Diesel Price Nears High Point for Year

The retail price of diesel fuel rose 3.5 cents per gallon last week to $1.527, the highest average price since May 28, when it hit the year high of $1.529.

The rise, about the same as other recent increases, indicated that last week's terrorist attacks have so far had a minimal impact on fuel production and prices - a fact confirmed by the Energy Information Administration in its oil market assessment. It is a decrease of 12.6 cents per gallon from the same week of last year.

The price of diesel fuel has been rising steadily since Aug. 6, when a low point of $1.345 was reported.

Meanwhile, the price of gasoline increased by only 0.2 cent per gallon to $1.529. 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.

In the Petroleum Administration districts, the largest increase was seen in the Gulf Coast, where the price rose 4.8 cents per gallon from $1.401 to $1.449. The Midwest, which has seen large increases recently, rose 4.4 cents to $1.594.

The highest price was posted on the West Coast, even though the price actually dropped from $1.616 to $1.602.

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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