Diesel Price Falls 12th Straight Week

The national average price of diesel fuel declined 1.1 cents a gallon last week to $1.423, the 12th straight weekly decline, the U.S. Department of Energy reported Monday.

Since reaching an all-time high of $1.771 on March 10, the price of commercial trucking's dominant fuel has fallen 34.8 cents. That would save a long-haul trucker nearly $70 on a 200-gallon purchase at retail pumps.

The most recent diesel price was the lowest since $1.401 on Dec. 16. The price is still 12.3 cents higher than the corresponding week a year ago.

DOE also said Monday that the average retail price of regular unleaded gasoline declined 1.4 cents per gallon to $1.473. This was the 10th decline in the past 11 weeks, leaving gasoline 8.1 cents ahead of last year's pace.

About one-third of commercial trucking uses gasoline.

Diesel declined in each of DOE's major geographic areas, with the largest drop reported in the East Coast grouping of states at 1.8 cents to $1.447.

The cheapest diesel remained along with Gulf Coast, at 1.361 after a decline of 0.8 cent, DOE said.

Each week, DOE surveys 350 filling stations to come up with a composite price for diesel fuel across the country.

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