple fuel sources weather price shocks better than…
PCE Inflation Hits 3.5% — Highest in Three Years on Fuel Spike
March year-over-year inflation jumped to 3.5 percent as diesel and gasoline prices climbed, tightening margins for owner-operators and small fleets already…
Used Truck Sales Up 10% in March — Still Miss Seasonal Forecast
ACT Research reports 24,900 units sold, a year-over-year gain but below the seasonal norm for spring buying.
Oil Slides to $108.51 but Diesel Still Pinches Small Fleets
Brent crude fell $1.93 overnight — a drop that barely registers against fuel costs running 40% above pre-pandemic norms.