Local
Diesel costs squeeze Oakland port truckers and threaten produce deliveries
With California diesel averaging more than $8 a gallon, independent truckers serving the Port of Oakland are cutting back on long-distance runs to manage fuel bills. The rising costs could eventually push up prices or reduce the supply of goods, including produce, experts say.
OAKLAND — Independent truck drivers hauling goods through the Port of Oakland say record-high diesel prices are making it harder to keep their businesses afloat, with some avoiding the long trips that bring food from the Central Valley to the port.
Danny Bui, a licensed motor carrier who has driven for six years to support his family in San José, said filling the 240-gallon tank of his 2015 Freightliner now costs about $1,400 — roughly twice what it did before. He has shifted to shorter trips between the port and nearby warehouses, but said that is not a lasting solution.
“The diesel is killing the business,” Bui said. He added that if conditions do not improve by the end of the year, he may have to find other work.
California diesel prices have climbed above $8 a gallon on average, about $3 more than a year ago and roughly $2 above the national average, according to figures cited from AAA. The surge follows the start of the Iran war in late February 2026 and comes amid damage to oil fields and refineries in Russia and the Middle East.
PCC Logistics, which works with about 85 independent carriers at the port, depends on those drivers to move meat and produce from the Central Valley to Oakland for shipment to Asia. The company’s transportation director, Steve Gardner, said drivers have become reluctant to take longer hauls as fuel costs rise. Diesel semis typically get about 7 miles per gallon, he said.
The pressure on trucking could reach consumers. UC Berkeley petroleum industry expert Severin Borenstein said carriers and retailers may absorb some of the added costs at first, but they cannot do so indefinitely. Over time, he said, reduced supply and higher prices may follow. Shipping costs weigh particularly heavily on produce because it is relatively heavy compared with its value.
Bui, a father of four who immigrated from Vietnam at 14, said he values the independence of trucking. Now, he said, earnings that once left room for income are largely going toward expenses such as fuel, insurance and truck payments, alongside the high cost of living in the Bay Area.
The state is also investing in alternatives to diesel. In August, the California Energy Commission approved $95 million to expand zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, including facilities for heavy-duty freight trucks. But Gardner said electric semis are not yet practical for his operations without sufficient charging infrastructure.
The California Air Resources Board says heavy-duty fossil-fuel trucks produce 70% of the state’s smog-forming emissions and 80% of its carcinogenic diesel pollution. Expanding cleaner freight options could address those health impacts, but the current fuel shock is hitting independent drivers before alternatives are widely available.