Diesel Jumps 3.5 Cents a Gallon

The Memorial Day holiday dawned to the highest U.S. diesel fuel prices in nearly four months, as an increase in every region combined to produce a national average price of $1.529 per gallon. That is 3.5 cents above the previous week.

For a trucker filling a pair of 150-gallon tanks, the increase meant a fillup cost of $458.70 -- or $10.50 higher than last week.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Adminisration, which cited the current price as of May 28 although it did not report until Tuesday due to the holiday, this is the highest price since Jan. 29, when it stood at $1.539.

The biggest regional increase was in the Midwest, where the price surged 5.3 cents, from $1.535 to $1.588 per gallon. California, often the scene of the wildest price spikes, was this week the mildest, at 1.6 cents.

Gasoline prices rose, too, on the holiday that marks the start of the summer driving season.

At $1.704, the price is 1.7 cents over the previous week and 0.9 cents below the record high of $1.713 sent on May 14.

The EIA surveys 350 fueling stations at the start of each week, and usually reports the results on the same day that it polls the stations.