Diesel Price Rises 3 Cents to $1.281

The average price of diesel fuel rose to $1.281 per gallon last week, 3 cents higher than the previous week, the Department of Energy reported Monday.

Gasoline prices also rose from last week, jumping 5.4 cents to $1.342 per gallon. While heavy-duty, diesel trucks make up the largest segment of commercial trucking, a good portion of trucking is carried out using smaller, gasoline powered vehicles.

Sunday, fuel analyst Trilby Lundberg reported a record 14.36 cents per gallon increase in the price of gasoline nationwide over the last two weeks (Click here for related coverage.), news services reported.

The in diesel prices increase marked the fourth consecutive increase and the longest such string since the six-week run-up that ended the week after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

On Sept. 17, 2001, the DOE's Energy Information Agency said the average price of diesel fuel was $1.527 per gallon, which was 24.6 cents above the current price.

One year ago, the price stood at $137.9 per gallon.

The Rocky Mountain region saw the largest individual gain in average diesel price, a 4.6 cents per gallon gain, pushing the price to $1.29.

The most expensive fuel average was found in the West Coast region, where the price for diesel is $1.386 per gallon. This is up 2.6 cents from the previous week. The increase was spearheaded by a 3.4 cents per gallon jump in the West Coast’s largest member – California. The increase in that state pushed the price to $1.45 per gallon.

The least expensive average price is along the Gulf Coast, where the price for the fuel is $1.251, up 3.3 cents per gallon.

In the Midwest, the price rose 3.1 cents to $1.259 a gallon from the previous week. Along the East Coast, the price edged higher by 2.5 cents per gallon, the smallest increase of the week, to $1.287.

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.

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