Sent
Diesel fell for the second straight week, and the Rocky Mountain region dropped almost a quarter a gallon. Trucks are still scarce, though. DAT's flatbed board is running at nearly double last year's load-to-truck ratio. Today is Veterans Day, which is not a movement stop day anywhere in the West, and Thanksgiving is two weeks out, so the oversize calendar is about to close in. Here's what to plan around. As always, no rate quotes here. When you want one for a specific move, ask me.
Fuel
U.S. on-highway diesel averaged $6.127/gal in EIA's Nov 9 reading, down 16.5¢ from the week before and the second weekly drop in a row. Every region fell. The West Coast excluding California (which includes Oregon and Washington) slipped 14.6¢ to $6.429, its third decline in a row. The Rocky Mountain region (which includes Idaho) fell 23.9¢ to $6.206, the biggest move of the three and its second straight drop. California fell 17.9¢ to $7.897.
| Region | Nov 9 | Week | vs. year ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. average | $6.127 | −16.5¢ | +$2.290 |
| West Coast less California (incl. OR, WA) | $6.429 | −14.6¢ | +$2.268 |
| Rocky Mountain (PADD 4, incl. ID) | $6.206 | −23.9¢ | +$2.403 |
Diesel is still about $2.27 to $2.40 a gallon above a year ago across these three regions, so fuel remains a big share of the cost on any long or heavy move. 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 Tue Nov 10, 2026 (prices include all taxes; next release Nov 17). Market page: Market Conditions page.
Capacity
Flatbed's load-to-truck ratio on DAT edged up to 42.26 from 41.73 for the week ending Nov 6, as flatbed load posts rose 4.8% and truck posts rose 3.5%. Load posts are 46.6% above a year ago, and the ratio is nearly double the same week last year (21.14). Flatbed remains by far the tightest of DAT's three boards, at roughly 3.9 times the dry van ratio (10.9). Across all three boards, DAT says truck posts are 24% to 34% below a year ago while load posts are 22% to 47% higher.
Truckstop and FTR saw the same pattern: flatbed loads rose 6.2% for the week ended Nov 6 and were more than 32% above a year ago, the strongest comparison since late June. Flatbed loads were essentially flat on the West Coast and in the Mountain Central region, and rose everywhere else. DAT also notes that Oregon Christmas tree loads are under way and shippers are clearing docks ahead of Thanksgiving week.
What it means for you: open-deck trucks are still scarce, and holiday freight is now competing for the same equipment. DAT expects construction and industrial shipments to slow around Thanksgiving, but until then, if equipment or project freight has to move before the holiday, line up trucks and escorts now rather than the week of.
Sources: DAT flatbed report, Nov 9; DAT weekly summary via AJOT, Nov 9; FTR/Truckstop weekly overview, Nov 9.
ATA truck tonnage
ATA's latest truck tonnage reading, for September, rose 0.8% to 114.0 (seasonally adjusted, 2015 = 100), unchanged from a year earlier. Capacity is still contracting even though tonnage is soft, which ATA's chief economist says is leading to a better market for carriers. The October report isn't out yet, and there's no ATA release this week. Check ATA for the date.
Source: ATA, Oct 20, 2026.
Veterans Day: no holiday stop, but watch permit offices
Veterans Day (today, Wed Nov 11) is not a holiday movement restriction in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California, Utah, Nevada or Montana. ODOT lists Veterans Day as not travel-restricted, Montana's 2026 chart says no restriction, and the holiday lists for Washington, California, Idaho and Utah don't include it, so permitted loads can move under the normal curfew, weekend and daylight rules.
Permit offices are the catch. Idaho Transportation Department offices and Nevada's over-dimension permit office are closed today. I couldn't confirm Oregon, Washington, California, Utah or Montana permit-office hours on official pages, so if a permit needs a person to review it, expect it to wait until Thursday. Nevada's office also closes Thu Nov 26 and Fri Nov 27.
Sources: ODOT · MDT 2026 chart · WSDOT · ITD · NDOT · Utah R909-2-13.
Route watch: Portland, SW Washington and chain season
Dates are ODOT estimates and can slip with weather.
I-5 Portland nights: northbound I-5 in North Portland (Lombard to Marine Dr) closes 1–4 AM Wed and Thu, Nov 11–12, and northbound in Wilsonville (just south of Elligsen Rd) closes 1–4 AM Fri Nov 13, all with signed detours. At the Rose Quarter, the I-5 southbound Exit 300B off-ramp to US 26 east/OR 99E is closed nightly 10 PM to 5 AM Nov 11–15, southbound Exit 300B to the Morrison Bridge closes Nov 12–13, and the northbound on-ramp from the Morrison Bridge closes 10 PM Fri Nov 13 to 8 AM Sat Nov 14.
Still in place through about Nov 30: central Portland I-5 night width limits of 14 ft (10 PM to 5 AM; southbound to 8 AM Saturday nights) and night height limits as low as 14 ft 7 in southbound and 15 ft 7 in northbound. ODOT says wider or taller loads may be accommodated case by case through its Over-Dimension Permit Unit. OR 141 (Hall Blvd) in Tigard is limited to 12 ft wide Mon–Fri 9 AM to 3 PM through Jan 8, 2027.
Coming up: I-205 northbound across the Abernethy Bridge in Oregon City closes all weekend, Fri Nov 20 at 10 PM to Mon Nov 23 at 5 AM.
Washington commuter curfews still apply Monday to Friday to loads that need “Oversize Load” signs and exceed the listed width: near the Oregon line, I-5 Vancouver northbound 3–6 PM and southbound 6–9 AM, and I-205 northbound 4–7 PM and southbound 6–9 AM (10 ft width threshold). Chain season is on: from Nov 1 to Apr 1, every vehicle over 10,000 lb must carry chains on WSDOT's listed routes, including I-90 between North Bend and Ellensburg, and permit loads can't move where traction-advisory or chains-required signs are posted. In Oregon, vehicles over 10,000 lb must chain up when chains are required, and traction tires don't substitute.
Sources: ODOT I-5 closure notice, Nov 3; ODOT Region 1 weekly construction update, Nov 6; ODOT TripCheck Portland alerts, checked Nov 10, 2026; WSDOT curfew hours; WSDOT chain requirements; ODOT chain law. This covers the Portland area only. Check TripCheck for the rest of Oregon the day you move.
Thanksgiving: two weeks out
Oregon: nothing over 8 ft 6 in wide from noon Wed Nov 25 until a half hour before sunrise Mon Nov 30, with daylight exceptions up to 14 ft 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 may be restricted from noon Wed Nov 25 through Thanksgiving Day and Fri Nov 27.
Idaho: red-coded routes stop at 2 PM Wed Nov 25 and resume at sunrise Fri Nov 27. On black-coded routes, loads over 12 ft wide, 120 ft long or 15 ft high stop at 4 PM Wed Nov 25 until sunrise Fri Nov 27. Interstate loads over those sizes follow ITD's pilot/escort travel map.
California: loads that need a pilot car can't move 4 PM to midnight Wed Nov 25, or noon to midnight Thu Nov 26 through Sun Nov 29.
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 hours-of-darkness limits Wed through Sun and weekend limits on Saturday.
Montana: MDT lists Thu Nov 26 through Sun Nov 29 as restricted days; check the permit for specifics.
Rule of thumb: a load that can't deliver by midday Wed Nov 25 is probably a Mon Nov 30 delivery. Looking further out, Christmas falls on a Friday this year. Oregon stops loads over 8 ft 6 in wide from noon Thu Dec 24 until a half hour before sunrise Mon Dec 28, and Washington restricts permit loads from noon Dec 24 through Christmas Day.
Sources: ODOT · WSDOT · IDAPA 39.03.01.305 · Caltrans · Utah R909-2-13 · NDOT · MDT. Your permit's own conditions control. Full breakdown: Thanksgiving 2026 oversize restrictions.
State by state details: Oregon · Washington · Idaho · California · Utah · Nevada · Montana permit guides. Permits by State · Market Conditions · Heavy Haul FAQ.
This is a summary, not legal advice. Confirm permits with the issuing state. Market data from the public sources cited above; no freight rates.