Rising Fuel Prices Force Fleets to Act

The surge in diesel prices has prompted trucking fleets to adopt cost recovery strategies, including fuel surcharges and dynamic planning tools, to manage rising expenses. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, average U.S. retail diesel prices peaked at $5.64 per gallon in early April. Nussbaum Transportation, a truckload carrier, has applied fuel surcharges to over 80% of its shipper relationships to lessen the impact of high fuel prices. However, fuel surcharges are an imperfect buffer against diesel price volatility. Industry analysts expect artificial intelligence to play a larger role in fuel cost management, enabling fleets to anticipate fuel costs before a shipment occurs. The higher fuel prices have contributed to reduced industry capacity and stronger freight rates, with truckload spot rates up roughly 40%-45% year over year. Fleets have tightened effective capacity by 5.5% in 2025, the largest amount since the pandemic, and reduced truck counts by 2.4%. The freight recession ‘definitely feels like it’s over,’ according to Nussbaum’s president, Bill Wettstein.