Diesel Finally Went The Other Way
10/06/2026
Diesel fell 33 cents in two weeks after three weeks of records. The direction changed, and that has a short shelf life.
Notes from the Field
Market updates, material availability, and Texas construction intel. Published weekly for contractors.
Diesel fell 33 cents in two weeks after three weeks of records. The direction changed, and that has a short shelf life.
Construction starts fell in every region of the country last month except the one Texas sits in.
Diesel did not drift up this month. It jumped. The national on-highway average rose 36.8 cents in a single week to $5.967 a gallon,
Budget season is here, and the two halves of a delivered ton are no longer moving together. August producer price data put materials and
Almost every delivered price for bulk material has a fuel component in it, whether it is broken out as a surcharge or buried in
Total construction spending in the United States is running 3.8 percent below where it was a year ago. If you read only that number
Diesel just set a record, and it happened fast. The national on-highway average jumped 20 cents in a single week to $5.454 a gallon,
The July producer price report gave Texas contractors a split decision. Prices for final demand construction rose 2.2 percent in a single month, while
Texas aggregate prices are still rising in 2026, and the two largest producers just confirmed it. In late July, Vulcan Materials and Martin Marietta
Diesel bottomed in early July then rebounded to $5.13 by July 20. What the reversal means for Texas haul budgets and delivered material cost.
BLS data shows construction material costs up about 6% year over year in June. What is rising and what it means for Texas bids and budgets.
Freight spot rates are hitting multi-year highs as truck capacity tightens. What rising haul costs mean for aggregate delivery in DFW and Central Texas.
Market Intelligence
Market updates, material availability, and Texas construction intel. Published weekly for contractors.