Drivers See Little Relief at the Pump Despite Falling Oil Prices

Oil prices fell as much as 3.5% on Sept. 16, but gasoline and diesel prices moved in the opposite direction, according to TheStreet.

The national average price of gasoline rose nearly 1% from the previous day and is up more than 50% so far in 2026, AAA data cited by TheStreet shows, with the average reaching $4.367 a gallon. GasBuddy's late-afternoon average was even higher, at $4.423 a gallon.

Diesel prices climbed by a similar margin and are up more than 77% in 2026, according to AAA figures in the report, reaching a national average of $6.3103 a gallon. TheStreet reports that high prices are expected to persist at least until mid-November, according to one economist, and that rising diesel costs are pushing trucking and rail companies to add surcharges.