Diesel prices were all over the map for the week ending October 21. It went up some places, down other places, but not by much in either direction. And when it was all added up the national average price for a gallon was a one-tenth of a cent lower than it was a week earlier, to stand at $3.050, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The inconsistency could be seen clearly on both the East and West coasts. On the East Coast, diesel fell by four-tenths of a cent in the Lower Atlantic region, to $2.916 per gallon, while in the Central Atlantic, diesel rose eight-tenths of a cent, to $3.235 per gallon. In New England, it rose only three-tenths of a cent, to $3.045, bringing the East Coast overall to $3.045, an increase of one-tenth of a cent over last week.
On the West Coast, California saw a modest two-tenths of a cent decrease in diesel, to bring the price of diesel in the Golden State to $3.980. But diesel rose in the rest of the West Coast by 5 cents, to $3.290. This averaged out to an increase across the West Coast overall to $3.675.
Diesel went up by three-tenths of a cent in the Rocky Mountain region, to $3.044, while t fell by three-tenths of a cent in the Gulf Coast region, to finish at $2.802.
This leaves the Midwest, which matched the national average with a decrease of one-tenth of a cent for the week, to finish at $2.957 per gallon. Every region in the country is enjoying lower diesel prices than a year ago, nowhere more so than the Midwest, where diesel is 37.6 cents cheaper than this time last year. In the Rocky Mountain region, diesel is down 36.4 cents from a year ago.
The West Coast has seen the least improvement over last year, especially California, where diesel is 11.6 cents less.
On Monday, Brent crude, the global benchmark, fell $0.32, or 0.54%, to stand at $59.10 a barrel. U.S.-based West Texas Intermediate crude was also down, $0.27, or 0.50%, to $53.51 a barrel.
Click here for a complete list of average prices by region for the past three weeks.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
