Average Diesel Price Declines 0.3 Cent to $1.42

The national average price of diesel fuel declined 0.3 cent a gallon last week to $1.420, the lowest price since Dec. 16, the Department of Energy reported Monday.

The price of commercial trucking's dominant fuel has declined two consecutive weeks and 15 out of the last 16 since reaching an all-time high of $1.771 on March 10. Since the March 10 report, diesel has fallen 35.1 cents.

Diesel is still 13.1 cents higher than the corresponding week a year ago.

DOE also said Monday that the average retail price of regular unleaded gasoline declined 0.9 cents per gallon to $1.487.

About one-third of commercial trucking uses gasoline.

The price declined in each of DOE's five major geographic regions with exception of the Rocky Mountains, where the price rose 0.7 cent to $1.455.

The West Coast grouping of states saw the largest decline at 0.7 cent to $1.556, due in large part to a 2.4-cent drop in its largest state of California.

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

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