Diesel prices increased for the fourth week in a row, averaging $2.809 across the nation. The slight jump of 0.7 cents makes for a total increase of 22.6 cents for the four-week period, according to the Department of Energy. Prices for the same week last year were $3.088, a difference of 28 cents higher for that period.
Highest prices for the trucking industry’s primary fuel were found in California, at $2.97 per gallon, with the Central Atlantic region close behind, averaging $2.940. The West Coast region fared only slightly better, bearing fuel costs of $2.910, while customers in the Lower Atlantic area caught a break, paying an average of $2.785, and the Gulf Coast region offered the lowest price at $2.749.
The week also saw similar price jumps for gasoline, up 2 cents for an average of $2.694, 29.4 cents higher than last year’s average for the same week. Gas prices have also risen four weeks consecutively.
Crude oil prices increased by 1.5 percent Monday, with Dow Jones reporting prices of $78.13 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. According to Dow Jones, the gain signals an improvement in the U.S. economy.
Source: TruckingInfo.com
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