Average Diesel Price Rises 0.4 Cent to $1.439

The average retail price of diesel fuel in the United States rose 0.4 cent to $1.439, the third straight weekly increase, the U.S. Department of Energy reported Monday.

Commercial trucking's dominant fuel has increased 1.9 cents over the three-week span, leaving it at the highest point since May 19.

The price of diesel is 12.8 cents above the corresponding week a year ago.

DOE also said the average price for gasoline rose 0.3 cent to $1.524 per gallon, the highest on almost three months.

Gasoline, used by about one-third of trucking, is down about 12% from a record $1.728 set on March 17, according to DOE figures.

DOE said that diesel increased throughout the country last week. Although the majority of the nation reported increases of less than a cent, the West Coast saw a spike of 1.8 cents to $1.59.

Diesel has been rising in recent weeks along with crude oil, which increased more than 2% in New York last week to nearly $32 per barrel as inventory levels remained low and production in the Gulf of Mexico was disrupted by Hurricane Claudette.

Although the price of crude declined on Monday, another storm was predicted to hit the Gulf region on Saturday, Bloomberg reported.

Each week, DOE surveys 350 diesel-filling stations to compile a national snapshot price of diesel and gasoline.