The average price for a gallon of diesel nationwide rose 2.2 cents for the week ending April 29, currently standing at $3.169 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The average price for diesel risen every week but one over the past three months and is now higher than it was a year ago, albeit only by 1.2 cents.
This week’s price increase was felt in every region of the country, with the western third of the nation continuing to take a bigger hit than the rest of the country.
The Rocky Mountain region experienced the steepest gain in diesel prices, an even 4 cents, to end the week at $3.183 per gallon. Out on the West Coast, the overall price of diesel went up an average of 3.4 cents, to stand at $3.73 per gallon. California saw less of a gain than the rest of its pacific neighbors. The price there increased. 3.2 cents, lower than the rest of the West Coast or the Rocky Mountains, but still higher than anywhere else in the nation. The price of diesel per gallon in California is now $4.035, far and away the highest in the country.
The Gulf Coast, by comparison, continues to be the only region where diesel is still less than $3 per gallon, $2.939 to be exact, after an increase of 2.2 cents for the week.
The Midwest and Lower Atlantic regions continue to vie for the next-lowest prices in the nation, though both continue in the wrong direction. Diesel rose 1.6 cents in the Midwest, to finish at $3.058, while the Lower Atlantic climbed 2.4 cents, to $3.057.
Further up the East Coast, diesel rose in the New England region by 1.9 cents per gallon, to stand at $3.236, while the Central Atlantic region had the smallest increase in the nation this week, 1.5 cents. The price of a gallon there is now $3.385. That’s 6.4 cents above the price a year ago, which is more than any other region with the notable exception of California, where diesel is 20.1 cents more expensive than a year ago.
On Monday, Brent crude, the global benchmark, fell by 11 cents, or 0.2%, to settle at $72.04 a barrel. U.S.-based West Texas Intermediate crude rose 20 cents, or 0.3%, to settle at $63.50 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.
