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Saturday, November 7, 2026

U.S. diesel · Week of November 2, 2026

Diesel Prices in California This Week

Diesel in California averages $8.48/gal this week, which is $2.04 above the U.S. average of $6.44/gal. That makes California one of the more expensive states for diesel, 48th cheapest of 48.

By the Kordova Tek newsroom · 14 stations in Bakersfield, Sacramento and Los Angeles · Updated every week

California average
$8.48/gal
vs U.S. average
+$2.04
Rank (1 = cheapest)
48 of 48
Fuel cost per mile
$1.30

By city

CityAvg priceStations
Bakersfield$8.25/gal4
Sacramento$8.45/gal4
Los Angeles$8.65/gal6

What it costs your trucks

A 150-gallon fill
$1,272
Same fill vs U.S. average
+$306
Fuel cost per mile (avg $0.99)
$1.30
One truck, one month, all fuel bought here vs average
+$3,140

Assumes 6.5 miles per gallon and 10,000 miles a month. TorqueAI uses your real fuel card data and miles for each truck.

Fuel tax and IFTA in California

Part of every gallon you buy in California is fuel tax. If your trucks run in more than one state or province, that tax gets settled on IFTA, the fuel tax report you file every quarter. IFTA works out what you owe from the miles each truck drove in each jurisdiction, and credits the tax you already paid at the pump.

What that means for you: buying fuel in California to dodge its tax doesn't work, because it evens out. But the price before tax, the station you pick, and your fuel card discount are real money. And IFTA only works if every fill-up is recorded against the right truck. Missing or doubled fuel receipts are a common reason IFTA numbers don't add up.

How California compares

Week of November 2, 2026
Cheapest to most expensive · USD per gallonAverage $6.44/gal
  1. 1North Carolina$5.57
  2. 2Mississippi$5.67
  3. 3Louisiana$5.72
  4. 4Texas$5.80
  5. 5Arkansas$5.85
  6. 6Alabama$5.86
  7. 7Oklahoma$5.90
  8. 8Iowa$5.90
  9. 9South Dakota$5.91
  10. 10Georgia$5.94
  11. 11South Carolina$5.96
  12. 12North Dakota$5.97
  13. 13New Mexico$5.98
  14. 14Kansas$6.00
  15. 15Montana$6.08
  16. 16Tennessee$6.14
  17. 17Nebraska$6.15
  18. 18Delaware$6.16
  19. 19Florida$6.18
  20. 20Missouri$6.21
  21. 21Arizona$6.23
  22. 22Vermont$6.25
  23. 23Virginia$6.25
  24. 24Wyoming$6.26
  25. 25Maryland$6.27
  26. 26Kentucky$6.32
  27. 27Minnesota$6.40
  28. 28New Jersey$6.42
  29. 29New Hampshire$6.43
  30. 30West Virginia$6.46
  31. 31Utah$6.49
  32. 32Rhode Island$6.53
  33. 33Ohio$6.53
  34. 34Idaho$6.54
  35. 35Maine$6.60
  36. 36Colorado$6.60
  37. 37Wisconsin$6.61
  38. 38Illinois$6.62
  39. 39New York$6.64
  40. 40Connecticut$6.65
  41. 41Massachusetts$6.67
  42. 42Michigan$6.75
  43. 43Oregon$6.87
  44. 44Indiana$6.88
  45. 45Pennsylvania$6.95
  46. 46Nevada$6.95
  47. 47Washington$7.56
  48. 48California$8.48

At or below averageAbove average Average

Fuel is your biggest bill after your drivers. Run it like one.

Knowing the average price in California is a good start. The money is in knowing what your trucks paid, on which load, and whether that load still made money after fuel. TorqueAI is built around profit, and diesel is where most of it leaks out.

  • Fuel card charges come in by themselves

    EFS, Comdata, AtoB, WEX, Love's and more. No more downloading the week's transactions from the card portal.

  • Every fill-up tied to a truck, driver and load

    See fuel cost next to what the load paid, so you know which lanes and trucks eat your margin.

  • Duplicates flagged on import

    The same fill-up doesn't get counted, or taken off a driver's pay, twice.

  • Profit per load after fuel, before you book

    Real cost per mile from your own fuel, pay and repairs, not a rough guess.

  • Fuel deductions and surcharge on settlements

    Owner-operator fuel comes off the right settlement, and surcharge tables are applied for you.

  • One place to audit it all

    All fuel by truck and driver in one list, so the weekly check takes minutes, not an afternoon.

See Your Fuel Costs in TorqueAIHow profit per load works →

How to audit your diesel spend in 10 minutes a week

  1. Pull last week's fuel card transactions for every truck.
  2. Compare the price per gallon each driver paid with this week's average for that state on this page.
  3. Flag fill-ups well above average. Common reasons: an off-network stop with no discount, a pricey city station, or a card used where it shouldn't be.
  4. Check gallons against the truck's tank size and the miles it ran. A fill bigger than the tank is a red flag.
  5. Look at fuel cost per load, not just per week. A lane can look fine on revenue and still lose money after fuel and deadhead.

In TorqueAI, steps 1 and 5 are already done: fuel card charges land on the right truck, driver and load automatically. See fuel deductions on settlements and fuel card integrations.

Diesel in California: common questions

What is the average diesel price in California this week?

$8.48/gal for the week of November 2, 2026, averaged from 14 stations in Bakersfield, Sacramento and Los Angeles. That is $2.04 above the U.S. average of $6.44/gal.

Where is diesel cheapest in California?

Of the cities we sample, Bakersfield was cheapest this week at $8.25/gal, and Los Angeles was highest at $8.65/gal. Prices vary station to station, and your fuel card discount network matters as much as the city.

Should I fuel up in California or wait?

California is $2.04/gal above the U.S. average this week, about $306 more on a 150-gallon fill. If your route takes you into a cheaper neighbouring state, buying only what you need here and filling up there can save money. Fuel tax evens out on your IFTA report, but the price before tax does not.

Weekly average of 14 retail diesel stations in California, week of November 2, 2026. Averages only: your pump price will vary by station and fuel card discount. All diesel prices.