Haulers United

04/09/2026

Let’s talk about the part nobody wants to say out loud…

Shippers are paying fuel surcharges.
So why aren’t small carriers seeing it?

Diesel goes up — drivers feel it immediately.
But somewhere between the shipper and the truck, that fuel money often disappears into an “all-in rate” with zero transparency.

And let’s be clear, brokers deserve to make money. They provide value. No argument there.

But when the people actually buying the fuel, driving 12–16 hours a day, and keeping freight moving are the ones absorbing the cost… something is broken.

Fuel surcharge was never meant to be hidden margin.
It was meant to protect the carrier.

If you’re a small carrier or owner-operator, ask yourself:
Are you being paid fairly for fuel… or just hoping your rate covers it?

It’s time for more transparency.
It’s time for fair partnerships.
It’s time to stop pretending this isn’t happening.

If you’ve experienced this, drop a comment. Let’s talk about it.



https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/

03/24/2026

Fuel Prices Are Climbing Again — And Small Truckers Are Feeling It

U.S. diesel prices have jumped again this week, now averaging $5.37 per gallon, up from $5.07 just one week ago.

That’s a 30¢ increase in just 7 days, and over $1.80 higher than a year ago.

https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQvfDBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFYbXVnRk5ZS0FZT2d0UHZ6c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHtpYmlPVDYX_pe6mHNxjXu5zAvMSmwO1io1c2sa9Y3mpgtVq4RrN3XhkHfjp_aem_QQq1McIAGlxOCNcyyrm6WQ&brid=DizR9QmG965rEDwTSOR8Qg

03/19/2026

www.haulersunited.org

03/17/2026

Diesel just crossed $5.00/gallon again… and if you’re in trucking, you already know what that means.

This isn’t just another price spike — this is global pressure hitting our industry hard. Disruptions in the Middle East, oil supply constraints, and shipping bottlenecks are all driving costs up fast. Diesel is up 34% in just weeks, and it’s climbing faster than gasoline.

For trucking companies, especially small carriers, this is where things get dangerous.

Fuel is your #1 operating cost. When it jumps like this:
• Margins get squeezed overnight
• Cash flow tightens immediately
• Fuel surcharges lag behind reality
• And small fleets feel it first

And it doesn’t stop with trucking, these increases ripple through the entire economy. Higher diesel = higher transportation costs = higher prices at the store.

This is exactly why having the right fuel strategy matters.

At Haulers United (www.haulersunited.org), we’ve been focused on one thing from day one, helping small carriers offset these exact moments. Access to discounted fuel, smarter purchasing, and better tools isn’t a “nice to have” anymore… it’s survival.

If you’re paying retail at the pump right now, you’re leaving money on the table at the worst possible time.

The carriers that win in this market aren’t the biggest, they’re the ones that control their costs.

03/17/2026

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/diesel-tops-5-gallon-first-152709221.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

Rising diesel prices could push up costs across the U.S. economy, as many goods move by diesel-powered trucks.

01/27/2026

The national average cost of diesel is up 0.094 from the prior week but still down -0.035 over the prior year for the same week. https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPmBgpleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF2ZVpEUzZ6OHlTcFpkc3JJc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHu4hpIqL7LG9lQMfsg0bR7lIXFEHVdcJwpJL5xHGZnMTBfDJ8xbF0udSvfi2_aem_JVbMp-ptMT0xF0uKQ4ecJg&brid=DizR9QmG965rEDwTSOR8Qg

01/14/2026

TRUCK FREIGHT MARKET UPDATE

A new U.S. Bank & DAT freight rates report shows the late-2025 trucking market was stable but increasingly fragile. Spot and contract rates moved only modestly, but fuel surcharges were volatile, and more carriers are quietly exiting the market.

The result: shrinking capacity and a narrowing gap between spot and contract rates, setting the stage for sharper rate increases if demand rebounds in 2026. Shippers and carriers alike should be paying close attention.

Click image to read the full article:

U.S. Bank and DAT Freight & Analytics launched a new quarterly truck freight rates report. Q1 2026 edition reveals subtle shifts in late-2025 spot and contract rates amid shrinking carrier capacity.

01/12/2026

The national average cost of diesel is down -0.023 from the prior week and down -0.084 over the prior year for the same week. https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPSQ3NicmlkETFxd3ZERlIzSlRFWGhOaTFKc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHt1E3Y6uFuvqZniU6cfYQ7pmR3eFMmJDvYq5g66Mnli4PGbsEes3117I4U_0&brid=DizR9QmG965rEDwTSOR8Qg

01/10/2026

Trucking's Silent Revenue Killer

Detention time isn’t just frustrating, it’s one of the largest unpaid revenue leaks in trucking today, especially for small carriers and owner-operators.

Every hour a truck sits at a dock waiting to be loaded or unloaded is an hour that asset is not generating revenue, yet the costs never stop. Fuel burn, truck payments, insurance, maintenance, and driver pay continue to run whether the wheels are turning or not.

According to industry cost benchmarks, the average operating cost of a truck now exceeds $90 per hour when fuel is included, and over $70 per hour even without fuel

That means one hour of unpaid detention can erase the profit from an entire load, and two hours can turn a “good run” into a loss.

Now multiply that across:
-Multiple stops per week
-Hundreds of hours per year
-Thousands of small carriers nationwide

The result is billions of dollars in lost revenue absorbed almost entirely by truckers.

What makes detention even more damaging is that it also:
-Reduces available driving hours under HOS
-Limits daily and weekly revenue potential
-Forces missed reloads and empty miles
-Pushes drivers to rush later in the day to make up lost time

In short, detention doesn’t just cost money — it caps earning potential. It's just not right!

Large fleets may be able to negotiate detention clauses or absorb the losses across scale. Small carriers don’t have that luxury. For owner-operators and fleets with 1–10 trucks, detention is often unpaid, undocumented, and accepted as “part of the job,” even though it directly transfers value from the carrier to the shipper.

This is exactly why Haulers United exists.

When small carriers act alone, they have no leverage. When they act together, they can:
-Push for fair detention standards
-Demand accountability and transparency
-Build direct shipper relationships that respect time and equipment

Detention should not be free. Your time has value. Your truck is a revenue-producing asset, not a storage unit.

If we want a healthier, more sustainable trucking industry, detention has to be addressed, openly, collectively, and with real data behind it.

Follow Haulers United as we continue to advocate for small carriers and work toward a system that rewards efficiency instead of exploiting it.

01/09/2026

Transport Stocks Jump to Record High on Economic Optimism

U.S. transportation stocks closed at a record level Jan. 6, capping off a rebound fueled by prospects of strong economic growth this year.

01/07/2026

Year-End Housekeeping for Small Carriers

The end of the year sneaks up on small carriers faster than most people realize. One minute you’re grinding through the end of the season, chasing loads