Sent
Diesel split this week: the national average kept climbing, but the Northwest eased for the first time in a month. Flatbed loosened a notch and is still the tightest board by far. Chain season starts Sunday, Veterans Day is two weeks out, and Thanksgiving is four. Here's what to plan around. As always, no rate quotes here. When you want one for a specific move, ask me.
Fuel
U.S. on-highway diesel averaged $6.352/gal in EIA's Oct 26 reading, up 7.6¢ from the week before and the second weekly increase in a row. The West Coast excluding California (which includes Oregon and Washington) went the other way, down 4.5¢ to $6.614. The Rocky Mountain region (which includes Idaho) rose 9.9¢ to $6.521. California fell 8.7¢ to $8.155.
| Region | Oct 26 | Week | vs. year ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. average | $6.352 | +7.6¢ | +$2.634 |
| West Coast less California (incl. OR, WA) | $6.614 | −4.5¢ | +$2.519 |
| Rocky Mountain (PADD 4, incl. ID) | $6.521 | +9.9¢ | +$2.835 |
Fuel is still more than $2.50 a gallon above a year ago in all three regions, so fuel stays a big part of the cost on any long or heavy move. EIA doesn't publish state-level weekly diesel figures for OR, WA or ID, so these regional averages are the closest public benchmark. Source: EIA Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update, released Oct 27, 2026 (prices include all taxes). More on the Market Conditions page.
Capacity
Flatbed's load-to-truck ratio on DAT eased to 34.9 from 36.5 for the week of Oct 17–23, as flatbed load posts slipped about 1% and truck posts rose about 3%. Even so, the board is about 51% tighter than a year ago and 3.7 times the dry van ratio. Across all equipment, truck posts on DAT One are still 20% to 26% below a year ago. DAT's summary: trucks remain scarce.
Closer to home, Truckstop's data showed flatbed loads up on the West Coast for the week ended Oct 23 while falling in most other regions, and West Coast flatbed pricing firmed while most regions softened.
What it means for you: one week of extra trucks doesn't change the picture. Open-deck capacity is still thin, and it gets thinner as the holidays and the weather close travel windows. Book permitted moves early, especially anything that needs escorts.
Sources: DAT flatbed report, Oct 26; DAT weekly market update via AJOT, Oct 26; FTR/Truckstop SMI weekly overview, Oct 26.
Chain season starts Sunday, Nov 1
Washington: starting Sun Nov 1 and running through Apr 1, every vehicle over 10,000 lb must carry chains on listed routes, whatever the weather. That includes I-90 Snoqualmie (North Bend to Ellensburg), I-82 Ellensburg to Selah, US 2 Stevens Pass, US 12 White Pass and SR 14. Permit loads may not move on passes where “Traction Advisory Oversize Vehicles Prohibited” or chains-required signs are posted.
Oregon: when chains are required, vehicles over 10,000 lb GVW or towing must chain up; traction tires don't substitute. ODOT can also issue conditional closures that go beyond the posted chain rule, most often on I-5 over the Siskiyou Pass south of Ashland.
California: Caltrans posts chain controls in levels R-1 to R-3, and trucks must follow the posted signs and any CHP or Caltrans instructions at checkpoints. Highways often close before R-3.
Sources: WSDOT chain requirements; WSDOT winter road restrictions; ODOT TripCheck chain law; Caltrans chain controls.
Veterans Day: no holiday stop, but watch office hours
Veterans Day (Wed Nov 11) is not a holiday movement restriction in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California, Utah, Nevada or Montana. Each state's holiday list stops at New Year's, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas (California adds Washington's Birthday), and Montana's 2026 holiday chart lists Veterans Day as no restriction. Normal curfews, weekend and darkness rules still apply.
The catch is permit offices. Nevada's over-dimension permit office is closed Fri Oct 30 (Nevada Day), Wed Nov 11 and Fri Nov 27. If a Nevada permit needs a person to touch it, get it in before those dates. Other state offices may keep holiday hours too, so check before you count on same-day issuance.
Sources: ODOT Attachment H (form 2362) · WSDOT · IDAPA 39.03.01.305 · Caltrans · Utah R909-2-13 · NDOT · MDT 2026 holiday chart.
Route watch: Oregon and SW Washington
Several Oregon width limits from last week's issue are scheduled to come off this week, and a few new night closures start in Portland next week. Dates are ODOT estimates.
Ending soon: I-5 Grants Pass (MP 58–68), 12 ft max Sunday to Thursday nights, through about Oct 30. I-84 Huntington (MP 351–356), 16 ft max at all hours, and US 97 Terrebonne, 17 ft max at all hours, both through about Oct 31. I-5 Medford northbound, 12 ft max Sunday to Thursday nights, through about Nov 2. I-84 Warrendale (MP 36–39), 12 ft max nightly 8 PM to 7 AM, through about Nov 4.
Starting soon: the I-5 southbound Exit 301 ramp to I-84 eastbound in Portland closes at night (10 PM to 5 AM Monday to Thursday, 10 PM to 7 AM Friday) Nov 2–7. I-5 also has 1 AM to 4 AM full closures at Wilsonville northbound (Nov 5–7), Durham southbound (Nov 9–11) and north Portland northbound (Nov 11–13).
Still in place: central Portland I-5 night width limits of 14 ft and night height limits as low as 14 ft 7 in, through about Nov 30.
Washington commuter curfews apply Monday to Friday to loads that need “Oversize Load” signs. Near the Oregon line, that's I-5 Vancouver northbound 3–6 PM and southbound 6–9 AM, and I-205 northbound 4–7 PM and southbound 6–9 AM. Width-only loads up to 10 ft wide are exempt there.
Sources: ODOT TripCheck commercial vehicle alerts, checked Oct 27, 2026; WSDOT curfew hours. Check TripCheck the day you move.
Thanksgiving: four weeks out
Oregon: nothing over 8 ft 6 in wide from noon Wed Nov 25 until a half hour before sunrise Mon Nov 30, with daylight exceptions up to 14 ft Thu–Sat on Interstates, US 97 and listed routes east of US 97. No overwidth movement at all on Sun Nov 29.
Washington: permit loads restricted from noon Wed Nov 25 through Thanksgiving Day and Fri Nov 27.
Idaho: red-coded routes stop at 2 PM Wed Nov 25. On black-coded routes and Interstates, loads over 12 ft wide, 120 ft long or 15 ft high stop at 4 PM Wed Nov 25.
California: loads that need a pilot car can't move 4 PM to midnight Wed Nov 25, or noon to midnight Thu Nov 26 through Sun Nov 29.
Utah: loads over 10 ft wide, 105 ft long or 14 ft 6 in high stop from 2 PM Wed Nov 25 until sunrise Fri Nov 27.
Nevada: holiday hours (noon to midnight) apply Wed Nov 25 and Sun Nov 29, with weekend and darkness limits in between.
Montana: MDT lists Thu Nov 26 through Sun Nov 29 as restricted days.
Same rule of thumb as last week: a load that can't deliver by midday Wed Nov 25 is probably a Mon Nov 30 delivery, and escorts book up fast that week.
Sources: ODOT · WSDOT · IDAPA 39.03.01.305 · Caltrans · Utah R909-2-13 · NDOT · MDT. Full breakdown: Thanksgiving 2026 oversize restrictions.
State by state details: Oregon · Washington · Idaho · California · Utah · Nevada · Montana permit guides. Go deeper: Permits by State · Market Conditions · Heavy Haul FAQ · Oversize Permit Checker.
This is a summary, not legal advice. Confirm permits with the issuing state. Market data from the public sources cited above; no freight rates.