Diesel fuel prices kept climbing Monday, with Nebraska reaching an average of $5.17 a gallon and Illinois hitting $6.02, adding fresh pressure to truckers already facing one of the worst freight recessions in history. President Trump also said he planned to suspend the federal gas tax, a move that drew resistance from the Nebraska Trucking Association.
Kent Grisham, who spoke for the Nebraska trucking industry, said the sector had seen signs of recovery at the start of the year before fuel costs surged again. He said many companies may not be able to make it through the current fuel storm and warned that the situation could get worse unless prices stay down. On Monday, diesel nationwide averaged about $5.64 a gallon, while regular unleaded in Illinois averaged $4.97 and the national average for regular gasoline stood at $4.52.
The timing matters because fuel is one of the biggest expenses in trucking, and Grisham said diesel cost is one of the most important factors in the cost-per-mile equation. When that number rises, carriers pass the expense through to shippers, businesses and eventually consumers. In Nebraska, the trucking association argues that suspending the gas tax would only deepen the strain elsewhere because the tax provides more than 91% of the dollars that feed the Highway Trust Fund.
Grisham said the federal tax is only part of the picture, since diesel prices are being driven higher by a broader fuel shortage. He said most diesel now in use is a biofuel blend and argued that increasing supply to all-biodiesel would help domestic agriculture while cutting carbon output by 70% to 80%. He also said that until fuel supply improves and stays down, refined fuels are likely to remain at current levels or move higher.
The Midwest numbers show the pressure is not limited to one state. GasBuddy listings on Monday showed many stations in the Rockford region selling regular unleaded between about $4.59 and $4.74 a gallon, while Winnebago County averaged $4.85 for regular fuel last week. Indiana reported about $4.35 a gallon for gasoline and Wisconsin reported about $4.38. A year ago, Illinois drivers were paying $3.41 for regular unleaded and $3.53 for diesel, underscoring how fast the market has moved.
For Grisham and other haulers, the fear is not just that fuel is expensive today, but that the spike is hitting companies still recovering from a long downturn. Trump’s call to suspend the gas tax may play well politically, but the trucking association says the tradeoff is real: lower pump costs now could mean less money later for roads and bridges. That leaves truckers, shippers and drivers facing the same arithmetic that has unsettled the industry all year.
