Your holiday packaging is designed, approved, and headed into production. The next question is how it gets to you and what it costs to move. This season, that answer starts at the fuel pump.
Diesel just hit the highest price ever recorded. Here's what that means for your freight, and how DIZPOT is keeping holiday orders moving on time and on budget.
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Diesel Is at an All-Time High
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According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the national average for on-highway diesel reached $6.529 per gallon on September 21. That's the third straight week of record prices.
The numbers behind it:
- +$1.95/gallon since early July
- About 74% higher than this time last year
- The old record, $5.81 from June 2022, has now been broken three weeks in a row
CNBC described diesel as "the economy's single most universal tangible input." Nearly everything on a store shelf rode a diesel truck to get there, and so did the packaging it came in.
How Diesel Reaches Your Invoice
Fuel costs don't stay at the pump. Most carriers calculate fuel surcharges off the weekly DOE/EIA diesel price, as FreightWaves reports. So when that number rises, freight invoices rise with it, even when your base rate hasn't changed.
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A negotiated rate locks in your lane. It doesn't lock in your fuel.
Heading into the holidays, those surcharges stack on top of seasonal pressure: peak-season fees, tighter carrier capacity, and expedited shipping for orders placed too late. Each of those costs now sits on top of record fuel.
Timing Is Your Best Hedge
You can't control what diesel costs. You can control when and how your packaging moves.
- Order earlier. Standard freight options stay on the table instead of premium expedited shipping.
- Consolidate. Fewer shipments means fewer surcharges.
- Forecast your holiday runs now. That gives us room to plan the most cost-effective route.
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How DIZPOT Supports Its Customers During This Time
DIZPOT maintains consistent shipping lanes with its vendors, with containers departing roughly every five to seven days. That steady rhythm lets us consolidate orders and keep freight cost-effective, even when fuel isn't cooperating.
Through DIZLOGIC, our logistics team tracks these fuel and freight numbers so you don't have to. We'll keep you informed, supported, and stocked with the packaging you need, right when you need it.
Fuel prices are out of your hands. Your holiday plan doesn't have to be. Reach out to our team to lock in your holiday packaging timeline, and let us handle the road from there.