Diesel Dips 0.6 Cent to $2.882 a Gallon; Gas Drops 2.5 Cents

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he average national price of retail diesel fuel dipped 0.6 cent to $2.882 a gallon, the Energy Department said Tuesday.

Gasoline, meanwhile, fell 2.5 cents to $2.867 a gallon, DOE said following its weekly survey of filling stations, delayed one day this week because of Memorial Day.

The diesel dip was the second straight decline — it dropped 3.2 cents last week — following seven straight increases, according to DOE figures.

Trucking’s main fuel is now 72.2 cents higher than this time last year, which would add $505 million to the trucking industry’s costs over the same week last year at a burn rate of 700 million gallons per week.

The price dropped in four of five national regions, rising only in the Rocky Mountain region, where it gained 2 cents to $3.044.

The Gulf Coast region had the lowest price at $2.798, dipping 0.3 cent from last week. The West Coast had the highest regional average, at $3.161, down 1.4 cents.

California’s price, which DOE breaks out separately, remained the highest overall, at $3.227, though it dropped 0.7 cent for the week.

Each week, DOE surveys 350 diesel filling stations to compile a national snapshot average price.