Market Intelligence

What's moving the last-mile market.

Industry news, cost analysis, and operational intelligence for fleet operators — updated continuously.

Last Mile
Last Mile
+8%
DSP network volume growth
est. 8% YoY in 2025
Drivers
Drivers
$8,200
Average replacement cost
per driver lost
Fuel
Fuel
$5.38
National diesel average
March 2026

Diesel Drops 12 Cents — But Q1 Volatility Already Burned Your Margin

Diesel fell to $5.28/gallon last week, but Q1's nearly $2.00 swing already cost a 25-van fleet over $13,000/month at peak — and summer volatility isn't done.

Read →

Diesel Holds Steady — But the Real Cost Surge Is Hiding Elsewhere

Retail diesel is flat, but insurance, maintenance, and parts costs are quietly compressing operator margins heading into Q2 2026.

Read →

Diesel at $5.62: The Per-Van Fuel Cost Recalculation You Haven't Run Yet

Diesel hit $5.62/gallon this week — up 41% from the pre-war baseline after five weeks of the Iran conflict. The per-van fuel cost recalculation at current prices, what it means for cost per stop, and why Amazon's 3.5% FBA surcharge doesn't close the gap for DSP operators.

Read →

$202. That's how much more diesel is costing per van per month compared to January.

Reddit version of the diesel fuel recalculation article. Leads with the $202/van/month delta, builds through per-stop impact table, and addresses why Amazon's FBA surcharge doesn't help DSP operators.

Read →

USPS Adds 8% Fuel Surcharge Through January 2027. Operators, Start Running the Math.

USPS 8% fuel surcharge through Jan 2027 — implications for rural DSP route math

Read →

Amazon Just Told Sellers the Fuel Environment Is Structural. Your Route Volume Is a Lagging Indicator.

Amazon's 3.5% FBA fuel surcharge announced April 2, 2026, reveals a cost-transfer asymmetry DSP operators should understand: when sellers adjust to higher fulfillment costs, DSP route volume is the lagging indicator.

Read →
Maintenance
Maintenance
+34%
Average maintenance cost
post-60k escalation zone
Browse by Category
Last MileVehiclesDriversFuelMaintenance
Weekly Newsletter

Get the weekly fleet intelligence brief

Data-backed operator analysis, free. No vendor pitches.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
More Articles

Looking for older coverage?

Browse the full archive — every article organized by month.

Browse the Archive →