If you’re a diesel user and you don’t know whether you’re coming or going, you’ve got plenty of company.
The volatility in the market was evident just in the past few days. On Tuesday, the Department of Energy/Energy Information Agency posted the ninth increase in 11 weeks in the benchmark price used for most fuel surcharges. The DOE/EIA price rose 24.4 cents/gallon to $6.529/g, effective Monday but published Tuesday. That price is yet another all-time high.
Since that run began with a posting of $4.578/g on July 6, the price is up a staggering $1.951/g.
Meanwhile, the futures market for diesel has done a sharp reversal.
Ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) on the CME commodity exchange, which is the starting point for the price-setting steps that ultimately leads to that number on the pump, late last week signaled a possible end–at least for now–to the relentless rise in diesel prices.
Big drops in futures
Ultra low sulfur diesel’s record high settlement occurred on Tuesday, September 15, when it settled at $5.262/gallon. Since then, it fell 37.25 cts/g to Monday’s settlement of $4.8895/g.
But even that number is still about 40 cts/g more than where it settled a month earlier. And it continued Tuesday.
At approximately 9:25 a.m. Tuesday, ULSD was down 9.56 cts/g, or 1.96%, to $4.7939. That’s almost 47 cts/g less than its September 15 record high. Prices were said to be pushing lower on news reports of Saudi Arabia making progress in reworking its east-west crude pipeline that takes oil to the Red Sea port of Yanbu for export, where it can avoid the Strait of Hormuz.
That decline in diesel futures prices, along with concurrent drops in crude and gasoline futures over the last few days, particularly on Monday, also appear to have occurred as a result of U.S. estimates of the amount of oil and LNG flowing out of the Strait of Hormuz as well as buzz that President Trump might meet his Iranian counterpart at the UN General Assembly in New York this week
“Focus has shifted to improving oil and LNG flows through Hormuz and the possibility of diplomatic progress on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York,” Arne Lohmann Rasmussen, chief analyst at A/S Global Risk Management, said, according to a report by Bloomberg. “The worst pressure on crude may be easing.”
Bank says: beats me
All of this confusion and craziness led the commodity analysts at J.P. Morgan last week to make a startling confession: they don’t know what’s going on either.
“For the first time since the start of the Iran conflict, we don’t have a baseline view,” the commodities research team wrote in a report published Thursday. “We simply don’t know how to model the endgame.”
The report said it came into the Iran war thinking there were a few “economic red lines” that the Trump administration would not allow to be crossed: $100 Brent, gasoline near $5/gallon, or a “5-handle” on the 10-year Treasury yield. Depending on the definition of “near,” all those other things have occurred. (The AAA average daily retail price for gasoline Tuesday was $4.4750/g).
“With no clear signals from either the U.S. or Iran that they are prepared to de-escalate…the assumption that the disruption is temporary is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain,” JP Morgan wrote.
With that sort of uncertainty being expressed by even experts on markets, it is leading to beliefs and proposals that smack of desperation.
Export ban discussed
One suggestion that has been floating is that the U.S. should halt all exports of diesel fuel to aid U.S. consumers.
With that sort of uncertainty being expressed by even experts on markets, it is leading to beliefs and proposals that smack of desperation.
One suggestion that has been floating is that the U.S. should halt all exports of diesel fuel to aid U.S. consumers.
It was backed by Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry in a recent CNBC interview.
The case for the export ban is simple: U.S. exports of ULSD last year averaged 1.267 million barrels/day, but since the Iran war began, they have risen to 1.566 million b/d. Keep that supply in the U.S., the theory goes, and it can put downward pressure on prices here.
Garrett Golding, an energy expert with the Dallas Fed, took to X to lay out the case against such a ban.
An export ban would put additional supplies on to the market, but that would mostly be in the Gulf Coast. It is the refining sector in that part of the country that provides the surplus barrels that are exported, Golding wrote.
That will provide downward pressure, Golding said, but only in the Gulf Coast region. The West Coast in particular would get no relief from the ban, nor would the Northeast.
“With US export volumes exiting the global market, the global diesel/distillate balance tightens,” Golding wrote. “This immediately causes those prices to rise, and will boomerang back on portions of the country that rely on imports, namely the East Coast and to a lesser extent the West Coast.”
For the refineries that do export diesel, they will be faced with a loss of markets. Golding said that will lead to a buildup of inventories and likely cuts in refinery operating rates, which have been consistently near 100% given the profitability of making diesel these days.
If that occurs, there will also be a loss of other products that came from the refining process, like gasoline, Golding said.
“The bottom line in this discussion is when you reduce run rates because you can’t export distillate/diesel, you end up reducing how much gasoline, jet fuel and other refined products you’re producing – which means higher prices,” Golding wrote.
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The post Benchmark diesel sets new record; futures signaling relief? appeared first on FreightWaves.
A new round of trucking bankruptcies has swept across the U.S. in recent weeks, with carriers ranging from small owner-operators to fleets operating dozens of trucks seeking Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 protection.
At least 16 trucking, delivery and transportation companies entered bankruptcy proceedings between late August and Sept. 21, according to federal court filings and carrier records reviewed by FreightWaves.
The filings include Chapter 11 cases involving Globemaster Incorporated, Xoco Transport, Jett Transport & Materials, CLJ Transporting, Mill Creek Logistics-Illinois, RP Hay Hauling, Truckload LLC and Pacer Transport. Several smaller carriers filed Chapter 7 cases, which typically involve liquidation rather than reorganization.
The filings come as trucking companies continue navigating a freight environment marked by rising diesel fuel prices and other elevated operating costs.
Xoco Transport enters Chapter 11
Xoco Transport, a Hidalgo, Texas-based carrier, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sept. 16.
Bankruptcy court filings indicate the carrier has more than 40 tractors, 65 drivers and 70 trailers.
Illinois carrier Globemaster files bankruptcy
Globemaster Inc., a Bolingbrook, Illinois-based long-haul carrier, filed for Chapter 11 protection Sept. 15 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
The company reported assets of between $500,000 and $1 million and liabilities ranging from $1 million to $10 million.
Globemaster operates 51 power units and reported approximately 3.3 million annual miles in its most recent regulatory filings.
The company listed between one and 49 creditors in its bankruptcy filing.
Amazon delivery contractor seeks protection
CLJ Transporting Inc., an Auburndale, Florida-based carrier identified as an Amazon Delivery Service Partner, filed for Chapter 11 protection Sept. 15 in the Middle District of Florida.
CLJ reported assets between $100,000 and $500,000 against liabilities of $500,000 to $1 million.
Carrier records list the company with 18 trucks, while the bankruptcy roundup identifies a workforce of 30 drivers supporting last-mile delivery operations in Florida.
Texas construction hauler files Chapter 11
Jett Transport & Materials LLC filed for Chapter 11 protection Sept. 14 in the Western District of Texas.
The Somerset, Texas-based company specializes in hauling construction materials and reported assets between $100,000 and $500,000 and liabilities between $500,000 and $1 million.
The company operates about 14 trucks and 14 trailers, according to records included with the bankruptcy information. It was listed with 10 drivers and an active motor carrier registration.
Mill Creek Logistics seeks reorganization
Mill Creek Logistics-Illinois Inc., based in Lenexa, Kansas, also filed for Chapter 11 on Sept. 14.
The courier and express delivery company reported between $100,000 and $500,000 in assets and between $1 million and $10 million in liabilities.
Federal carrier records cited in the bankruptcy roundup previously listed Mill Creek with 24 power units and 28 drivers. The company reported about 1.24 million miles traveled in 2023.
Arizona agricultural hauler files Chapter 11
RP Hay Hauling LLC, a Parker, Arizona-based carrier specializing in agricultural transportation, filed for Chapter 11 protection Sept. 10.
The company reported both assets and liabilities in the 1million-to-10 million range and listed between one and 49 creditors.
The bankruptcy filing identifies RP Hay Hauling as operating in specialized freight trucking with a focus on agricultural transportation.
Expedite Express faces bankruptcy, authority suspension
Truckload LLC, which operates as Expedite Express, filed for Chapter 11 protection Sept. 9.
The Ave Maria, Florida-based company reported assets between $100,000 and $500,000 and liabilities of less than $50,000, with between 50 and 99 creditors.
The filing comes as the carrier faces a scheduled involuntary suspension of its motor carrier operating authority on Sept. 30. The company also voluntarily suspended its property broker authority on Aug. 21, according to regulatory records cited in the bankruptcy roundup.
Truckload operated 114 power units with 114 drivers as recently as May 2024. The company reported 300,000 miles in its 2026 MCS-150 filing.
Pacer Transport reports up to $10 million in liabilities
Pacer Transport Inc. filed for Chapter 11 protection Sept. 4 in the Western District of Louisiana.
The Arnaudville, Louisiana-based company reported less than $50,000 in assets and between $1 million and $10 million in liabilities, one of the widest asset-to-liability disparities among the recent filings.
The company listed between one and 49 creditors. Records cited in the bankruptcy roundup describe Pacer as involved in general freight, flatbed and specialized hauling and brokerage services.
Smaller carriers head to Chapter 7
The recent bankruptcy activity also includes a cluster of smaller fleets entering Chapter 7 proceedings.
A&B Transportation Inc. of Lake Elsinore, California, filed Sept. 11. The carrier is listed with six trucks and six drivers. Russ Exp Co., an Arlington Heights, Illinois-based interstate carrier with five trucks and five drivers, also recently entered Chapter 7 proceedings.
Texas-based carriers entering bankruptcy include T Yorkman Trucking LLC of Midland, which specialized in oil field water transportation, vacuum truck operations and hazardous-material hauling; Blue Star Transports LLC of Garland, listed with two trucks and two drivers; and Jackdollars Transport LLC of McKinney, a one-truck carrier.
In California, Eulogia Logistics Inc. of Hacienda Heights filed Chapter 7 on Sept. 17. It is listed with three trucks and five drivers. South Gate-based Rothchild Transportation LLC, listed with one truck and one driver, also entered bankruptcy proceedings.
C. Pride Transport Inc., an Illinois carrier listed with one truck and one driver, recently filed Chapter 7 in the Northern District of Illinois.
The string of cases does not necessarily indicate that all of the companies have ceased operations. Chapter 11 is designed to give financially distressed businesses an opportunity to restructure, while Chapter 7 generally involves liquidation of a debtor’s assets.
Recent trucking and transportation bankruptcy filings
| Company | Location | Filing date | Chapter | Fleet/operation | Assets | Liabilities |
| C. Pride Transport Inc. | Illinois | Sept. 18 | 7 | 1 truck, 1 driver | — | — |
| Eulogia Logistics Inc. | Hacienda Heights, Calif. | Sept. 17 | 7 | 3 trucks, 5 drivers | — | — |
| Xoco Transport LLC | Hidalgo/Mission, Texas | Sept. 16 | 11 | 40+ tractors, ~70 trailers | 1M-10M | 1M-10M |
| Globemaster Incorporated | Bolingbrook, Ill. | Sept. 15 | 11 | 51 power units | 500K-1M | 1M-10M |
| CLJ Transporting Inc. | Auburndale, Fla. | Sept. 15 | 11 | 18 trucks, 30 drivers | 100K-500K | 500K-1M |
| Jett Transport & Materials LLC | Somerset, Texas | Sept. 14 | 11 | 14 trucks, 14 trailers | 100K-500K | 500K-1M |
| Mill Creek Logistics-Illinois Inc. | Lenexa, Kan. | Sept. 14 | 11 | 24 power units* | 100K-500K | 1M-10M |
| A&B Transportation Inc. | Lake Elsinore, Calif. | Sept. 11 | 7 | 6 trucks, 6 drivers | — | — |
| RP Hay Hauling LLC | Parker, Ariz. | Sept. 10 | 11 | Agricultural/specialized hauling | 1M-10M | 1M-10M |
| Truckload LLC (Expedite Express) | Ave Maria, Fla. | Sept. 9 | 11 | Historically 114 power units* | 100K-500K | 0-50K |
| Pacer Transport Inc. | Arnaudville, La. | Sept. 4 | 11 | General/specialized freight, brokerage | 0-50K | 1M-10M |
| Russ Exp Co. | Arlington Heights, Ill. | September | 7 | 5 trucks, 5 drivers | — | — |
| T Yorkman Trucking LLC | Midland, Texas | Recent filing | Bankruptcy proceedings** | Historically ~39 trucks | — | — |
| Blue Star Transports LLC | Garland, Texas | Recent filing | 7 | 2 trucks, 2 drivers | — | — |
| Jackdollars Transport LLC | McKinney, Texas | Recent filing | 7 | 1 truck, 1 driver | — | — |
| Rothchild Transportation LLC | South Gate, Calif. | Recent filing | 7 | 1 truck, 1 driver | — | — |
Why it matters: The geographically widespread filings show financial pressure continuing to surface across general freight, last-mile, agricultural and specialized trucking.
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Several counts against Super Ego’s Aleksandar Mimic have been dismissed by a federal judge, with settlement talks in the lawsuit against the controversial trucking network reportedly progressing.
In a decision last week in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Judge Martha Pacold tossed out several of the counts in a lawsuit against Mimic and his related network of companies. The suit was filed by several drivers initially in 2022 with an amended complaint in 2025.
But the four counts filed in the suit against Mimic were dismissed without prejudice, which means they can be filed in an amended form later.
One count, Count II in the lawsuit, was dismissed with prejudice, which means it can not be refiled. Count II dealt with Super Ego’s practices regarding the federal Truth in Leasing Act.
Judge Pacold in her order said it was being dismissed with prejudice “to the extent it relies on an aiding and abetting theory.” Further explanation was not included in Judge Pacold’s brief order.
Whether there will be an opportunity to refile the counts dismissed without prejudice is not certain.
‘Significant progress’
The day before the dismissal, the clerk in the case said there had been an all-day settlement conference that had “made significant progress toward settlement, although work remains to reach a final resolution with both sides agreement to a continued settlement conference.”
While Mimic’s dismissal may take a headline name out of the lawsuit, there are still plenty of other defendants facing the same counts Mimic was: Super Ego Holding LLC; Floyd, Inc.; Kordun Express Inc.; Rocket Expediting LLC, Jordan Holdings dba JHI Transport; Rex Trucking; Haidar Dawood LLC; Twin Carrier LLC; Windy City National Trans; and Trytime Transport.
The drivers’ lawsuit against those defendants remains intact.
The lawsuit described the defendants as “an affiliated group of transportation carriers, leasing companies and holding companies that are owned and operated in common.”
CBS made them famous
Super Ego became known to the wider public in the spring when CBS’ 60 Minutes produced a feature on the company and identified it as a “chameleon carrier.”
Chameleon carriers are loosely identified as a company or group of companies that generally have a poor safety record, dissolve when facing safety enforcement or litigation related to safety, and recreate as essentially the same company under a different DOT number.
The driver plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit allege numerous illegal practices carried out by Super Ego and its affiliates, much of it through lease purchase programs that involved a marketing campaign “designed to induce drivers to travel to Defendants’ headquarters in Illinois, using their own money, pay Defendants significant amounts of money toward the lease-purchase of trucks and other operating expenses, and then haul loads for significantly less money than Defendants promised to pay them.”
The individuals counts in the drivers’ lawsuit were one, breach of contract; two, violation of the Truth in Leasing Act; three, violation of the Illinois law on fraud and deceptive business practices; four, civil conspiracy; five, common law fraud; six, violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act; and seven, violation of an Illinois wage law.
Mimic’s dismissal came on counts one, three, four and five.
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A Canadian trucking company and one of its representatives have been charged with allegedly misleading and taking unfair advantage of foreign workers in Saskatchewan.
Escalade Transportation Inc. and Hafiz Tariq Ayub each face three charges under Saskatchewan’s former Foreign Worker Recruitment and Immigration Services Act, according to the provincial government, according to a news release.
The alleged offenses occurred between November 2022 and August 2023 at Escalade Transportation in Regina, Saskatchewan.
Provincial authorities allege Escalade and Ayub produced or distributed false or misleading information; misrepresented employment opportunities, including positions, duties, length of employment, wages, benefits or other employment terms; and took unfair advantage of a foreign national’s fear or lack of experience or knowledge.
Escalade Transportation reported six power units and eight drivers and identifies its operation as interstate and authorized-for-hire, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Its U.S. DOT status was listed as active as of Sept. 19, although its FMCSA operating authority status was listed as “not authorized.”
The carrier reported hauling general freight, grain, feed and hay, dry bulk commodities, agricultural and farm supplies, and construction materials.
FMCSA data shows Escalade underwent eight U.S. roadside inspections during the 24 months ending Sept. 19. Three of five vehicle inspections resulted in vehicles being placed out of service, for a 60% vehicle out-of-service rate. No drivers were placed out of service. The agency’s database showed no reportable crashes involving the carrier during that period.
The Saskatchewan government did not disclose how many foreign workers were allegedly affected, whether they were truck drivers or other employees, or the specific employment representations underlying the charges.
Why it matters: The case puts another spotlight on recruitment and employment practices involving foreign workers in trucking as Canadian and U.S. regulators increase scrutiny of the industry’s labor pipeline.
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Borderlands Mexico is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week in Borderlands Mexico: Tesla plans massive distribution center near Austin and Danfoss launches new production line in Mexico for North American market.
Tesla plans massive Texas distribution center
Tesla is planning a more than 538,000-square-foot distribution center near Austin, Texas, adding another logistics facility to the electric vehicle maker’s growing manufacturing and supply chain footprint in the region.
The Austin-based automaker is planning a lease-space build-out at the Mustang Ridge Distribution Center I, located at 6925 FM Road 1327 in Mustang Ridge, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
The project covers 538,720 square feet and carries an estimated construction cost of $1.44 million. Work is scheduled to begin Dec. 7 and be completed Dec. 4, 2028, according to the state filing.
The filing describes the project as a “new lease space build-out for Tesla in the existing Office/WHSE building.” The privately funded project was registered with the state Sept. 1.
The filing does not specify what products or materials Tesla will handle at the distribution center or how many employees will work there.
The project represents another expansion of Tesla’s operations in Central Texas, where the company has established Austin as its corporate headquarters and operates its massive Gigafactory Texas manufacturing complex.
Tesla’s (Nasdaq: TSLA) growing logistics footprint comes as the company ramps production and invests heavily in manufacturing capacity. Tesla reported second-quarter revenue of $28.24 billion, a 26% increase from a year earlier, while delivering a record 480,126 vehicles worldwide during the quarter.
Tesla said capital expenditures more than doubled sequentially to $5.8 billion during the quarter, with management expecting spending to exceed $25 billion this year as the company expands manufacturing capacity.
Executives have also said battery availability and electronic components remain constraints on increasing vehicle production.
The company is also preparing to ramp production of its Class 8 Tesla Semi at its Nevada manufacturing facility. Tesla said in July that the Semi factory remained on schedule, with production expected to begin later this year.
The Mustang Ridge distribution project could also strengthen Tesla’s position along the Texas-Mexico automotive corridor, although the state filing does not identify the facility’s suppliers, customers or freight lanes.
Tesla already draws components from an extensive supplier network in Mexico. Tecma has reported that Tesla suppliers operate in Nuevo León, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Chihuahua, the Bajío region and the state of Mexico, shipping automotive components north to Tesla’s Texas factory.
That supplier network gives the Austin region an important role not only in Tesla’s manufacturing operation but also in the cross-border movement of automotive parts and components between Mexico and Texas.
The new distribution center is scheduled for completion in December 2028.
Danfoss launches new production line in Mexico for North American market
Danfoss Climate Solutions has launched a new production line at its manufacturing complex in Apodaca, Nuevo León.
The Danish company is expanding production in Mexico to serve growing demand from North American data centers, according to Milenio and Mexico Industry.
The new line produces oil-free check and block valves used with Danfoss Turbocor centrifugal compressors in chillers and heat pumps.
Danfoss said the expansion is aimed at shortening delivery times and strengthening supply chains for customers in the U.S. The company did not disclose the investment associated with the new production line.
The Apodaca operation will manufacture 12 valve models for North American original equipment manufacturers.
While initial production is delivered to customers operating in Mexico, about 80% of the finished products are ultimately exported to international markets, primarily the U.S., after being incorporated into chillers and commercial air-conditioning systems.
Danfoss has also doubled the physical footprint of its Apodaca complex over the past two years, increasing it from about 366,000 square feet to 721,000 square feet, in 2026.
Employment at the facility increased from 800 to 1,300 workers over the same period.
Danfoss said approximately 90% of the products manufactured at the Apodaca plant already comply with requirements under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
Denmark-based Danfoss has 100 factories worldwide (including 11 in the U.S. and siz in Mexico). The company has a global workforce of around 42,000.
Why it matters: Tesla’s new distribution center will add significant distribution capacity near its Austin manufacturing operations and the cross-border supply chains connecting its Texas production footprint with automotive suppliers in Mexico.
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