Diesel at $6.53 just repriced every truck lane in the country, and every railroad's October fuel surcharge with it.
Source: EIA weekly on-highway diesel
Rail fuel surcharges run on a two-month lag to this number, so October's factors below reflect August diesel, and November will step again. Truck reprices the same week.
DAT's forecast for late October puts flatbed linehaul at $2.55 a mile against $2.05 a year ago, and van at $2.15 against $1.69. Load posts hit 2.9 million, +16% week over week.
Source: DAT Truckload Market Report via AJOT; DAT flatbed report Sept 1
Cents per loaded mile, carload mileage programs, factors effective October 1 unless noted. Public program shown for CSX (8662); the contract program (8661) runs 86 cents on a $2.00 strike.
| Railroad | October ¢/mi | September ¢/mi | Change | Program basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UP | 68 | 58 | +10 | 1c/mi per 5c/gal HDF over $2.30 |
| BNSF | 60 | 50 | +10 | 1c/mi per 5c/gal HDF over $2.50 |
| NS | 75 | 62 | +13 | 1c/mi per 4c/gal HDF over $2.50 |
| CSX (8662) | 43 | 31 | +12 | 1c/mi per 4c/gal HDF over $3.749 |
| CN (7403, US) | 76.2 | 64.2 | +12 | 0.6c/mi per 2.5c/gal HDF over $2.30 |
| CPKC (9700) | 75.5 | 62 | +13.5 | bi-weekly OHD table; Sept 16-30 period shown |
Source: Carrier fuel surcharge pages; Steel Wheel FSC tracker
September diesel is averaging above August, so November factors will step up again for every road on a two-month lag. The size is not published yet.
| Up most | Down most |
|---|---|
| Metallic ores and metals: +3,073 cars, +15.1% | Coal: -1,889 cars, -3.1% |
| Nonmetallic minerals: +2,209 cars, +7.0% | Grain: -1,778 cars, -7.7% |
| Petroleum and products: +1,326 cars, +12.5% | Motor vehicles and parts: -137 cars, -0.8% |
Source: AAR weekly rail traffic
Shuttle cars in the secondary market bid $525 a car over tariff for September 17 GTR, September delivery; non-shuttle $113 over. Class I grain tariffs step up in October: BNSF +$200 per car on most PNW origins, UP +$225, CPKC +$225, CN +$275 in September and +$330 from October to December 1 (USDA GTR).
Railcar leasing: GATX's Q2 2026 index shows renewals repricing +16.8% above expiring rates on 54-month terms at 98.0% utilization. Q3 results expected late October.
Sources: USDA Grain Transportation Report · GATX Q2 2026 results
UP-NS merger, STB docket FD 36873. Summary-denial motions from BNSF, CSX and a shipper coalition were denied September 18. Notices of intent to participate are due September 30. Comments on the merits are due November 18, replies February 16, 2027. If your traffic touches NS and reaches UP or BNSF through New Orleans, Memphis or Meridian, the comment window is where gateway protections get asked for. Source
Reciprocal switching. The STB's January proposal to repeal the 2024 reciprocal switching rules (Part 1144) has closed comments; no final decision as of this issue. The 2024 inadequate-service rule remains on the books. Source
Section 232 wood products. Hardwood timber and lumber review due to the President October 1. Upholstered furniture to 30% and cabinets and vanities to 50% on January 1, 2027. Softwood lumber stays at 10%. Source
UP: UP000526: GT Logistics, Williams and Port Arthur, TX. Congestion, all commodities, permits through the embargoed party. The only UP embargo listed this week. List
Laurel, MS to Columbus, OH, 809 miles, Southern yellow pine lumber.
| Truck $/ton | Rail $/ton, incl. dray and fuel | Difference | At 12 loads a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| $117.67 | $88.42 | $29.25 per ton | $7,723 a month |
Illustrative lane, not a client. Truck at $3.20 a mile, about the Southeast flatbed spot level; rail as a single carload on NS with a 25-mile dray at each end and the October fuel surcharge factor. Indicative estimate from published tariff structures, not a quote.
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Send your top 10 lanes →Every figure above is quoted from the named public source as of the date shown. Rail costs in the lane example are indicative estimates from published tariff structures and current fuel surcharge factors, not binding rates. Steel Wheel Logistics is a rail logistics intermediary, not a railroad. Published September 28, 2026. All issues.
