Work Truck Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

December 2023: 8 Weeks of Declining Diesel Costs

Covering the final update of 2023, all but one region in the U.S. saw national average diesel fuel prices in the U.S. dropped below the $4 per gallon mark.

December 19, 2023
December 2023: 8 Weeks of Declining Diesel Costs

All but one U.S. Region saw national diesel prices dip below the $4 per gallon mark as they dropped for the eighth week. 

Photo: Work Truck | EIA

4 min to read


Based on the latest report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), diesel fuel has seen the eighth straight week of dipping and declining diesel prices. 

Heading into the second week of December, U.S. national average diesel fuel prices in the U.S. dropped even lower to $3.89 per gallon, continuing to slide below the $4 per gallon mark on a national average. We are just about 13 cents above the lowest prices we saw this year in July 2023. The week-over-week decrease is down just under 10 cents and down just over 70 cents compared to last year.

Ad Loading...

Where is the Cheapest State to Buy Diesel? 

  • Texas: $3.463

  • Oklahoma: $3.535

  • Mississippi: $3.590

  • Louisiana: $3.602

  • Missouri: $3.608

All regions saw a week-over-week and year-over-year decrease. The East Coast and Rocky Mountains joined the Midwest and Gulf Coast regions with diesel fuel costs below the $4 per gallon mark. The West Coast dipped further below the $5 per gallon mark but with California averaging $5.23 per gallon of diesel, that region is still seeing elevated prices. 

Check out Work Truck's latest weekly diesel price update covering the steadily increasing diesel prices. Want more? Check out this data from January 2024!

Average diesel prices as of December 18, 2023, by region, are:


  • East Coast: $4.97

  • Midwest: $3.81

  • Gulf Coast: $3.57

  • Rocky Mountain: $3.94

  • West Coast: $4.66

U.S. Regional Diesel Fuel Prices as of December 11, 2023

National average diesel fuel prices dropped for the seventh consecutive week with all regions seeing a dip in prices week-over-week and compared to last year. 

Photo: Work Truck | EIA

Based on the latest report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), diesel fuel has seen SEVEN straight weeks of dipping and declining diesel prices. 

Ad Loading...

Heading into the second week of December, U.S. national average diesel fuel prices in the U.S. dropped even lower to $3.99 per gallon, dipping below the $4 per gallon mark on a national average. The week-over-week decrease is down just over 10 cents and down just over 77 cents compared to last year.

All regions saw a week-over-week and year-over-year decrease. The Midwest joined the Gulf Coast with diesel fuel costs below the $4 per gallon mark. The West Coast dipped further below the $5 per gallon mark. 

Average diesel prices as of December 11, 2023, by region, are:


  • East Coast: $4.05

  • Midwest: $3.90

  • Gulf Coast: $3.64

  • Rocky Mountain: $4.05

  • West Coast: $4.80


U.S. Regional Diesel Fuel Prices as of December 4, 2023

National average diesel fuel prices have been dropping for six consecutive weeks with all regions below the $5 per gallon threshold. 

Photo: Work Truck | EIA

Starting the last month of the year, U.S. national average diesel fuel prices in the U.S. dropped even lower to $4.09 per gallon. The week-over-week decrease is down just over 5 cents and down just over 87 cents compared to last year.

Ad Loading...

All regions except for the East Coast saw a week-over-week and year-over-year decrease. The Gulf Coast is still the only region staying below the $4 per gallon mark, but the Midwest is flirting with the lower price range. The West Coast finally dipped just under the $5 per gallon mark. 

Average diesel prices as of December 4, 2023, by region, are:


  • East Coast: $4.14

  • Midwest: $4.03

  • Gulf Coast: $3.74

  • Rocky Mountain: $4.13

  • West Coast: $4.91

Where is the Cheapest State to Buy Gasoline? 

  • Texas: $2.598

  • Mississippi: $2.634

  • Oklahoma: $2.659

  • Missouri: $2.670

  • Arkanasas: $2.684

What's Up (or Down) with U.S. Gasoline Prices in December 2023? 


National average U.S. gasoline prices continued to drop steadily throughout the month of December, which is good news for holiday travelers. Entering the final month of 2023, gasoline price decreases have continued to drop for 13 consecutive weeks. 


Sitting at $3.05 on a national average as of December 18, this price represents close to a more than 8 cent drop compared to the previous week and is just over 6 cents lower than last year. And, major news, prices have once again droped to the lows we saw in late December of 2022, officially dropping below the lowest price per gallon of $3.09 on December 26, 2022.

Ad Loading...

According to the AAA, the main reasons for the price di[ are tepid demand and a low cost for oil, which is hovering around $70 per barrel.

“There are now thousands of gas stations selling regular below $3 a gallon and even a few that have dipped below $2,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “We still need to watch global events for the effect on oil prices, but for now, drivers will benefit from falling prices with every visit to the pump.” 

More Fuel

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 16, 2026

June Diesel Trends Update

The national average price of a gallon of diesel decreased by 15 cents this week, and all five regions reported lower prices, ranging from just over 10 cents to more than 21 cents cheaper than a week ago.

Read More →
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 →
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 →