The FuelDataPortal Diesel Spread
Recent values
| Date | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2026 | $1.07 | -0.40 |
| Aug 3, 2026 | $1.47 | +0.27 |
| Jul 27, 2026 | $1.20 | +0.19 |
| Jul 20, 2026 | $1.01 | +0.04 |
| Jul 13, 2026 | $0.97 | -0.31 |
| Jul 6, 2026 | $1.28 | -0.06 |
| Jun 29, 2026 | $1.34 | -0.39 |
| Jun 27, 2026 | $1.73 | -0.01 |
| Jun 22, 2026 | $1.74 | -0.05 |
| Jun 15, 2026 | $1.79 | +0.18 |
| U.S. Diesel | $5.26 | -0.09 | Aug 10, 2026 |
| ULSD (Diesel) | $4.17 | -0.08 | Aug 14, 2026 |
The FuelDataPortal Diesel Spread is the gap between what diesel sells for at the pump and what it costs at wholesale: U.S. average retail diesel minus the ULSD futures price, in dollars per gallon. It is the slice of every diesel gallon that is not the wholesale fuel itself.
That slice is what a fuel jobber or c-store operator actually works with. It covers distribution and freight, the retailer's margin, and federal plus state taxes. When the spread widens, the money between wholesale and the street is growing; when it narrows, that gap is shrinking.
Methodology
Diesel Spread = U.S. retail diesel (EIA) minus ULSD futures. Both inputs are quoted in dollars per gallon, so the spread is a direct subtraction. Retail diesel is the EIA's weekly national on-highway average; ULSD is the front-month ultra-low-sulfur distillate futures price, the standard wholesale diesel benchmark.
It is a proxy, and we state the limits plainly. Retail is a national weekly average while ULSD trades continuously, so the two are measured at slightly different moments, and the spread blends distribution, retail margin, and state-by-state taxes into one number. It is meant as a consistent directional read on the wholesale-to-pump gap, not an exact per-station margin. Both inputs are public; no licensed price feeds are used.
Use this data
Free to reuse with attribution under CC BY 4.0. Series runs 2026-03-30 to 2026-08-10 and updates automatically.
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Suggested citation
The FuelDataPortal Diesel Spread, Fuel Data Portal, https://fueldataportal.com/data/diesel-retail-wholesale-spread (accessed August 14, 2026).
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Frequently asked
What is the FuelDataPortal Diesel Spread?
It is the difference between the U.S. average retail diesel price and the ULSD wholesale futures price, in dollars per gallon, the combined distribution, retail margin, and tax between wholesale diesel and the pump.
How is the Diesel Spread calculated?
Retail diesel (the EIA weekly national average) minus ULSD futures (the wholesale benchmark). Both are in dollars per gallon, so it is a direct subtraction. See the methodology above for the assumptions and limits.
Why does the Diesel Spread matter?
It is the part of the diesel price a jobber or c-store operator actually lives on. A widening spread means more room between wholesale and the street; a narrowing one means that room is being squeezed.