Sent
Diesel turned back up this week, and the Northwest took the biggest jump. Flatbed is still the tightest of the three load boards, and Thanksgiving is five weeks out. Here's what to plan around. No rate quotes here; when you want one for a specific move, ask me.
Fuel
U.S. on-highway diesel averaged $6.276/gal in EIA's Oct 19 reading, up 9.7¢ from the week before. The West Coast excluding California (which includes Oregon and Washington) rose 15.6¢ to $6.659, and the Rocky Mountain region (which includes Idaho) rose 12.0¢ to $6.422.
| Region | Oct 19 | Week | vs. year ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. average | $6.276 | +9.7¢ | +$2.656 |
| West Coast less California (incl. OR, WA) | $6.659 | +15.6¢ | +$2.651 |
| Rocky Mountain (PADD 4, incl. ID) | $6.422 | +12.0¢ | +$2.837 |
EIA doesn't publish state-level weekly diesel figures for OR, WA or ID, so these regional averages are the closest public benchmark. Source: EIA Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update, released Oct 20, 2026 (prices include all taxes).
Capacity
Flatbed was the only equipment type where DAT's load-to-truck ratio rose last week, to 36.5 from 35.7, as load posts edged up and truck posts fell. That's about 48% tighter than a year ago and more than three times the dry van ratio. Across all equipment, truck posts on DAT One are running 21% to 27% below a year ago while load posts run 12% to 23% above. DAT calls capacity the key factor in the market right now.
Closer to home, Truckstop's data showed flatbed loads rising in the Mountain Central region and slightly on the West Coast for the week ended Oct 16, while falling everywhere else.
What it means for you: fewer open-deck trucks are chasing more freight. Give permitted moves extra lead time, especially anything that needs escorts.
Sources: DAT flatbed report, Oct 19; DAT weekly market update via AJOT; FTR/Truckstop SMI weekly overview.
Truck tonnage
ATA's seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index rose 0.8% in September to 114.0 (2015 = 100), after falling 0.2% in August. It was unchanged from September 2025, and year to date tonnage is up 0.9%. ATA's chief economist Bob Costello: “We are seeing soft tonnage levels, but capacity is still contracting.” That lines up with what the load boards show: freight isn't booming, there are just fewer trucks.
Source: ATA, released Oct 20, 2026.
Route watch: Oregon work zones
ODOT has width limits posted on the main oversize corridors this fall. Wider loads may be handled case by case through the Over-Dimension Permit Unit.
- I-84, Warrendale (MP 36–39): 12 ft max nightly, 8 PM to 7 AM, both directions, through about Nov 4.
- I-5, Medford (NB MP 26.7–28.4): 12 ft max Sunday to Thursday nights, 6 PM to 5 AM, through about Nov 2.
- I-5, Roseburg (MP 129): northbound 10 ft max Sunday to Thursday nights, 7 PM to 8 AM, through about Nov 4. Starting Nov 2, southbound drops to 12 ft Sunday to Thursday, 6 PM to 7 AM, through about Dec 14.
- I-5, central Portland: several 14 ft night width limits and night height limits as low as 14 ft 7 in, through about Nov 30.
- I-84, Huntington (MP 351–356): 16 ft max at all hours through about Oct 31.
Source: ODOT TripCheck commercial vehicle alerts, checked Oct 20, 2026. Dates are ODOT's estimates. Check TripCheck the day you move.
Chain season starts Nov 1
- Washington: from Nov 1, vehicles over 10,000 lb GVWR must carry sufficient chains on listed routes, including I-90 Snoqualmie from North Bend to Ellensburg. Permit loads may not move where “Traction Advisory Oversize Vehicles Prohibited” or chains-required signs are posted.
- Oregon: chain-up areas can't be used to stage or park over-dimension loads, and ODOT puts the call on the driver when conditions turn hazardous.
Sources: WSDOT chain requirements; WSDOT winter road restrictions; ODOT travel restrictions.
Thanksgiving across the West
| State | Thanksgiving 2026 restriction |
|---|---|
| Oregon | Nothing over 8 ft 6 in wide from noon Wed Nov 25 until a half hour before sunrise Mon Nov 30. Daylight travel up to 14 ft is allowed Thu–Sat on Interstates, US 97 and listed routes east of US 97. No overwidth movement at all on Sun Nov 29. |
| Washington | Permit loads restricted from noon Wed Nov 25 through Thanksgiving Day and Fri Nov 27. |
| Idaho | Red-coded routes stop at 2 PM Wed Nov 25. On black-coded routes and Interstates, loads over 12 ft wide, 120 ft long or 15 ft high stop at 4 PM Wed Nov 25. Travel resumes at sunrise Fri Nov 27; red routes still have no weekend travel. |
| California | Loads that need a pilot car can't move from 4 PM to midnight Wed Nov 25, or from noon to midnight Thu Nov 26 through Sun Nov 29. Mornings stay open. |
| Utah | Loads over 10 ft wide, 105 ft long or 14 ft 6 in high stop from 2 PM Wed Nov 25 until sunrise Fri Nov 27. |
| Nevada | Holiday hours (noon to midnight) apply Wed Nov 25 and Sun Nov 29, with weekend and darkness limits in between. Which loads are affected depends on width. |
| Montana | MDT lists Thu Nov 26 through Sun Nov 29 as restricted days. Check your permit for what applies to your load. |
A load that can't deliver by midday Nov 25 is probably a Nov 30 delivery. Escorts book up fast that week.
Sources: ODOT · WSDOT · IDAPA 39.03.01.305 · Caltrans · Utah R909-2-13 · NDOT · MDT.
This is a summary, not legal advice. Confirm permits with the issuing state. Market data from the public sources cited above; no freight rates.