Diesel Falls 0.1 Cent to $1.303 a Gallon

The average price of diesel fuel across the nation fell 0.1 cent per gallon to $1.303 last week, the Department of Energy said Monday.

Diesel is the main fuel for commercial trucking, making its price important to the industry.

Gasoline, the other major fuel used by trucking, fell 0.2 cent per gallon to $1.393.

This decrease in diesel prices followed last week's increase of 0.1 cent, which left the price at the second-highest point since Memorial Day. Despite being in the middle of the summer driving season, the average price is only 0.1 cent higher than at the end of April.

The West Coast grouping of states was the only area seeing a major increase in the price last week -- to $1.405 from 1.387. This marked the first time the price has been so high since April 15, DOE said.

The rest of the country -- with the exception of the New England states -- all saw modest declines between 0.2 cent and 0.5 cent.

However, New England's price rose 0.1 cent to $1.407, following a week in which the price rose 1 cent due to a refinery fire. That is the most expensive price in the nation, with the exception of California, at $1.443.

Each week, DOE’s surveys 350 diesel filling stations across the country to compile a composite snapshot of diesel prices nationwide.

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