May 22, 2006 4:10 PM, EDT

Diesel Drops 3.2 Cents to $2.888 a Gallon, DOE Reports

Gasoline Declines 6.4 Cents to $2.883

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he national average price of diesel fuel declined for the first time in eight weeks, dropping 3.2 cents to $2.888 a gallon, the Energy Department reported Monday.

Meanwhile, gasoline dropped 6.4 cents to $2.883 a gallon, the department said.

Diesel last fell on March 27, when it dipped 1.6 cents to $2.565, DOE figures showed.

Since the first Monday of the year, trucking’s main fuel has gained 44.6 cents and it is now 73.2 cents higher than a year ago.

The price fell in all five national regions, led by a nickel decline in the Rocky Mountain region to $3.024

The West Coast price, which declined 1.2 cents to $3.175, remained the highest regional average, while the price in California — even higher at $3.234 — dipped just 0.8 cent. DOE breaks out California separately from its five national regions.

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