美国柴油价格已突破每公升 1.585 美元（每加仑 6 美元，$6/gal）的历史关卡，AAA 更录得每公升 1.600 美元（每加仑 6.0556 美元，$6.0556/gal）的历史新高。相较于一年前每公升 0.977 美元（每加仑 3.70 美元，$3.70/gal）的基准，整体价格大幅飙升约 62%。公路货运消耗了全美约三分之二（约 66.7%）的柴油，沉重的燃料成本压力正直接冲击运输产业与广大卡车司机。
卡车司机向来是 Donald Trump 的核心支持群体；2024 年 4 月《Overdrive》的调查显示，独立卡车营运商对 Donald Trump 的支持率高达 67%，远远超过对 Joe Biden 的 17%（优势达 50 个百分点）。然而，能源成本激增沉重打击了包含德州、俄亥俄州与宾夕法尼亚州等关键选区，连带波及农业、制造业以及高度依赖热燃油的家庭，使共和党选情面临巨大冲击。
近期民调反映出燃料涨价地区对共和党候选人极为不利：德州参议院选举中 Democrat James Talarico 以 48% 对 44% 领先 Republican Ken Paxton（领先 4 个百分点）；密西根州民调显示 Democrat Abdul El-Sayed 以 47% 对 44% 领先 Republican Mike Rogers（领先 3 个百分点）；俄亥俄州各项调查中 Democrat Sherrod Brown 亦领先 Republican Jon Husted 达 2 至 8 个百分点，使两院多个席次向民主党倾斜。
US diesel prices surged past the historic benchmark of $1.585 per liter ($6 a gallon), with AAA reporting a record national peak of $1.600 per liter ($6.0556 a gallon). This reflects a sharp increase of approximately 62% compared to the prior-year average of $0.977 per liter ($3.70 a gallon). Highway trucking accounts for about two-thirds (66.7%) of total American diesel fuel consumption, directly passing soaring operating expenditures onto commercial truck operators.
Truckers have long served as a vital demographic for Donald Trump; an April 2024 poll by Overdrive revealed that owner-operators favored Donald Trump with 67% support over Joe Biden at 17%, marking a 50 percentage point margin. However, rising fuel expenses heavily burden freight corridors, agriculture, manufacturing, and heating oil markets across crucial battleground states, creating severe political headwinds for Republicans ahead of upcoming elections.
Recent polling in diesel-reliant battlegrounds shows Republican candidates trailing: in Texas, Democrat James Talarico leads Republican Ken Paxton by 48% to 44% (a 4-point margin); in Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed leads Republican Mike Rogers by 47% to 44% (a 3-point margin); and in Ohio, Democrat Sherrod Brown holds leads between 2 and 8 points over Republican Jon Husted, driving analytical handicappers to shift multiple races toward Democrats.