Truckers say record diesel prices are cutting into their pay and forcing companies to trim routes.

The national average for diesel was about $6.32 a gallon on Monday, according to AAA, Fox News reported. A year ago it was about $3.69. That is a jump of more than 70%. Prices have passed the old record of $5.816, set in June 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. The average hit a new record of $6.52 in September.

The main cause is the Iran war, which has largely shut the Strait of Hormuz and squeezed global fuel supplies.

"Fuel prices is going up. The rates are not going up," said Suave Dorsett, a Miami-based trucker. He said he saw diesel at $7.40 a gallon in Ohio. Dorsett warned that small owner-operators will be the first to quit. "It's going to create a chain effect," he said. Louisiana trucker Tyler Rinaldi said his company has cut weekend routes. "I've seen a lot of routes get cut," he said.

Higher trucking costs can show up later in prices at the grocery store, because most goods travel by truck.

The pain is not just in the U.S. In Britain, the average price of diesel rose above £2 a litre for the first time, according to the RAC, the BBC reported. A cancer charity in northeast England that drives patients to the hospital said it now spends £15,000 a month on diesel. That is £5,000 more than last year.

President Donald Trump's new deal to let Russia sell diesel is meant to ease prices. Critics say it rewards Moscow.

What we know: Diesel averaged about $6.32 a gallon last week, up more than 70% from a year ago, and truckers say routes are being cut.
What we don't: Whether the U.S. diesel deal with Russia will bring prices down.