Average Diesel Price Jumps 5.8 Cents Per Gallon

The average price of diesel fuel rose 5.8 cents across the United States last week, its largest weekly jump since Aug. 28, 2000, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported on Monday.

The current average price now stands at $1.452 per gallon, its highest point since June 18.

At the same time, the retail price of regular gasoline also rose to $1.488 per gallon, which was up 6.1 cents from last week.

While the biggest trucks run on diesel fuel, a significant portion of the commercial trucking business is carried out in trucks that use gasoline. Both fuels impact the cost of truck service.

The jump in the national price was buffeted by an increase of 11.2 cents per gallon in the Midwest Petroleum Administration for Defense District.

Other districts seeing significant price spikes, according to the EIA, were the Rocky Mountain and West Coast PADDs.

The Rocky Mountain PADD – made up of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming – saw an increase of 5.9 cents to push the average price to $1.447 per gallon.

The West Coast saw its diesel prices jump 6.7 cents per gallon. Its largest member, California, gets its prices measured separately and saw a smaller increase of 5.6 cents per gallon of diesel.

The Gulf Coast saw a moderate increase of 1.7 cents per gallon, while the East Coast saw the price rise by only 0.8 cent.

The New England subdistrict of the East Coast PADD, made up of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont posted a decline of 0.1 cent for the week.

The Department of Energy’s EIA surveys 350 fueling stations in five districts at the start of each week, and usually reports the results on the same day that it polls the stations.

7753