Diesel Price Up 0.4 Cent to $1.492

The average price of diesel fuel edged up another 0.4 cent per gallon, its fifth consecutive increase, following nearly three months of decline.

The increase drove the price to $1.492 per gallon, its highest since the first week of June, when it stood at $1.514, according to the Energy Information Agency.

It has increased a total of 14.7 cents over the past five weeks and is nearing the recent high of $1.529 cents per gallon, recorded on May 28.

Meanwhile, the price of gasoline, fell 1.8 cents per gallon however, to $1.527. 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 price edged higher in three of the five Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts, with the West Coast seeing the largest increases. The price per gallon across the entire district rose 4.1 cents, led by a gain of 4.5 cents per gallon in its California sub-district.

The Midwest, which had been making news for its potential energy crunch, but showed a dip of 0.9 cent per gallon for the week.

Along the East Coast, the price increased 0.7 cent per gallon, bolstered by a jump of 1 cent in the sub-district of New England. Its other sub-districts, the Central Atlantic and Lower Atlantic, posted increases of 0.7 and 0.5 cent per gallon, respectively.

The 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.

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