The national average retail price for on-highway diesel rose 24.4 cents in the latest weekly survey from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, climbing from $6.285 to $6.529 a gallon for the week of September 21.
Every reporting region posted an increase, continuing a pattern seen in most weeks since February. The Midwest recorded the largest jump, rising 43 cents from $6.250 to $6.680 a gallon.
EIA data show the West Coast remained the most expensive region at $7.456 a gallon, with California at $8.246. New England rose 31.5 cents to $6.517, and the Central Atlantic region gained 23.4 cents to $6.546. The Rocky Mountain region climbed 27.4 cents to $6.340.
The Gulf Coast posted a smaller gain of 15 cents to $6.177, while the Lower Atlantic region, which includes Georgia and the Carolinas, rose 4.3 cents to $6.139. The Lower Atlantic and Gulf Coast regions carried the lowest diesel prices in the country for the week.
Crude oil prices have eased from recent highs. The Associated Press reported that Brent crude briefly fell below $98 a barrel on Tuesday before settling at $99.25, down 1.1% on the day. Brent touched nearly $110 the prior week and traded around $72 before the conflict with Iran began, and prices have moved with uncertainty over when crude will flow freely again from the Middle East.
Diesel is the primary fuel cost for U.S. trucking fleets, and many carriers adjust fuel surcharges using the weekly EIA average. The national figure has now risen by more than 56 cents over the past two weekly reports, from $5.967 on September 7.
Source: The Trucker - https://www.thetrucker.com/trucking-news/business/diesel-prices-keep-climbing-2