Rubbish Check
Forbes Business · August 14, 2026
source“Gas And Diesel Prices On Track For Their Most Expensive August Ever”
R2/ 10
Lightly altered
Rubbish Rating — 1 = base fact, 10 = pure rubbish
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In short
Rubbish Talk rates Forbes' claim that gas and diesel are "on track for their most expensive August ever" a 2/10 because AAA and independent outlets confirm the same record-for-the-date pricing, and the headline's "on track" framing correctly hedges that the monthly record isn't finalized yet.
The Verdict
Lightly altered. This is close to the base fact: the headline uses "on track," an accurate hedge since a monthly record can't be confirmed until August ends, and the underlying numbers check out against AAA's own data and independent reporting from other outlets covering the same story the same week.
What actually happened
Gasoline hit $4.07 a gallon nationally in mid-August, matching AAA's own tracker, while diesel reached $5.40. The piece attributes the run-up to lost global refining capacity from conflict-related damage in the Middle East and Russia, plus Russia halting diesel exports, forcing the U.S. to export more diesel and drain domestic inventories.
Key facts
- National regular gas averaged $4.07/gallon on Aug 14, matching AAA's own real-time figure of $4.0715 as of Aug 13, 2026.
- Diesel hit $5.40/gallon, independently confirmed by Transport Topics reporting the same figure for the second week of August.
- AAA's own newsroom stated "So far, this is the highest August on record when it comes to" pump prices, corroborating the "ever" framing.
- GasBuddy's Patrick De Haan separately noted the national average has "never been above $4/gal after Aug. 12 in any previous year", an independent confirmation of the record claim.
- S&P Global's cited 7.5 million barrel/day global refining capacity loss and Russia's diesel export halt are the article's stated drivers, consistent with the diesel inventory squeeze (10% below the five-year average) it describes.
What to watch for
- Whether crude softens enough (down to the $70-80/barrel range per AAA's own reporting) to offset the refining-capacity squeeze before month-end.
- Whether U.S. refiners defer fall maintenance to chase record crack spreads, which the article flags as an unconfirmed but live risk for further price pressure.
- The "ever" claim is nominal, not inflation-adjusted; other analyses note 2012 held the inflation-adjusted record, a caveat the headline doesn't carry but isn't obligated to given how AAA/GasBuddy report these comparisons.
About this scoreThe R-Score is Rubbish Talk's editorial opinion on how far a headline's framing sits from what the underlying facts support. It is a judgement about presentation and emphasis, not an allegation that any outlet has acted dishonestly. Every figure we rely on is linked under Receipts so you can check it yourself.
