WAYNE, N.J. — Diesel has set an all-time price record in 2026, and industry analysts expect it to stay elevated well into 2027. For the companies that move live entertainment across North America, the story isn't the number at the pump, it's what that number does to a tour budget quoted months in advance.
"2026 is on track to be the most expensive year for diesel in U.S. history," according to GasBuddy's head of petroleum analysis, Patrick De Haan, the analyst most national outlets cite for diesel-price data. At the time of writing (September 21, 2026), average diesel price in the US is $6.51.
The pressure is coming from several directions at once: refinery disruptions overseas, U.S. distillate inventories tracking toward multi-decade lows, fall refinery maintenance, and seasonal demand from harvest and winter heating. Because diesel is a global commodity, even record domestic production doesn't shield American buyers when supply tightens abroad.
For touring, the effect compounds. A single truck burns hundreds of gallons a week; extrapolate that across a full fleet on a multi-week run and small per-gallon moves become five-figure swings. "Touring is about getting from point A to point B. A lot of the inflationary pressures start and end with energy costs," Chris Nilsson, President of 10th Street Entertainment, told Pollstar in 2022.
The volatility is hard to predict. Tours are quoted long before the first load-in and even with the most conservative budgets, the effects can be unexpected. The EIA has warned that falling distillate inventories raise the risk of higher prices. The answer isn't prediction, it's managing the changes in real-time.
Janco, a family-owned entertainment-logistics company marking 50 years in business, frames it plainly: diesel is the variable, and experience is the constant. The company has moved tours and live events through every fuel cycle since 1975. Transparency, operational discipline, and realistic budget planning are the pillars that set Janco apart.
About Janco
Janco is an entertainment transportation and logistics company serving the live entertainment industry. With 50+ years on the road, Janco supports productions with transportation planning, tour logistics, operational coordination, and trusted execution.
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