As diesel hits $10/gal., rumors swirl that stations are running out — SkimNews
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- California diesel stations displayed $9.99 per gallon prices last week — the highest number their pumps could show — and some are now posting 'out of diesel' notices, according to Electrek's reporting on social media images.
- Newsweek's Aliss Higham documented specific examples: an 'out of diesel' station in North Texas and another in Orlando, Florida, while noting that industry data does not currently show any widespread shortages.
- GasBuddy's Patrick DeHaan told CNBC there are 'no widespread diesel shortages in the US right now,' and reiterated in a September 17, 2026 tweet that GasBuddy's outage monitoring shows levels 'within norms at this time.'
- Sensational social media posts about America running out of diesel have circulated since US military strikes on Iran caused the closure of the Strait of Hormuz earlier in 2026, Electrek notes, but this latest round has been amplified by more credible news outlets.
- Commercial truck stop chains like Love's and Pilot/Flying J are likely stockpiling diesel at current prices, potentially squeezing smaller regional distributors that supply local gas stations — a hypothesis Electrek offers for why isolated stations are running dry.
- One alternative explanation from an Electrek colleague: stations may be deliberately sitting on diesel until they can upgrade pump signs to display prices above the $9.99 display cap rather than 'leaving money on the table.'
Why it matters: If large commercial buyers like Love's and Pilot/Flying J are hoarding diesel at $9.99 prices while smaller regional distributors get squeezed, individual gas stations could face intermittent outages even when national data shows adequate supply — meaning consumers may see dry pumps before any official shortage is formally declared.
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