Work Truck Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

May 2023: Diesel Fuel Price Trends [Updated]

The end of May shows diesel fuel prices continuing a downward slide across all regions week-over-week and year-over-year, with national averages dropping just over $1.68 per gallon compared with last year.

May 31, 2023
May 2023: Diesel Fuel Price Trends [Updated]

Closing out May 2023, average diesel prices continued to decline across all regions heading into the summer months.

Photo: Work Truck/EIA

4 min to read


Heading into the final days of May 2023, national average retail diesel fuel prices dropped again to $3.86 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

This average price continued the downward trajectory for diesel prices over the past several weeks, with a just close to 3 cent per gallon drop compared with the previous week and around $1.68 less compared to last year.

Ad Loading...

The U.S.'s Rocky Mountain and West Coast regions continue to have average diesel prices above the $4 per gallon mark, but both area have seen consistently declining prices. 

Check out Work Truck's latest weekly price diesel price update covering dipping and sliding diesel prices: 

U.S. Regional Diesel Fuel Prices as of May 29, 2023​

The final week of May 2023, average diesel prices as of May 22, by region are:

  • East Coast: $3.89

  • Midwest: $3.78

  • Gulf Coast: $3.56

  • Rocky Mountain: $4.07

  • West Coast: $4.54

U.S. Regional Diesel Fuel Prices as of May 22, 2023​

For the third week in a row, national average diesel prices stayed below $4 per gallon on average, but the Rocky Mountains and West Coast are still above the $4 mark. 

Photo: Work Truck/EIA

Heading into the fourth week of May 2023, national average retail diesel fuel prices dropped to $3.88 per gallon. This average price dipped a smaller amount than in past weeks, just over 1 cent per gallon compared with the previous week and around $1.69 compared to last year.

Ad Loading...

Still, only the U.S.'s Rocky Mountain and West Coast regions have average diesel prices above the $4 per gallon mark, but the Rocky Mountain region is creeping up on that sub $4 per gallon price range with its average one-cent-per-week dips.

The fourth week of May 2023, average diesel prices as of May 22, by region are:

  • East Coast: $3.91

  • Midwest: $3.81

  • Gulf Coast: $3.58

  • Rocky Mountain: $4.09

  • West Coast: $4.59

U.S. Regional Diesel Fuel Prices as of May 15, 2023​

National average diesel prices have remained below $4 per gallon in the U.S. for two weeks in a row. 

Photo: Work Truck/EIA

Heading into the third week of May 2023, national average retail diesel fuel prices dropped to $3.90 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

This average price dipped just over 2 cents per gallon compared with the previous week and $1.71 compared to last year.

Ad Loading...

National average diesel fuel prices during mid-May 2023 decreased in all regions week-over-week and year-over-year. 

The national average price for diesel in the U.S. is $3.90, staying below the $4 per gallon mark for the second week in a row. The last time the U.S. saw this national average was February 2022. 

Average diesel prices as of May 15, by region, are:

  • East Coast: $3.93

  • Midwest: $3.82

  • Gulf Coast: $3.59

  • Rocky Mountain: $4.09

  • West Coast: $4.59

U.S. Regional Diesel Fuel Prices as of May 8, 2023​

National average diesel prices dipped across all regions of the U.S. as of May 8, 2023.

Photo: Work Truck/EIA

Heading into the second week of May 2023, national average diesel fuel prices decreased weekly and year-over-year in all regions. 

Ad Loading...

State of Fuel Industry: Gasoline & Diesel

The national average price for diesel in the U.S. is $3.92, dropping below the $4 per gallon mark for the first time since February 2022. 

Average diesel prices as of May 8, by region, are:

  • East Coast: $3.99

  • Midwest: $3.83

  • Gulf Coast: $3.61

  • Rocky Mountain: $4.11

  • West Coast: $4.63

U.S. Regional Diesel Fuel Prices as of May 1, 2023

As of May 1, 2023, diesel fuel prices have been on a downward dive for several months, with experts aniticipating it should continue for at least a little bit. 

Photo: Work Truck/EIA

Starting May 2023, national average retail diesel fuel prices hit $4.02 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). 

This average price dipped just under 6 cents per gallon compared to last year's previous week and $1.49.

Ad Loading...

May 2023 started with week-over-week average diesel fuel price decreases in all regions except for the Rocky Mountains, which increased slightly by just over 2 cents per gallon. 

Once again, all U.S. regions tracked by the EIA saw a price decrease for diesel fuel year-over-year.  

These average prices are seeing a dip due to several factors, most notably the jump in domestic oil production and a drop in worldwide demand for crude. 

According to a report from Reuters in February, "European buyers had increased purchases of Russian distillates ahead of the import ban that took effect on Feb. 4. A relatively warm winter across the United States and Europe and lower commercial trucking activity lowered demand.

Average diesel prices as of May 1, by region, are:

Ad Loading...
  • East Coast: $4.07

  • Midwest: $3.92

  • Gulf Coast: $3.75

  • Rocky Mountain: $4.15

  • West Coast: $4.68

Looking at Average U.S. Gasoline Prices in May 2023

National average gasoline prices in the U.S. are primarily stable week-over-week, increasing less than 1 cent weekly. but they are on the rise week-over-week. The big news is looking at naitonal average year-over-year gasoline price dips, down about $1.05 cents compared to the previous year.  

The midwest and Gulf Coast regions saw a minor rise in gasoline prices in Mid-May but overall all regions (except the West Coast) are staying below the $4 per gallon mark heading into the warmer months. 

Average U.S. gasoline prices were $3.57 per gallon as of May 29, 2023.

Stay informed! Stay up-to-date on diesel fuel prices throughout the month by regularly checking for the latest updates. We will post new information as soon as it becomes available, so come back again!

More Fuel

Infographic from RoadFlex showing the transition from a paper fuel receipt to a digital fuel transaction record, highlighting automated tax-exemption tracking, vehicle matching, department coding, audit trail completion, and audit-ready compliance for public fleet fuel purchases.
Fuelby News/Media ReleaseJune 15, 2026

RoadFlex Brings Fuel Tax Compliance & Audit-Ready Reporting to Government Fleets

RoadFlex now offers its capabilities to help public-sector and public works fleets streamline fuel tax exemptions, reclamation, reconciliation, and audit-ready reporting.

Read More →
Close-up of fuel pump selection buttons for diesel and gasoline grades at a fueling station, representing digital fuel payment and fleet fueling technology.
Fuelby Lauren FletcherJune 11, 2026

Fillip Fleet Expands Into U.S. Market With Digital Fuel Card Platform

Fillip Fleet expands into the U.S., bringing digital fuel cards, fleet expense controls, and contactless payments to fleets across North America.

Read More →
Infographic titled “Average Diesel Fuel Prices: June 2026” featuring a fuel nozzle, a line chart of rising on-highway diesel prices, and a regional bar chart showing price changes across U.S. regions with directional arrows.
Fuelby Wayne ParhamJune 9, 2026

June Diesel Trends Update

The national average price of a gallon of diesel decreased by 14 cents this week, and all five regions reported lower prices, ranging from just under 9 cents to 21 cents cheaper than a week ago.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Promotional graphic for Work Truck’s “Trucks, Tips & Tours” highlighting three benefits of hydrogen fuel, featuring hydrogen storage tanks labeled H2 and a hand holding a hydrogen fuel nozzle beside bold educational text
Fuelby Wayne ParhamJune 2, 2026

3 Benefits of Hydrogen as a Fuel

Hydrogen fuel offers zero harmful emissions, incredible energy density, and flexible production pathways. In this video, we learn from a hydrogen industry insider about the three biggest benefits of hydrogen as a fuel to power commercial vehicles.

Read More →
fleetio coast pay
SponsoredMay 29, 2026

Are You Tracking Your Fleet's True Total Cost of Ownership?

Bobit Business Media surveyed 190 fleet professionals and found that while most fleets are tracking costs, fragmented systems and data gaps are keeping true TCO visibility out of reach. With rising pressure to control spend in an increasingly volatile environment, the gap between what fleets think they know and what the data actually shows is wider than you might expect. See how your peers are managing costs today and where the industry still has room to improve.

Read More →
Infographic titled “Average Diesel Fuel Prices: May 2026” featuring a fuel nozzle, a line chart of rising on-highway diesel prices, and a regional bar chart showing price changes across U.S. regions with directional arrows.
Fuelby Wayne ParhamMay 27, 2026

May Diesel Trends Update

The national average price of a gallon of diesel decreased by more than 7 cents this week, and all five regions reported lower prices, ranging from just over 2 cents to more than 12 cents cheaper than a week ago.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Promotional graphic for Work Truck’s “Trucks, Tips & Tours” explaining hydrogen fuel production, featuring wind turbines, solar panels, a hydrogen storage tank labeled “Hydrogen H2,” and text showing water and electricity converted into hydrogen fuel.
Fuelby Wayne ParhamMay 27, 2026

How Hydrogen Fuel Is Produced for Fuel Cell Trucks

How is hydrogen produced for fuel cell trucks? Let’s learn more about that as Pajarito Powder CEO Christian Mohrdieck walks us through the process in this video.

Read More →
Graphic promoting the RoadFlex mobile app for fleet fuel risk management. Three smartphone screens display dashboard navigation, fuel station mapping, and transaction tracking over a highway background with the RoadFlex logo below.
FuelMay 26, 2026

RoadFlex Launches Mobile App for Drivers and Fleet Managers

RoadFlex has launched its mobile app to give fleet teams a faster, easier way to manage fleet card activity, capture receipts, review transactions, and maintain spend visibility from the field.

Read More →
Screenshot of the OptiMile.Pro platform displaying a fuel price heat map across the United States. The interface shows station pricing data, color-coded map markers, and dashboard metrics alongside the OptiMile.Pro logo.
FuelMay 20, 2026

OptiMile Pro Launches Fuel Planning Platform to Cut Fleet Fuel Spend

OmtiMile Pro’s new software replaces the "fill up when empty" habit with a globally optimized fuel plan that picks the cheapest stop in the fleet's contracted network and the precise amount of fuel to load on every run.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Fuelby Wayne ParhamApril 28, 2026

April Diesel Trends Update

The national average price of a gallon of diesel dropped by more than 5 cents this week, and all but one region reported price decreases.

Read More →